24MP APS-C CMOS Sensor and Maestro II Processor. The Leica CL’s 24MP sensor and Maestro II processor combine to produce high-quality still images in a wide range of lighting conditions thanks to a 100-50,000 ISO range. You get a 10 fps top continuous shooting rate for up to 33 DNGs and JPEGs, or for 140 JPEGs, and you can capture UHD 4K video at 30 fps, Full HD video at 60 fps, and HD video at 30 fps.

Leica L-Bayonet Mount. This camera’s mirrorless L-bayonet mount lets you use Leica’s SL-series and T-series L-mount lenses (separate rental items), which boast the high quality you’d expect from lenses bearing the Leica name. The CL offers electronic communication with these lenses, so that you get fast autofocus, aperture control, and image stabilization. This camera doesn’t natively accept Leica M-mount lenses, but you can use the Leica M-Adapter-L for Leica TL/SL (separate rental item) to adapt them.

Contrast-Detection Autofocus System. The on-sensor 49-point contrast-detection autofocus system ensures fast, accurate performance in a range of shooting conditions, but doesn’t have any sort of phase detection.

High-Quality Build, Minimalist Design. While image quality is obviously an important feature in a camera, the Leica CL’s build makes it unique. It has intuitive physical controls, and a large 3.0-inch 1.04m-dot LCD touchscreen that also lets you control a range of functions. The built-in 2.36MP electronic viewfinder offers 0.74x magnification, 20mm adjustable +/-4 diopters, and an eye sensor for automatic switching, while the top status LCD lets you easily monitor shooting settings. The CL’s standard accessory shoe lets you attach an external flash, which is useful because this camera doesn’t have a built-in flash. Finally, its durable milled and anodized aluminum body has been designed to be easy on your fingers—a welcome feature on long shoots.

Other Notable Features. The Leica CL features cross-platform compatibility with Leica’s full-frame SL lenses. It has built-in IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity for image sharing, image transfer, and camera control from a smartphone or computer. Its BP-DC12 rechargeable lithium-ion battery is rated for about 220 shots per charge, and a USB Type-C port lets you charge the battery in-camera. Finally, the CL stores images to SD/SDHC/XC memory cards with full support for the faster UHS-II variety.