When Oskar Barnack invented the first Leica camera, he simultaneously ushered in a new era of extremely portable camera equipment, spearheaded the introduction of the enduring 35mm film format, and essentially set the course of modern photography as we know it.
So what kind of camera would Barnack create if he were still inventing today? The engineers at Leica recently asked this question and came up with the new Leica CL, perhaps after the 1973 film camera of the same name, often thought of as the “mini” Leica M.
The Leica CL features an APS-C size sensor, an integrated electronic EyeRes Viewfinder with a resolution of 2.36 million pixels, Leica L-mount (TL and SL lenses; M and R mount lenses can be used with an adapter), and wireless connectivity. However, the beauty of any Leica camera lies within the simple design that eliminates complications and focuses on being the essential intuitive tool. To focus on transforming your photographic vision into reality, and nothing more, is what Oskar Barnack wanted.