Minolta CLE Viewfinder - the best?

[cjago]

CLE / Ikon

CLE / Ikon

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've just replaced my CLEs with Ikons. I thought that the CLE had a great viewfinder for 28mm, but the Ikon is better. One weakness of the CLE is the lack of a metered manual mode, which I ended up prefering to either plain manual or auto.

My CLEs are for sale via Ffordes in the UK.

 

[laptoprob]

wider than 28mm frame

wider than 28mm frame

Hi, One other thought, some of you are using the Voightlander 25mm on the CLE body. Some have mentioned you can use the viewfinder to frame the 25mm angle of view. I was looking at the CLE brochure and the 28mm frame looks awfully close to the black surround. Doesn't look to me that you can use the viewfinder to compose your shots with the 25mm, am I wrong? Is there more space in actual use when a lens is attached?
Perhaps some of you use the Voigtlander external viewfinder.
Thanks Fluff

The whole frame is bigger than the 28mm framelines. Hard to see with specs I guess but it is.
Besides, I have found the framelines are somewhat wider than the image itself. I have no 28mm, nor 40mm. I use the inside of those lines for 35 and 50mm. So the whole frame is somewhat like 25mm. I will check again.

 

[ferider]

While not a "glamour" shot like Roland's here's one of mine ...

Got to use the "photostudio in a box" from time to time, Ray 🙂

Yes, fluff, my photos are from CLE, Luigi case, 28/3.5 Color Skopar and 40/1.4 Nokton.

Best,

Roland.

 

[RayPA]

Got to use the "photostudio in a box" from time to time, Ray 🙂

...

Best,

Roland.

I was thinking of picking one of those up, for grins. Looks like fun, but then I don't know what I'd use it for. I shoot with my cameras. 😉


.

 

[RayPA]

Hi, One other thought, some of you are using the Voightlander 25mm on the CLE body. Some have mentioned you can use the viewfinder to frame the 25mm angle of view. I was looking at the CLE brochure and the 28mm frame looks awfully close to the black surround. Doesn't look to me that you can use the viewfinder to compose your shots with the 25mm, am I wrong? Is there more space in actual use when a lens is attached?
Perhaps some of you use the Voigtlander external viewfinder.
Thanks Fluff

I don't use a 25, and I'm not sure how I'd frame it in the VF, but looking straight through my CLE there is space around the lines particularly on the top, bottom, and right side. The left has the speed readout.

🙂

 

[Doug]

Some years ago I did not have a 28, but I did have the 25 Snapshot Skopar that had come with my Bessa-L. Starting a project of mostly-indoor wide-angle environmental portraits, I put the 25 on my CLE.

The viewfinder framing was ok as I composed right out to the frame edges (and I could see a little beyond) knowing I'd capture a bit more than I could see. A little safer than usual for avoiding lopping off body parts! The CV accessory finder for 25mm does show more than the CLE window.

Ultimately two issues led me to get a 28/3.5 Skopar for this use... First I was inevitably close-in and wide-open with minimum depth of field and needing careful focus. (28 is RF coupled, 25 not). Secondly, at such close distances parallax was an issue too, and I missed the guidance of the moving parallax-compensating framelines. Of course with the uncoupled SS Skopar, the frames didn't move at all.

Does a coupled 25 solve this? That's what I aim to find out. Clearly the two main concerns are addressed, and the field of view issue remains. I have the CV 25 finder on top of the CLE for reference/comparison purposes, but this is the older finder without framelines, so even here framing is a bit vague.

 

[ferider]

I was thinking of picking one of those up, for grins. Looks like fun, but then I don't know what I'd use it for. I shoot with my cameras. 😉


.

Sorry, I use my digital only for this. I shoot film 🙂 🙂

 

[RayPA]

Sorry, I use my digital only for this. I shoot film 🙂 🙂

what digital camera do you have, Roland?

🙂

 

[ferider]

A 2.1 MPixel Olympus D490 Zoom P&S. Not exactly high tech 😱

Devon uses a Panasonic FZ30, occasionally I play with it ...
Was a great camera in Tanzania. 🙂

Best,

Roland.

 

[fluffthecat]

Very interesting guys! Nice to know I am not alone in thinking about these things, trying to improve and experiment with different lenses and taking the CLE beyond it's original makers equipment. I will seriously think about buying a coupled 25mm lens now, if you can frame using the whole screen viewfinder, then that makes it a very convenient camera to carry around. I will even consider the 12mm with the external viewfinder if that works?
regards Fluff.

 

[sam_m]

Does anyone own a cle and a canonet ql17 giii? i've been using my canonet a lot lately, and the rf patch is difficult to use in low light, i'm often having to focus on glasses or a person's nose to get it lined up and that means i'm getting front focus issues. is the cle's patch better/contrastier/sharper etc??

Oh, and this doesn't make any sense to me:

Hi,

I can really recommend using the 28mm 2.8 M-Hexanon on a CLE. I use both the 28mm and 50mm M-Hexanon on a CLE, and I swear the lines are even more bright in the finder using these as opposed to the original M-Rokkors. Which were great already in the first place...

How does a lens affect the frame lines????????? 😕

 

[fluffthecat]

CLE viewfinder

CLE viewfinder

The rangefinder patch is small in the CLE but I think it is very accurate and positive(snaps in smoothly to focus). I'm a spectacle wearer but the CLE viewfinder seems to be bright and contrasty, you just need to keep your eye centered.

Fluff

 

[fluffthecat]

Minolta CLE SERVICE or REPAIRS in the UK

Minolta CLE SERVICE or REPAIRS in the UK

Hello,

Does anyone know if there is a service and repair centre for the Minolta CLE camera?
I contacted minolta UK and they say they no longer provide a service or spare parts for this model!

thanks

Fluff

 

[kuvvy]

Damn you lot!

Damn you lot!

Now look what you guys made me do. All this gushin about the Minolta CLE caused me to place a bid on evil bay and guess what...I won.
It's very clean and every bit as nice as you said it was.

A couple of pix below, one with my OM-1n MD to prove I won it and you are all to blame!

 

[Doug]

Congrats, kuvvy! It looks bigger in proportion to the OM, maybe because it's a bit closer to the documenting camera, maybe because of the case it's wearing. That looks like a custom case, any idea about its origins?

 

[kuvvy]

Congrats, kuvvy! It looks bigger in proportion to the OM, maybe because it's a bit closer to the documenting camera, maybe because of the case it's wearing. That looks like a custom case, any idea about its origins?

The case came with the camera Doug. It was made by the guy I bought the camera from. Just the half-case which protects it pretty well but it's very fiddly when trying to change films, having to slide the strap through the holes in the sides. Is this how the Luigi half case works? Not ever seen one in the flesh.

Paul

 

[mjflory]

I've got a CL (with both strap lugs on one side). Luigi's half-case for it just goes over the lower strap lug. It has a little strap that wraps around the upper lug and snaps in place. To change film I just unsnap the little strap and slide the case off the camera.