Minolta CLE Viewfinder - the best?

fluffthecat

fluffthecat

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I am toying with the idea of buying a Minolta CLE and primarily to use the 28mm lens. I've used one in the distant past and found the viewfinder one of the easiest to use. Do people here rate the viewfinder better than say an M4, M6, Hexar RF and Contax G? If I remember, I thought the 28mm view was excellent on the CLE. But I am also tempted to buy something else if it can be bettered!

Comments welcome.

Fluff
 
If you are looking for a camera to use with a 28mm lens, you will have to go far to find a better match than the Bessa R4a or m. Considering that it is current production and new electronics, it has cured my want for a CLE. The finder is huge and the 28mm lines in it are excellent. The R4 is a little larger than the CLE, but do consider it. If you can handle one before buying, I think you will agree.

That said, I would not use the R4 with any lens longer than 35mm, but if you do not plan to do so, it is great.
 
I have not used the R4*. An isolated 28mm frameline is really attractive.

I am using a CLE and love it. It is perfect for a 28/40 combo, the 28mm
framelines are better than in any Leica (M2, M3, M6) and Bessa (R, R2, R3)
body that I used, and the EBL is long enough to accurately focus a 40/1.4.

Note that the CLE 28mm framelines have enough space around
them to focus a 21 when you "look around the corners".

Roland.
 
Roland's comment about EBL is good to consider. That said, I have screwed the CV 35/1.2 onto my R4a and did not notice any issues focusing it.
 
The CLE is definitely one of the best for 28mm framelines and if its compact you wanted then its the camera of choice. Even though the CLE is the best overall package for me, and subjectively better than Leica or Hexar for 28mm framelines, one camera that I feel just is a step ahead of the beloved CLE for 28mm framelines and thats of the Zeiss Ikon. Its high eyepoint finder is the most outstanding out there.
 
Zeiss Ikon

Zeiss Ikon

Thanks, I think the CLE is still a cool camera and way ahead of its time when first brought out. The Ikon sounds interesting as well, never handle one and my local shop does not sstock this model. Will have to search high and low in london I think. The camera and lens could be very expensive, will shop around. Thanks. Fluff
 
To me, the small size and the great viewfinder make the CLE an ideal camera. Goes everywhere with me, takes the hardest treatment very well.
Compared the finder brightness with my M2 and early M4-2 yesterday, there is hardly any difference.
 
I've just handled the Zeiss Ikon and it's viewfinder is indeed excellent. The body is bigger and heavier and all comes at a far greater price. The CLE is still attractive a I can see the 28mm framelines wearing specs. So I will probably go for the CLE now. Buying from a friend for less than £300 with 28mm lens. Thanks for all comments, very helpful.
 
I used to own a cle and I too was surprised by how nice the 28mm framelines were. The cle and the 28mm ultron were pretty much welded together for me for some time. Even on such a small camera there was no significant frame blocking from the ultron, just a tiny tiny bit in the corner, granted I never used the hood for the ultron, and I did have a uv screwed on the front at all times. I have to admit, the shutter sound on the cle is probably the least obtrusive of any camera I've ever had.

I also had a zeiss Ikon M and though that absolutely took the cake in the frameline department, the wider magnification and little corner marks on the cle really give it a run for the money. I haven't used an R4 but I have and love an R2a so I'm sure the R4 is great. I've been waiting patiently to save up money for one myself :)

Bottom line, it's true, cle 28mm framelines: fantastic.
 
CLE viewfinder

CLE viewfinder

Thanks, I think focussing on the CLE is also very good, snaps in positively although a bit small. I think they can still be repaired and serviced by Minolta and parts can be butchered from G SLR series cameras! I hear that some G viewfinder diopters fit on the CLE as well.

Cheers

Fluff
 
My CLE's viewfinder is better than my Hexar RF and my Bessa R2. I like Gandy's viewfinder ratings but I don't think they do justice to the CLE. It's really an easy to use viewfinder. I shoot the 25mm Color-Skopar on it by "looking around th edges" of the 28mm frame lines, and it works pretty well.
 
CLE viewfinder

CLE viewfinder

Wow! A 25mm on the CLE! Is there still room outside the 28mm to frame and compose or do you need an external viewfinder placed onto of the flash shoe?

I often wonder how the voightlander lenses would work on a CLE, any problems with focussing, rear lens fittings? The CLE has quite a tight looking lens housing, some Leica lenses will not fit.

Fluff
 
fluffthecat said:
Wow! A 25mm on the CLE! Is there still room outside the 28mm to frame and compose or do you need an external viewfinder placed onto of the flash shoe?

I often wonder how the voightlander lenses would work on a CLE, any problems with focussing, rear lens fittings? The CLE has quite a tight looking lens housing, some Leica lenses will not fit.

Fluff
Click to expand...

I use 28/3.5 and 40/1.4 on mine and they work very well.

There is some room outside the 28mm line, probably enough for 25. There is no hard boundary
to the VF, so you can even use it with 21 if looking "around the corner".

f2eyelevel said:
The Leica M2 and M3 do not have any 28mm framelines. Nor do the M5, the M4, or the M4-2.
Click to expand...

Of course, don't know why they got in there ... :bang:

Roland.
 
There aren't focus problems with any of the M-mount lenses on the CLE -- nice long finder baselength. Because the meter cell is positioned at the bottom of the mount looking toward the film plane, some lenses with large and/or deep rear elements will block or shade the metering system. I think there is a list of these lenses on Cameraquest.com in the CLE story.

There was a chart online at www.multimania.com/cesarigd/photoe2cleo.htm that covered the subject but comes up "not found." Maybe it's archived somewhere.

This chart says the 15 f8 doesn't fit, old 11870 35/1.4 rubs, the 35 f2 11310 is "impossible to fit", and the new 50 f1 11822 blocks the focusing window. My printout is dated May 2001 and doesn't seem to really cover the newer aspheric lenses.

The author does express doubt that the 75/1.4, 90/2 and 135 lenses can be focused effectively. And, of course, there are only 28/40/90 framelines available on the CLE.
 
25mm on the CLE is great. The Canon lens is sooo small, almost as perfect a combo as with the tiny Leica screwmounts. Framing is just full frame or thereabout.
Everything on the CLE is great, but a 90/2 is too big for comfort and too difficult to focus properly. 90/2,8 is pushing it. That is why I have a SLR viewfinder-loupe to fit on the slightly modified viewfinder frame. Then the 90mm lines are full frame again. Not comfortable but it works.
 
I've never been very happy using my 90mm T-E on the CLE, as its 90 frames are pretty small. Better on the M2 and Z-I and Bessa-T. For 28mm lenses, I agree the CLE is best... at least among those I have. Including the R4a, and I say that because the R4's viewfinder is closer to the lens and is thus occluded more by the lens barrel.

The CLE and Z-I are least affected by lens intrusion into the viewfinder because the VF window is located off in the corner farther from the lens. But the CLE's lower viewfinder magnification makes its 28mm framelines more easily visible compared to the Zeiss-Ikon, and you can see more outside the lines.

So, in my view, the CLE is great with 28mm (and 40), the Zeiss-Ikon is excellent for 35 (and 50), the M2 is particularly good with 50mm (35 frames too close to the edges), and the R4 really needs tiny lenses to avoid seeing a lot of lens barrel and hood. So far it seems to be great with 25mm Skopar. I've got the 25 Biogon on the CLE now, with a CV 25 viewfinder on top for reference.

Man, what a cool versatile low-profile little camera that CLE is! Glad I just bought a second one after all these years with the first.
 
The CL/CLE is one of the most way cool bodies ever. THe EBL is an issue for other lenses, but is you stay wide or slow, thing should be fine. What has kept me away from the CLE is the lack of spare parts. I am not sure of any replacement electronic parts for them.

B2 (;->
 
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