Leica APS-C youngest model LEICA CL typ7323
A review and photo examples using the LEICA CL typ7323 with LEICA SL and LEICA R lenses.
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Table of contents
Gallery
The following lenses were used to take the example photos:
- SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN
- SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN
- LEICA SUMMICRON-R 35mm 2nd(New)
Review
1．Overview
The LEICA CL typ7323 is a Leica camera equipped with an APS-C sensor, released at the end of 2017.
As of 2025, it is Leica’s last L-mount mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor.
Key features are listed below, with detailed specifications listed in the table.
- Image Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C Sensor
- EVF: 2.36M Dots with Eye Sensor
- Rear Display: 3-inch + Touchscreen
- Battery: BP-DC12
- Color Options
- Available in Black and Silver
- “Carbon Limited Edition” limited to 50 units
- “Bauhaus 100th Anniversary Edition” limited to 150 units
- “Leica CL “Edition Paul Smith” limited to 900 units
- Other body and lens sets are also available.
The latest firmware, 4.1, is listed only as a bug fix, and it is unclear what has been fixed.
2．Usability
The LEICA CL typ7323 clearly shows two years of evolution since the original Leica T, and the built-in EVF in particular is impressive.
The APS-C size, 24-megapixel image sensor provides sufficient resolution and image quality. It appears to be the same as the TL2, and shuffling through the photos makes it difficult to tell the difference.
I had already sold all of the lenses I had dedicated to my Leica TL and Leica SL when I purchased the camera, so the only lenses I could use were the SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary and the Panasonic LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 S-R2060. The autofocus (AF) speed is comparable to the TL series—not exceptionally fast, but not so bad that it impairs its practicality. The AF accuracy is fine with typical subjects, but it still struggles to focus on cats over fences or in the depths of bushes.
The body design feels like a combination of functional units added to a base body, which can feel a bit disjointed and lacking in cohesion, leading to a divided opinion. Personally, I think it’s complete once you’ve added the necessary shooting functions, so once you get used to it, it doesn’t bother me. The rear button layout is the same as that of the Leica M10, with three vertical buttons on the left and a D-pad on the right.
The battery is the same Leica BP-DC12 as the V-LUX4/V-LUX(114)/V-LUX5 and LEICA Q(Typ116), and is said to be compatible with the Panasonic DMW-BLC12 and Sigma BP-51.
I purchased the official optional thumb rest and leather case. The bottom of the leather case opens to access the battery and memory card, and there’s a pocket for the memory card there, which is a very welcome addition for someone as forgetful as me.
The strap attachment, which was less than well-received on the Leica T, has returned to a standard ring design.
My LEICA T broke, so I was looking for a replacement when a camera shop told me that this CL had arrived, so I traded in a few things and paid extra to get it. It came with a Sigma 18-50 DC DN mirrorless zoom lens, which I didn’t really need. It wasn’t what I had high hopes for, but it was cheap and took good pictures.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the LEICA CL typ7323, it is an APS-C size sensor camera equipped with an EVF, and is a highly refined camera, except for the lack of in-body image stabilization.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
LEICA’s APS-C size sensor mirrorless cameras ended with the TL2, released in 2017, and this LEICA CL typ7323, in stark contrast to Sony, which is still releasing cameras with APS-C sensors as of 2024.
Cameras with APS-C size sensors have the advantage of being small, so I would like them to continue, but with even the SL series left to SIGMA and Panasonic, it’s probably not a very profitable product.
SIGMA continues to release L-mount lenses for APS-C size sensors, but sadly there is no target camera. They can be used with 35mm full-frame sensors, but in that case, it would be more common to use a lens that covers the 35mm format.
・Mount Adapter
When using the R-Adapter-T:16076 with the LEICA R lens VARIO ELMAR-R21-35ASPH, I had to use the dial to magnify the captured image to adjust the focus.
It was difficult to see the exact focus point on the non-magnified EVF or rear LCD display, and I often found the results out of focus. The focus peak display function also determines a large range as in focus with wide-angle lenses, making it difficult to determine the exact focus point.
The display gives the impression that the focus is accurate to within about plus or minus 1 meter.
Some R zoom lenses with a ROM terminal can pass distance information to the camera when shooting. This information should also be used when using flash, etc. Since the aperture value is not transmitted, it may not be very useful.
Because the sensor size is APS-C, you will need a focal reducer adapter to use LEICA-R lenses, but since L-mount APS-C cameras end with the CL, and Panasonic/SIGMA are unlikely to bother releasing an APS-C camera, it is unlikely that such a product will be released.
| Items | LEICA T(Typ701) | LEICA TL | LEICA TL2 | LEICA CL |
| Effective Pixels | 16.03 megapixels | 16.20 megapixels | 24.24 megapixels | ← |
| Image sensor | APS-C | ← | ← | ← |
| Internal recorded memory | 16GB | 32GB | ← | なし |
| Internal Flash | あり | ← | None | ← |
| Back LCD | 3.7″ TFT LCD 1.3 million dots | ← | ← | 3.0″ TFT LCD 1.04 million dots |
| View Finder | Option (VISOFLEX) | ← | ← | 2.36 million dots Electronic Viewfinder |
| Recorded memory | SD/SDHC/SDXC | ← | ← | ← |
| Battery | BP-DC 13 | ← | ← | BP-DC12 |
| Size(mm) | W x H x D 134 × 69 × 33 | ← | ← | W x H x D 131 × 78 × 45 |
| 重量(g) | 384 (Include battery) | ← | 399 (Include battery) | 403 (Include battery) |
| Body color | Silver Black Limited color | Silver Black Titan | Silver Black | Silver Black |
| Release date | May 26, 2014 | November 26, 2016 | August 10, 2017 | December 16, 2017 |
Options
- M-Adapter-T: 18771
- R-Adapter-T: 16076
- Battery: BP-DC12 (SIGMA: BP51/Panasonic: DMW-BLC12)
- Leather case: Black(19524)/Brown(19525)
- Thumb rest: Black(19508)/Silver(19509)
- Neck strap (19520/19521/19522/19523)9523)
Reference links
- Leica CL Carbon Limited Edition, limited to 50 units in Japan
- Leica CL designed in collaboration with Paul Smith
- Leica special edition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus is limited to 150 units worldwide
Affiliate links
Update history
- 2024.8.26
- 2024.03.12
- 2023.08.10
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