Leica M vs. Leica CL

Camera Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Leica M and Leica CL. Compare design, sensors, proximity features, memory capacities and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right camera for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the digital camera that will best fit your needs.

Camera Specifications Comparison

Leica M vs. Leica CL Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Leica M Leica CL
Product Type Digital camera - 1080p - rangefinder Digital camera - 4K - mirrorless system
Lens Included Body only Body only
Height 8 cm 7.8 cm
Width 13.9 cm 13.1 cm
Depth 4.2 cm 4.5 cm
Weight 680 g 353 g
Weight Details - Camera body only: 353 g
Camera with battery: 403 g
Body Material Synthetic leather, magnesium Anodised aluminium, magnesium
Enclosure Colour Black | Silver chrome Anodized black
Protection Weatherproof, splashproof, dust-resistant -
SENSOR Leica M Leica CL
Sensor Resolution 24.0 Megapixel 24.0 Megapixel
Optical Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Total Pixels - 24,960,000 pixels
Effective Sensor Resolution - 24,320,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Size Full Frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm)
Frame Rate (Max Resolution) - 30 fps
Sensors Dust alert sensor, digital level metre -
PROCESSOR Leica M Leica CL
Image Processor Leica Maestro Maestro II
LENS Leica M Leica CL
Lens Mounting Type Leica M Leica L
FOCUSING Leica M Leica CL
Auto Focus - TTL contrast detection
Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty - 49
Auto Focus Features Focus Peaking function, Manual Focus Check Live View -
AE/AF Control - Face-priority AF, Subject-tracking AF, Touch Area AF
Face Detection - Face-priority AF function
VIEWFINDER Leica M Leica CL
Viewfinder Type Optical - real-image Built-in - electronic
Viewfinder Colour Support - Colour
Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360,000 pixels
Optical Viewfinder Magnification 0.68x 0.74x
Optical Viewfinder Dioptric Correction Range - -4 to +4
Viewfinder Information Shutter speed, exposure compensation, flash charge completion -
Features Automatic parallax compensation Auto eye sensor, EyeRes technology
EXPOSURE & WHITE BALANCE Leica M Leica CL
ISO (Max) 6400 50000
Light Sensitivity ISO 100, ISO 200-6400 ISO auto, ISO 100-50000
Exposure Metering Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot
Exposure Modes Bulb, manual, aperture-priority Programme, automatic, manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority
Special Effects Film Simulation -
White Balance Custom, automatic, presets Custom, automatic, presets
White Balance Presets Cloudy, tungsten light, Flash, daylight, shade, fluorescent light (cool white), fluorescent light (warm white), 2000K - 13100K Cloudy, Flash, daylight, halogen, shade
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec 1/25000 sec
Min Shutter Speed 60 sec 30 sec
Exposure Compensation ±3 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps ±3 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
Auto Exposure Bracketing 5 steps in 1/2, 1, 2, 3 EV steps 3 steps in 1/3 EV step
X-sync Speed 1/180 sec 1/180 sec
DISPLAY Leica M Leica CL
Type 3" LCD display 3" LCD display
Touch Screen - Yes
Display Format 920,000 pixels 1,040,000 pixels
Display Form Factor Built-in Built-in
Display Features Contrast control Display brightness control
VIDEOGRAPHY / CAMCORDER Leica M Leica CL
Digital Video Format MJPEG, MOV H.264
Image Recording Format JPEG, DNG (RAW) JPEG, DNG (RAW) + JPEG, DNG (RAW)
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Microphone Operation Mode Mono -
Microphone Features Sensitivity control -
MEMORY Leica M Leica CL
Memory Card Slot SD card SD card
Supported Memory Cards SD Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card SD Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDHC UHS-II Memory Card, SDXC UHS-II Memory Card
Memory Card Included - No
Image Storage JPEG 5952 x 3976
JPEG 4256 x 2832
JPEG 2976 x 1984
JPEG 1600 x 1080
DNG (RAW) 5952 x 3976
DNG (RAW) 6016 x 4014
JPEG 6000 x 4000
JPEG 4272 x 2856
JPEG 3024 x 2016
Video Capture MOV - 1920 x 1080 - 25 fps
MOV - 1920 x 1080 - 24 fps
MOV - 1280 x 720 - 25 fps
MOV - 1280 x 720 - 24 fps
MOV - 640 x 480 - 30 fps
MOV - 640 x 480 - 25 fps
MOV - 640 x 480 - 24 fps
H.264 - 3840 x 2160 p - 30 fps
H.264 - 1920 x 1080 p - 60 fps
H.264 - 1920 x 1080 p - 30 fps
H.264 - 1280 x 720 p - 30 fps
BATTERY AND CHARGING Leica M Leica CL
Battery Type Lithium Ion - manufacturer-specific Leica BP-DC12 Lithium Ion
Details Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1800 mAh (included) Leica BP-DC12 Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1200 mAh (included)
Battery Life - Photo shooting - 220 shots
CONNECTIONS Leica M Leica CL
Interface - IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Connectivity Features - Remote control via mobile devices, remote live view, Wireless Image Transfer
Tripod Mount Connection Point - 1/4" socket
Flash Terminal Hot shoe Hot shoe
FEATURES Leica M Leica CL
Self-Timer Delay 2sec, 12sec 2sec, 12sec
Continuous Shooting Speed 3 frames per second 10 frames per second
Additional Features Sharpness control, saturation control Auto power save, histogram display, highlight point display, Gesture User Interface
OTHERS Leica M Leica CL
Included Accessories Carrying strap, battery charger, body cap, power cable, shoe cap Carrying strap, battery charger, body cap, hot shoe cap
Software Adobe Photoshop Lightroom -
Max Operating Temperature 40 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C -
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