how much for a cle?

BillBingham2 said:
Keep in mind, it's pretty hard to get an electronically dead CLE brought back to life. While I have to say, it's an attractive little camera.
This is clearly a concern to many, but I've not heard of many dead CLEs. Some may SEEM dead or messed up, and just need a cleaning. For instance mine needs a periodic cleaning of the electrical contacts under the shutter speed dial.

The electronics in the CLE is shared, they say, with some contemporary SLR models (XG-5, XG-7?), widening the sources for replacements. Also, my local service tech says these are old enough that the individual components on the circuit board can be replaced with off-the-shelf parts.

This is quite reassuring to me, because I have just one CLE with no backup, and it's been my very favorite 35mm RF since new. I have been keeping an eye on CLE stuff on eBay, and just picked up a NIB Minolta hand grip. Really nice, with even an extra strap lug for vertical carry like the CV Bessa trigger winder. What a sweet little camera! (Sorry, Joe!) 😀
 
back alley said:
oh, i know...but i keep thinking of this little camera.
better stop thinking now 🙂

Joe, why keep thinking on it when you already have not one, but two of what could be said it's the CLE2, black and chrome, with a nice set of modern lenses, a valid warranty and a real and still alive company providing support behind ?

If you really miss the CLE spirit, just get a used XG-M and a Rokkor 45/2. A lot cheaper and mostly the same spirit inside 😉

Oscar
 
back alley said:
have you been looking?

😉

No ish

When I first go into this RF thing the cameras I was really attracted to were,

Canon VT
Canon P
Nikon
Contax IIa
Leica M4 not necessary
and
Minolta CLE

I am not shopping, but my list slowly is being satisfied.
 
Remembered seeing a CLE at KEH recently. Just checked and it's still listed at $645 which should ballpark the market. They had two CLs, though, at much less.

DeeCee3
 
anyone here buy the $400 cle yet?

oscar (taffer) pointed it out to me and then talked me out of it.
this is a bad sign...i seem to be on the verge of becoming a reasonable person.

help me, i'm frightened.

😉
 
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Actually with the release of the ZI, CLE prices have been all over the place. You will be surprised at what prices you can pick one up. In the last year I purchased one off the bay fully operational for $275 USD. I just put a bid on it and when i checked I had won. So have a go and see what you get. What made it hard is that when it came time to purchase a Luigi case for it, it was over half the value of the camera LOL.

The electronics in the CLE is shared, they say, with some contemporary SLR models (XG-5, XG-7?), widening the sources for replacements.

This is stated on many a site but unfortunately it simply isnt true. The circuit board is unique to the CLE. No XG series had TTL flash (since the CLE was the first Minolta to do so) and the metering system is unique to the CLE as well. No XG meters off the curtain. This too means shutters are not interchangable either. The off the curtain/film metering sensor is intergrated with the circuit board. I have attached a photo of a new CLE circuit board that I have and you can see the metering display circuits attached on the left hand site and too the right is the metering sensor that is at the bottom of the camera. Its nothing like that of an XG. Further to add to this woe is that up until Minolta was taken over by Sony they still repaired them in Japan (depending on parts) but I think that avenue is now closed.

If you are an avid CLE fan it pays just to keep and eye out for spares that come up for sale every now and then. I have seen several batches of parts come up for sale. I have spare baseplates, boards, top covers, rangefinders, mounts and switches that I have accumulated in the past few years.

I thought the ZI may be "the replacement" when it was anounced but it doesnt really replace the CLE as good a camera it is in its own right. No 40mm framelines, no TTL flash, no smaller than an M. The CLE is my favourite M mount camera. Was hoping for a CLE2 but it was never meant to be. So stock up those parts when you see them. I have the odd extra part or 2 if you get desperate as well. But Joe do you have a 40mm lens still? If you have 35's instead then stick with your wonderful ZIs I think.
 

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I just prefer 40mm lenses personally. I find 28's compliment this focal length wonderfully. 35's are just a bit too close. No other camera has 28mm and 40mm framelines so CLE's it is for me. With a nice CL as a mechanical backup all in a lunchbox with a few other lenses serves me quite well as a go anywhere package.

Re the purchase of a CLE, dont say no completely, just be patient, place a few ridiculous bids on them them and with patience you will get one for a song. The key thing is not to want to have it right now. You do get these urges LOL which I admire the way you try heaps of stuff and sell it on just for the enjoyment of trying. But you have had CLE's before so just wait for a cheapie this time.
 
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