Using the CL

[Doug Richardson <doug@meditor.demon.co.uk>]

Takanori Oka wrote: I am currently interested in Leica CL body . . . but
question is how rugged they are.

I'm a journalist, and I use a CL both as a working camera and for general
domestic picture-taking. It's not as ruggedly built as an M - the
removable back is much thinner than the body of an M, but it's not flimsy.
Although the camera is lighter-built and lighter in weight than a
traditional rangefinder Leica, and built by Minolta rather than Leitz,
it's "innards" are of traditional Leica quality. Hoever it lacks the
quietness and high-quality "feel" of the M.  The noise is probably the
result of there being less structural mass to absorb the shock of the
shutter operating. Its metering system is closely-related to that of the
M-5, and I've heard rumours/gossip of meter unreliability. I've had mine
for 18 months, and have had no problems.

One thing I've noticed is that when the shutter fires, I can feel a
distinct "kick" from the film winding lever. I read a posting on
CompuServe in which another CL owner said he found this disturbing.

The CL's main role for me as a working camera is when I cover trade
shows. My prime job is to write about the show, but I also need to take
pictures of new products on company stands to help illustrate my stories.
The CL travels in my pocket, and adds little to the weight I must carry
(briefcase plus brochures, press releases, etc.)

For a long time I used $70 - $100 Japanese "point and shoot" cameras for
this sort of work, but two have failed on assignment over a decade. So I
bought the CL, which has a much more "solid" feel than the plastic-cased
compacts I'd been using.

The case is of soft leather, so doesn't provide as much protection as a
traditional ERC. The top plate of mine is *very* slightly concave,
presumably as the result of a previous owner cramming it into an
overfilled case or briefcase. So I think the moral is that it needs to be
treated with a little more gentleness than an M.

The lens cap fits not into the lens mount, but into the lens hood, so try
to get a camera with both. Mine had neither, and when I finally located a
cap I was surprised to discover it don't fit the lens!

Hove Foto Books in the UK have reprinted the manuals for the CL, the M-5,
and the Leicaflex series in a single volume which you should be able to
get my mail order from dealers who specialise in Leica.

For most photographic purposes, the CL is now my camera of choice unless
I need the facilities of an M or Leicaflex.

I hope this helps - if you have any specific questions, send me an email
and I'll try to answer them.

Regards,

Doug Richardson