1983 Minolta CLE

Year: c.1983
Make: Minolta
Model: CLE
Type: rangefinder
Film: 135 (ISO 25 – 1600)
Lens: Leica M lens mount
Apertures: n/a
Speeds: 1/1000 – 1/2s , Bulb
Meter: silicone
Battery: 2 x LR44/A76/AG13 (alkaline) or 2 x 357/303/EPX76 (silver oxide)
Price: $399 with 40mm ƒ/2 (equal to $1,042 in 2020)
Owned: 2020 – present
Condition: 4E (received) / 4E (current)

According to a contemporary advertisement

The incredible new Minolta CLE. How we transformed the oldest idea in 35mm photography into the newest.

For many professionals, the classic 35mm rangefinder camera has never been surpassed for quietness, compactness and fast focusing.

To bring all this to today’s most demanding photographers, Minolta has created the remarkable new CLE. With our patented aperture-priority, automatic exposure system that actually measures light off the film plane itself.

And the CLE has its own system of 28mm, 40mm and 90mm interchangeable lenses.

In the CLE’s extremely bright viewfinder, LED’s show you shutter speeds at a touch of the shutter button. Warn against over and under-exposure. And tell you when the ultra-compact, dedicated Auto Electroflash CLE is ready to fire. A superimposed rangefinder assures precise focusing.

There’s also manual exposure, a ±2-stop overide, and a solid state self-timer with a flashing LED.

See the new CLE at your Minolta dealer. Or write Minolta Corporation.

The Minolta CLE. 35mm photography has a new classic

Wait til you see how good you can be with Minolta.

The Viewfinder

Parallax corrected framelines are available for 28mm, 40mm, and 90mm lenses. The 28mm framelines ae always visible, the other two appear as needed for the attached lens. The focus patch is bright, but can be hard to adjust at times due to the long focus throw. Shutter speeds are shown on the left, and each speed has an individual LED next too it. Two LED will light if the meter puts the speed between two values.