Last Updated on 10/30/2020 by Chris Gampat
Whether you’re new to film, a hardcore Leica collector, or simply want to have a sophisticated and lightweight M-mount camera, we have just the camera for you.
Attention Leica fans and vintage camera collectors! If your stash is still missing the Leica CL — obviously not the digital version — we have a few leads for you. For the unfamiliar, it’s the smallest M-mount camera ever made, and has some interesting details that make it a nice addition to your collection. If your mission is to collect every wonderful Leica out there, this might also be right up your alley!
Our find of the day is a Leica CL, listed by eBay seller leitzusa in very good cosmetic and working condition as seen in the photo. It comes complete with the 40mm f2 Summicron C and 90mm f4 Elmar C lenses, lens caps, and case. The viewfinder is clean, the rangefinder is accurate, the meter works, and the lenses have no scratches or fungus (just some minor wear on the barrels). However, there’s a touch of haze in the 90mm. This complete set is going for a Buy It Now price of $1,550. But if you’re up for an even more special unit from Japan, there’s also a 50 Jahre or 50th Anniversary version CL with 40mm f2 Summicron C lens (see cover photo) going for a little more, with a Buy It Now price of $1,749.
Now, for some more details about this little Leica. Dubbed the smallest M-mount camera, the CL was the lovechild of Minolta and Leica. It was announced in April, 1973 and relaeased in the Japanese market as the Leitz Minolta CL in November of the same year. According to Camera Quest, this camera was discontinued only three years later, and its Japanese heritage was sometimes frowned upon. While it’s an outstanding camera in its own right, the CL’s biggest problem came in being compared to the legendary Leica M, which is unfair, as anyone familiar with these cameras will point out.
Photo Insider also noted that the big deal about the CL is not only its size but also because it was the most wallet-friendly way to get into the Leica M system. In fact, it was such a bestseller that Leica bigwigs felt they needed to kill it for the fear that it might affect the sales of the pricier, more valuable M cameras!
The Leica CL/Leitz Minolta CL later evolved into the Minolta CLE in 1980, which we found to be one of the greatest M-mount film cameras of all time!