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Leitz launched the CL in April 1973 as a compact, meter-equipped M-bayonet rangefinder, developed with Minolta and built in Japan; roughly 65,000 were made in three batches before it ended in 1976. Behind the lens sits a CdS metering cell on a pivoting arm that swings clear as the vertically running cloth shutter fires, giving 1/2 to 1/1000 through the lens. The 0.60x finder shows the 40mm frame at all times, adding 50mm or 90mm frames when those lenses are mounted.