Leica CLE minolta

[tom_tong]

I just came across a CLE Minolta in good shape but without lens. Since it is in good shape and the size is good to me and therefore want to take it to back up my M6 ttl if the CLE also accept the M lenses. Heard that service of the CLE is not supported by Minolta and therefore parts might not be easily available, is that true? Does the CLE also accepts the M lenses without the use of adaptors? Anything else should I take care when checking this camera such as fraulty shutter or light meter? Many thanks for sharing your valuable experience. Best Regards,

[tom_tong]

And also, what is the approx. price for a user CLE in good shape. I

have not played with this camera yet, assuming everything is in order.

Many Thanks

[hoyin_lee1]

Tom, I bought my CLE body in Hong Kong for around HK$ 6,500 (if I

remember it correctly) at Tin Cheung about two years ago. Since the

CLE's shutter is electronic, there's really nothing much to check

except to make sure that it operates when the camera's switched on.

Look into the viewfinder to see if the LED indicator for the shutter

speed move up and down as you point the camera (with a lens on it)

towards different light sources. Check also the shutter curtain to

ensure that it opens and closes smoothly. The light-seal foam may

have turned gooey after all these years, and, if that's the case,

you'll have to have it replaced (can be done quite cheaply at

Minolta, and have a thorough CLA while you at it). I think the most

important thing to do for buying used cameras in Hong Kogn (I assume

that's where you are) is to buy it from a place where you can trust.

 

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</p>I have had the camera serviced twice at the local Minolta Service

Centre; the first was adding a rubber-knob thingy that rotates around

the metal tab on the film rewind crank (the part that you hold with

your fingers to rewind the film). It came missing on my camera, and

Minolta had no problem replacing it as it was a common part with some

of its other SLR cameras (it was done in 15 minutes. Later, I found

that the exposure meter was under-exposing for about a stop, which is

expected given that it's a camera of almost 20 years old. So I had

it sent in for a complete CLA, and it's working wonderfully now.

Besides Minolta Service Centre (the main one is in the IFC Mall in

Central, and the other is in Quarry Bay), another place where you can

have your CLE serviced, if required, is Panda Camera-Repair Service

in the penthouse of Double Building on Stanley Street (next to Luk Yu

Teahouse).

 

<p>

 

</p>Other than the two relatively minor problems, the camera has been

a joy to use with the lenses I have--Elmarit-M 20/2.8 ASPH;

Voigtlander Color-Skopar 20/4 (with adapter ring); Voigtlander

Snapshot-Skopar 24/4 (again, with adapter ring); M-Hexanon 28/2.8;

Summicron-C 40/2; Elmar 90/4. For more info on lens compatibility,

you're find a lot of good information here: <a

href="http://www.cameraquest.com/cle.htm">http://www.cameraquest.com/c

le.htm</a> (it's Stephen Gandy's site).

[john_collier5]

The main problems with the CLE are that it has no exposure lock

in auto and no meter in manual. Pretty serious defects IMHO.

Here is a website with lens compatiblty info:

 

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<a href="http://www.mygale.org/cesarigd/photoe2cleo.htm">

http://www.mygale.org/cesarigd/photoe2cleo.htm</a>

[andrew_schank]

The exposure lock would have been nice, but I have learned to switch

it off "A" to whatever manual speed I need very quickly for the times

where odd lighting would confuse the camera. Its not as inconvenient

as you might think to do this. The CLE is a great camera with a

bright and contrasty uncluttered finder, a super smooth shutter

release, TTL flash, and is very compacyt and easy to load/unload.

Works well with most short Leica M lenses (up to 90mm). I even use

my 50mm Summicron and just crop in a bit on the 40 lines. I have used

my 135mm Tele-Elmar with a shoe mount finder and it had no problem

focusing the lens.

 

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You can easily find a superb 40 Rokkor or Summicron for $200 to $300,

and that's my favorite lens to use with the CLE.

 

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Bodies seem to go for about $650.00 US.

[johannes_fleischhauer]

Hi Tom,

I am using a CLE myself and like it very much, it is actually more

reliabel than my M6 (that has just been sent in to fix a broken

curtain roller....), AE is very nice though you have to be carefull

when there is a lot of bright area in the picture area. But you'l get

used to it. I actually cannot use the 35 mm Summicron (preaspherical)

on the camera, that is the only one I know that does not fit

mechanically. Apparently reapiring the camera can be difficult or

impossible, so I would consider also a Hexar RF instead of a CLE, but

I cannot comment on the quality of that camera.

Hope that helps.

[george_l._doolittle]

Tom, Just be aware that focusing cams on M lenses don't match up too

well with CLE system.. It's not going to afford the flexibility of

lenses that an m will. Also, I had one years ago and got rid of

it...too many problems.

[stevierose]

The CLE is a great camera, esp. if you mainly use 28/40/90. The 40 mm

CLE Rokkor is a very sharp lens. When you test the camera you are

considering please be sure to fire it with a flash a few times as

well as firing it in A mode set at all the different apertures a

bunch of times. My CLE had a faulty flash/AE circuit and would

intermittently throw in an extremely long shutterspeed, or fail to

fire the flash. I had it repaired through Stephen Gandy at

www.cameraquest.com (which incidentally has a very complete review of

the camera) and they were able to find the replacement circuit. Now

it works great.

[john_3]

May I ask if the TTL metering is still working when in manual mode? My problem is: the flash won't fire if there

is enough light. So how to take a 'fill-flash' picture? Thanks a lot.

[graham_line]

The metering on the CLE works only in the A mode. If you switch it to

a selected shutter speed, it's the same as an M3 or an M2; you set the

shutter speed and aperture you want and bang away.

On the rare occasions there isn't film in mine and it's set to A, the

shutter speeds seem slower when just messing around, so be aware of

this when 'testing' one in a shop with your calibrated ear. Probably a

byproduct of metering off the film plane.

Mine had been little used before I bought it and the meter was jumpy

before it was carefully cleaned. And if the lens is worth $300, I got

a better deal on the body than I thought.

[gary_huie]

I have a CLE and like it very much despite the some of the problems

mentioned such as no AE lock or metering in manual mode. I normal get

around the problem the same way as a previous poster by going to

manual mode. Note the meter information first before taking into

manual mode and make your adjustments accordingly. A lot of cameras

from that period seem to have this issue with AE versus manual mode.

It is a old camera and parts are only going to get harder to get.

 

<p>

 

The camera with the most problems with metering was the CL not the

CLE.

[Alex_Es]

I have 2 CLE's and, frankly, think they are better than the Hexar RF

in terms of faster shutter release, general build quality, portability

and overall handling. Both have add on grips, which are rare.

 

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The first body was bought in Nagoya, used, in 1985 for about 50,000

yen. Had a shutter release problem which Minolta fixed for 6000 yen.

Have used and abused this camera extensively. Only problem now

(perpetual) is that occationally the meter diode goes haywire and

dances all over the play. A light but firm slap on the body with the

palm brings it back. Really! I thought this camera would have died

years ago but it keeps going.

 

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Second one bought in excellent condition in Kobe in 1999 for 100,000

yen. (My wife gave me a choice: either the CLE or presenting a paper

at the Utopian Studies conference in San Antonio. Getting a reward

for not doing my academic work could generate bad habits!) Small

problem with the top plate on hot shoe. With some bending and

wiggling got in good and proper and it has stayed put. No electro /

mechanical problems.

 

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I've heard about Leica / Minolta misfit for years and think it is b.s.

See Stephan Gandy on this. There might be some grounds for saying

this about the CL which uses a different cam. But even there I don't

think so. My photos say there is no problem anyway--for what that is

worth.

 

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Use Leica lenses on your CLE and enjoy yourself.

 

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Here in Japan the camera magazines occationally engage in "CLE II"

fantasies. The CLE has become a cult classic here--too bad it didn't

sell well back in the 80's.

[jose f.]

No one addressed the question of fill-flash capability on the Minolta

CLE. Try reading http://www.cameraquest.com/cle The information is a

couple pages into the article. There is an exposure compensation dial,

but I've never had a flash on mine.

 

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The Minolta CLE manual (or maybe a photocopy) is available from

www.craigcamera.com