For those who wonder the repair shop in Japan he mentions here is Minami Camera Service. The shop owner was a repair person at Minolta when they were making the camera. When Minolta sold camera division to Sony, he took over vast majority of spare parts with him and open a little shop in Shikoku. As far as I know he is running out of some electric components so some repairs are no longer possible. He does NOT do full overhaul which involves a lot of parts replacement if it is unnecessary because he once said he wants to repair as many CLE for many people as possible. Even in Japan we all know he is the last surviving Minolta repair person who has full knowledge of CLE. Hope this info helps somebody out there.
Faizal, I used to own the CLE. It's a GREAT camera but ultimately I got rid of it and purchased the Voightlander R3M instead because it's fully mechanical. I've found through experience having a fully manual rangefinder is best given the difficulty in getting a number of them with electronic components repaired. I shoot with the Canon P and Canonet QL17 GIII and I love those cameras as well. As long as you can get your CLE repaired when needed it's a great camera. I put it in the same category as the Konica Hexar AF rangefinder. They're both costly to repair.
A great little camera that complements my Leicas perfectly, since the 40mm and 28mm are my two favorite focal lengths. A tip for anyone contemplating a 28mm: it has become virtually impossible to find a 28 Rokkor without the White Pox, and those that surface for sale are absurdly expensive. Any M-mount 28 will work, but it will bring up both the 40 and 28 framelines, which is distracting. Find a good L-39 thread mount 28, and use it on the CLE with a 35/135 LTM to M adapter. That adapter gives you the plain 28 framelines, just as you would have with no lens on the camera. I use a vintage Canon 28/2.8 in LTM, with the adapter. Sharp, and far tinier than anything in M-mount, it's the perfect match for the CLE.
I have 2 CLEs and love them. I had that Canon LTM 28mm too, but my copy was not sharp and had very little micro-contrast. I had a 28mm rokkor without the pox too, but it had other issues. Tried the Zeiss and the old series voigtlander Ultron, didn't like either. The new series Ultron however is unbelievable. I'm so stoked. The only trouble is it's a bit heavy for the light CLE body but I couldn't recommend it highly enough otherwise.
Sold the leica cl as well as the cle. Bodies were very similar. Prefer the cle. Problem is rangefinder base for 90mm , leica r3 and r4 where also minolta base. Retailed photo in the 70s and 80s, saw em all. Lol 20 mill in the 70s. 1 store.
I’ve had myCLE for several years now and it’s usually paired with my Leica Summaron 35mm F3.5 lens. Makes for an incredibly small set up (though not the fastest). I love shooting with it none-the-less. Not having exact 35mm frame lines is not a big deal for me as I can usually approximate it. Recently bought the TT Artisan’s 28mm (Summaron copy) and it makes another small setup and the results have been quite impressive.
It's a cute and well made camera. I used one when it first came out in the 1970s for covering my guest shots at wedding receptions, chiefly because of its size and discreet appearance. The standard/semi wide angle 40mm lens was no better and no worse than my other optics except my zuiko f1. 8 50mm, which was my favourite.
I once owned this camera, along with the three lenses that were made for it. Prior to owning this camera, I owned and sold the Leica CL. The Minolta version was way ahead of its time. It was a small jewel and the lenses were brilliant. I sold the camera and lenses many years ago. I regret having done so. Beautiful in every way.
I picked one of these up in the beginning of the year and it instantly became my favorite metered M-mount body (my M6 never really suited me that much). While the CL's are also lots of fun, the CLE just feel a lot more solid, has auto exposure and is just a very different camera in general. Found an M7 a few months ago and while it might be the 'better' of the M-mount bodies with auto exposure, the CLE definitely is a worthy contender. Sure, the on/off button is a bit more finicky, and the main framelines are 40mm, but for what you can find these for, they're very underrated. Just picked up a 40mm summicron as a christmas gift to myself (and after over a year of searching for a good deal). Really curious to see how it compares to the 35mm summicron, but there shouldn't be that much difference between them tbh. Also, seeing the 40mm + 28mm at the same time is by design. The 28mm framlines always show, even when mounting a 90mm lens.
Great camera. I love mine and the auto metering is brilliant since it’s multi spot (rather than more centrally weighted). I do find it a little odd that there’s no meter in manual mode which is when you actually need it but your workaround works well for me also
My main issue with the camera is the lack of meter during manual exposure and the lack of a grip (thirds-party makers exist but often use the tripod threads to secure, adding a lot of bulk). Having said that, it's one of only three film cameras I own (Minolta CLE, Olympus XA, Mamiya 6). What I love most is the clarity of the rangefinder, the ability to receive M-mount glass, and the tactility of the shutter and film lever.
Comes next chapter between Leica and Panasonic entering the digital camera world. I'm a big fan of this hand in hand project, have used both LX7 and it's twin Leica DLux couple of years ago. Now I'm still using Leica Digilux 2 for my photo walk, which it has a Panasonic twin a DMC LC1. Great video and pictures always from your channel, a big fan! Keep it coming and happy new year 2021
I've owned a Leica M6 for more than 20 years and have had thoughts of selling it given the ever-rising values. With that in mind I bought a Minolta CLE a couple of years ago as a potential replacement for the M6. No, the CLE isn't an all-mechanical camera, but it brings other things to the table as you've noted. Even though I already owned Leica Summicron lenses in the 35mm and a 50mm sizes, I ended up purchasing both the 28mm and the 40mm M-Rokkor lenses for the CLE. (The framelines for each works as they are supposed to on my camera.) I haven't been able to bring myself to sell the M6, but I can say that I enjoy shooting with both cameras. Each one provides a unique and positive experience when it comes to shooting film. I personally don't tend think of the CLE as a Leica, but I don't see that as a negative as it is definitely a great camera that can stand on its own. Minolta had some very impressive engineering capabilities and to me it speaks volumes that Leica chose to partner with them. I would note that my CLE initially had some flakiness with the metering. I ended up partially disassembling the camera and cleaning the contacts within the shutter speed dial (fyi: there is information out on the web about how to disassemble the camera enough to do this). That did the trick. It's been nothing but fun ever since.
Big Fan of the Minolta CLE here! It's normal that the 28mm framelines are visible all the time. It would be a problem if the 40mm framelines aren't visible at all, but this is a mechanical issue that can be fixed. I can say that prices have gone up very steep lately and it's also a somewhat rare camera - at least here in Europe.
Great review! Not that many reviews of this camera. I own a CLE too, I love it so much. I would say the biggest downside is that the lightmeter doesnt work when in manual mode (one can switch back and forth but thats a hassle), and that it is'nt fully mechanical (so reparing is hard). I used to have a nikkormat ft3 with a 35mm and that thing weighed a ton compared to the CLE. I have the 40mm for the CLE, and I think its perfect. I really like 35mm and 50mm so a 40mm is perfect for me.
Not having a lightmeter in manual mode was a downside when I bought it some years ago. Nobody was talking about it in reviews so I didn't know it. Rookie mistake. I'm a 35mm focal length shooter so I couldn't adapt to it. Not a bad camera but not for the price I paid for it and definitely not the price it costs today. People who own this camera seem to follow the same propaganda: "like a Leica M but cheaper", "best lenses ever"... at least you said a couple of downsides😅I sold this camera and bought a Leica m6. It cost me double the price but also gave me doble the happiness😁Better viewfinder (not the best tho), mechanical, lightmeter, can use it without batteries (and no lightmeter), more confortable in my hands, 35mm framelines, can be serviced in a lot of places, cheaper lenses with better quality (the Voigtlander 35mm series)... Also I think you can afford a Leica camera. You bought an x100v and you're recording yourself with an expensive camera. Of course you can pay for a Leica, man! haha. Not a Leica MP or M7 of course, but even a second hand digital M8 is really affordable. That's just sounds like an excuse.
I bought the Leica CL that is not that different from these ones and I like it a lot, still has it's meter and it's only manual so I think that's cool; btw hi Ernesto! :)
I dont have any experience with the cle but I came here to concur with the last bit of your comment. I used to think I would never be able to afford a leica but I managed to save up for an m4p with a zeiss lens, and then an m2 with another zeiss lens within a year of getting the m4p. Its definitely doable. 🤷♂️ btw the zeiss lenses are excellent they leave very little to be desired.
Very well said, I sold my CL out a few years ago for the exact reason. I think majority of people buy them for the Leica experience, but it’s not there, Minolta is Minolta, Leica is always - Leica itself. The handling is totally different. I’m happy with any of my Ms. Also not to forget, the Minolta m lens es are great, but very prone to have those nasty white spots issue over the coating. I came across 7 out of 10 have those issues...
It seems almost perfect, but the fact that you can use the light metre in manual mode puts me off massively. I don't understand why they designed it that way...
Personally my favorite Leica. My M3 is beautiful... But i've shot a lot of my best work with the M5. The ergonomics are better but the real star is the meter.
I have one of these and a M6 and this is far more usable for street photography. I also adapt the 40mm on my Z6 quite a lot because of its size advantage.
Regarding your framelines, try adjusting or sliding the position of your lens on the m-mount and observe if the framelines change in your viewfinder. I own a Leica M5 and use a Leica thread mount - Leica M-mount adapter with a 35mm lens, and if I mount it all the way, it shows framelines for 50mm, but if I adjust it slightly on the mount, I can get the 35mm framelines to come out on the viewfinder. It might be the same case for you.
Hey Faizal it's Q. RU-vid recommended me this video and I'm glad it did. It's awesome to see you grow and start your own RU-vid channel to share experience!
Great video. I understand you've bought the 40mm lens later. Some people grind a little metal away to bring up the 35mm frame lines on other M bodies (since they have only 50 and 35 lines). Maybe that's the case with your lens. If you have a friend with an M2 or M3 etc. you could test it out.
Are we gonna get a POV shooting vid featuring this camera? Those videos are always great! I have insomnia and I like watching them to help me fall asleep haha
I have small hands and the shutter position has never been an issue for me on my CLE. The manual does recommend holding it with two hands against your face so maybe it's a good thing. Better chance of sharper images if you use both hands I guess.
Heeeey, Faizal - still shooting this cle? I did learn a lot on digital medium from your videos, didnt even knew you also shoot film ♥️ looking to start the analog journey myself
Great video and comments. Love your shots. I have the Fujifilm X-T4 with the 23mm 1.4, 35mm 1.4, 56mm 1.2, and Mikaton Speedmaster (manual focus) lens with f0.95. The Mikaton produces some interesting bokeh and colors. I’ve always loved the look of film and have wanted a Leica for a while, obviously the M6 but can’t quite afford it. I just got the Minolta CLE based on the recommendation of a friend and videos like yours highlighting the camera’s capabilities. I love it so far and the shots I’ve gotten have been awesome. Still part of me is still wondering if I should sell all my Fuji gear to fund an M6.
Love my CLE. Only things I don’t like are the VF is set up to shoot 28mm so the 40mm framelines are relatively small (it’s the lens I shoot with most), and the fact they recommend you don’t leave the shutter wound overnight or longer. Hate that. That said, the full area of the VF outside the framelines roughly equates to 24/25mm so I shoot my Vöigtlander 25/4 Color Skopar w/o the need for an external VF. Good review.
While I lusted for a CE when they were new, my ability to afford one arrived only some years after they were discontinued. I still wanted the Minolta system which included CLE body, three lenses, and some accessories, all packed into a small leather attaché case which was just beautiful. Unhappily, by then, the Minolta lenses for the CLE started showing up with a deteriorated coating or material failure which leaves them with white gunk inside the lens, hard to clean if at all. A kit like I wanted was still around $2,600, so that ended my love affair with the CLE. My desire did not extend to the Leica as such, so I walked away, so to speak. You hear a lot of ignorant chatter on YT about how the SLE is "electronic", so should be avoided. I do not think there is any record of the CLE suffering unusual amounts of such failures, but it is very hard to get any repairs because Minolta doesn't provide parts, and so few were sold that there is no reserve of used bodies to donate repair parts.
Love the videos. Do you think it would be best to grab the mechanical CL version to maybe work around any electronical bugs or incase the electronics should break down?
I have a CLE with the 40mm as well and I love it dearly! I think I'll hang on to mine for a bit longer before I switch to a Leica body (still saving up) the CLE is an amazing camera! After watching your video it made me fall in love with it all over again
Hi there, I start getting into Film again after not shooting it for 30 years. Still have my old Nikon FE that works well. But lately find myself enjoying rangefinder (style) much more. Shoot fuji digital for years. A used CLE in good condition just popped up locally....850.- (swiss francs about same in USD) no idea about current prices. Is that too much? Seems a lot. Not sure it is worth it. What to look for when buying one? Your help is much appreciated Cheers from Switzerland
Hi @@michel559, 850 CHF is that for the body and lens? Or the body alone? 850 CHF is about £650, and if that's for the body alone that's a little overpriced as the body alone is about £520 (depending on the quality of the body) with a lens (40mm) it should cost about £900-£950 tops. When looking for one, you want to check to see if the light seals are in good condition, the electronics work especially with the inner-LEDs that tell you the shutter speed. Is there any dust within the viewfinder. Those are a few that come to mind but I'm sure you can google a checklist of things to look for before buying an analog camera. Hope that helps.
@@jusren very nice of you coming back! Yeah with the 40mm lens. Sorry forgot to mention. Yeah will need to see it. But from pics it looks very clean and in good condition. Ah thx for the prices, gives me a bit of an idea. So not a bad price then. Cheers and thx again, much appreciated!
@@jusren thanks mate. I shoot film very little, got into it again with my old Nikon FE. Pitty it is so expensive. I d like to get into scanning etc....do my own prints.....well, we‘ll see
I could not agree with you more, a great review ! Would choose this CLE any day over a Leica BRICK ? Which is a pain to load on the hoof ... and too heavy ! I love all three lenses in the line up, and as you say pairs perfectly with the X100v , the perfect combo ! Photographies best kept secret.
The camera was designed to show both 40mm and 28mm frame lines when the 40mm lens is mounted. When the 28mm lens is mounted it only shows the 28mm frame lines. Your CLE functions correctly.
I wonder if your 40mm has been modified. It looks like you have the second version (as do I) yet yours has a different shaped focus lever than mine, more Leica shaped. And I've heard that some people file down the lens mount lug to bring up the 35mm frame lines on Leica M cameras.
I am considering getting one off of yahoo auctions because I actually want to use my Leica summicron 50mm f1.2 DR without the adapter for once. Probably going to try getting one at the same time I am getting a Minolta XM11 for my rokkor lenses.
Another great video Faizal!! You have there a treasure, I wish I can afford one. Did you buy it recently? they are sky-expensive!! By the Moment I will stay with my 600si & 9xi. Regard from Germany and happy 2021!
Wanting to purchase CLE... But yes there are quite a lot negative comments...All depends on battery, electrical parts are unreliable and not easy to repair, even some people compare it with some budget compact rangefinders and say not that much better... But, compact/pocket + fast lens + fast shutter speed + can fully control, I couldn’t find anything else except CLE...
It sounds like your 40mm has had the lens mount modified by a Leica user (these lenses bring up 50mm frame lines on Leica m however some people file off a couple of mm of the flange and then it brings up 35mm on a Leica M. This doesn’t effect the lens or shooting in any way but means that now your CLE isn’t registering it and therefore only the default 28mm lines are visible for you when mounted to cle.
When I bought a Rollei 35 I saw this and wanted one so badly. 3~4 year ago these were around 250$ which was alot for me then. Also back then m5,m3 & m1 went for less than $1000 got a offer for many of them.
Wow really love your content this is awesome . What is your preferred camera you use for videomaking , I'd love to have a conversation and maybe even collaborate on different methods in telling stories through video !
Sweet. I had the Leica CL for awhile, but the viewfinder was too cluttered & tiny for me (i wear glasses). The minolta cle looks reaaaally good though.
I almost bought one of these a few years ago when I was drunk and looking at ebay haha. Seems like a great camera. I had a leica m3 for a few years when I was younger and it was great but I like wide lenses more than 50mm which the m3 has framelines for. I found a jammed Canon 7 at a thrift store a while back and fixed it a year ago. It is a great camera for someone who wants a leica M like experience on a budget. You have to use leica screwmount lenses but there are so many amazing options in that mount including many excellent modern voigtlander lenses. The Canon 7 was made in response to the leica m cameras and it has a very good viewfinder and more modern features compared to older ltm cameras
Hi there, I start getting into Film again after not shooting it for 30 years. Still have my old Nikon FE that works well. But lately find myself enjoying rangefinder (style) much more. Shoot fuji digital for years. A used CLE in good condition just popped up locally....850.- (swiss francs about same in USD) no idea about current prices. Is that too much? Seems a lot. Not sure it is worth it. What to look for when buying one? Your help is much appreciated Cheers from Switzerland
you probably dont get 40mm framelines bc a previous owner modified the lens to bring up 35mm lines on an M body. i know this because ive done it, twice. sell it and get another that hasn’t had the mount “filed down”.
If you need it serviced give sherry krauter a call, she’s a Leica repair women she might be able to help you out or at least point you in the right direction. Plus she’s just super cool.
nice review.. theres a lot of cameras being called as a "poor man's leica" ...that era was truly a neck-to-neck dogfight between film cameras.. the lenses of that era are still considered great in today's standards brother.. may i please request you to make a video about Yashica FX3/FX7? these camera bodies were the cheapest of all the entry-level cameras of its period... but their claim to fame was that Yashica had a partnership with Contax (not sure about the details though).. and thus giving Yashica the same mount as the Contax bodies, who happen to fit Zeiss T* lenses. as it was discussed in rabbit hole internet forums, these entry-level yashica cameras, when mounted with the most affordable Zeiss lens, (the 45mm Zeiss T* made in Japan), are good enough to be considered on par with high end cameras of its time please a make a video of it. thank you in advance. and more power.. and please bless us with more POV street photos. :D
I enjoyed mine while I had it, but sold it and got a zeiss ikon. I hated that you had to be in aperture priority to use the meter. Otherwise a really awesome camera, so quiet and the size is unbeatable
Not sure what your interpretation of Cheap is. But I checked eBay and they are going for $950 to over $1200.00 dollars... I’d buy an used Sony FF for that much. Great video btw
I acquired this camera this year too! But haven't been able to make good use of it yet with the pandemic. What do you use to edit your videos? Beautiful fall colors in these shots! How did you get a 28mm without white dots? My only caveat I have with this camera is that it's too perfect, as if it was digital. That's why I usually attach some old Russian lenses to it, to get a bit more imperfect results.
I love the idea of these cameras, but it doesn’t look much smaller that the smaller SLRs from that era (ie, Minolta XD11), at way less $$ and more versatility.
i see more people moving to film cameras these days, i wonder why ? i honestly dont have the resources to buy and develop film. so for now im sticking to digital, maybe in the future, well made video though., happy new year
Film has a different look that can't be replicated with digital. Both have their advantages/disadvantages in image quality but at the end of the day, they're two sides of the same coin
im_ Ansar I have a Leica M6 but haven't used it in ten years with film. It was cheaper to move into a Leica Monochrom. Maybe one day ill run a roll thru the M6.
@@Mike_M_Smith wow. That's an expensive camera. I have never owned a leica. I'm relatively new to photography and have been street photography for sometime. Leica's name keeps popping up everytime. But based on your comment it' seems to there is some thrill, nostalgia attached with this brand of camera. Something beyond words can explain. Someday I might be able to understand. Maybe in 2021 😂 anyways happy new year and have a good one
im_ Ansar the Leica lens are amazing. Monochrom is very unique than just doing a b&w conversion. The Leica nostalgia is that it was used and continues to be used by the worlds best photojournalist. Henri Cartier Bresson is its best know Leica users. But most of the Life photographers used Leica.
Why, why, why there is not a digital equivalent of this camera? A simple camera body with Leica Mount and a decent tech (don’t tell me about Pixxie or Panasonic!)
I’m curious about the focus tab on your 40mm? In all of my research, I’ve never seen a Rokkor version of the Summicron with the Leica/Voigtlander concave-style tab? How did you come by it? Is it a repair job or third party adapter of some sort?
I’m sure your frame line issue isn’t that big of a deal, just a blocked part with time and old oils maybe. I’m 99% sure it’s mechanical and will cost you around 100$ to fix it at your « old guy » camera store
He's not quite right about the Leitz/Minolta business relationship. They did partner on the CL; Leitz dictated the basic design and feature set. Minolta built the camera. Leitz limited the features of the CL to minimize marketing conflict with its Leica bodies. However, the CL was a runaway sales success because it used the Leica-M mount which Leitz had denyed to all others and it cost a fraction of a Leica. Out of fear that the CL would inpair Leica sales, Leitz killed the model after a few years. However, out their development agreement, Minolta retained the right to build its own version of the CL with the M-mount. They did, as the CLW. It was a wonderful camera and had a set of Minolta lenses which were about as good as the Leica lenses, but cost a lot less. However, the CLE package still cost as much or more than the Leitz CL, so while popular, it was not a runaway sale success. A few yeas ago, being now able to afford a CLE, I explored the idea. Unhappily, not to be. The CLE has a lot of innovative electronics in it. Although they have held up well, they are considered unrepairable now. No one will touch them; too expensive to be a shelf decoration for me. Also, the MInolta lenses for the CLE seem to develop white spots on the inner elements. That may or may not be cleaned without optical damage, but it's an unacceptable risk of repairs. So, it was a great camera, but now for others. Note that this CL/CLE was not even close to the only business relationship between the two companies. Leitz early offered its first SLR, then a later model to correct some of the design flaws in that model. Both landed with a thud, but had great optics. Leitz partnered Minolta to solve the problem. Minolta's solution was to build slightly altered versions of its own best SLR models, which Leitz then shipped from Japan to Portugal where they reworked them a bit, labelled them as Leicas, and sold them for years as a series of Leicaflex models - still Minolta through and through.
Of the three M-Rokkor lenses, I'm only aware of the 28mm focal length developing the spots that you speak of. It started on the outer edge of the lens elements and then proceeded to work its way onto the faces of the elements. Apparently, Minolta covered the repair of a number of these 28mm lenses for owners under warranty back in the day and those lenses still appear to be holding up fine today - if you can find one. While it's a good lens, the 28mm is generally not considered to be the equal of the 40mm lens in terms of image quality. Given what a "spotless" 28mm M-Rokor lens would set a person back now, there are no doubt other 28mm M-mount lenses that could better it for the price.
Is comon that people with leica cameras do mod the 40mm so it brings up the 35mm framelines on non 40mm leicas. When doing that the 40mm will not be shown on CLE. Is a hack on the lens its self that can not be undone.
I own both of these lenses and end up using the 28mm more to take advantage of the wider field of view, but by and large the 40mm is considered to be the better of the two lenses.
