Awesome video one correction though, the CL was the first major product of the collaboration. The CLE wasn’t made until 7 or so years down the line by Minolta.
It's a shame that Leica has not followed the Barnack idea of keeping it small and compact. They should return to that idea and I bet a lot of photographers would love it.
Great video mate, thanks for sharing! Glad I found your channel too, quality film camera content seems hard to come by I find. Looking forward to seeing more from you in the future. Cheers!
Im glad I found your channel. I just bought my first Leica and it is Leica CL. Just loaded my first roll and noticed that my shutter will fire even the film advance lever pressed in. Is it normal?
The CL fires after being cocked no matter where the film advance lever is. Pushing it all the way back to the start position does not lock the shutter, if that is what you are thinking.
Great video. Thanks. I am still a fan of film cameras and this one has my interest. I was looking around the Internet for one of these cameras. I noticed yours seems to be a 50th-anniversary model. Is this true? Is there anything different about the 50th-anniversary model? Throughout the production run were there changes made from 1 year to another. In other words are some years more desirable, or less desirable? If I get one of these cameras I will use it. I am not a collector. That is why I asked about variations from one year to another. So far, it seems like a body is selling for around $500.00. What lens do you recommend? I like the idea of a 50mm or 40mm. I will use the camera with only 1 lens. Thanks again for the great video. Any help you can offer will be appreciated.
I think for the most part the variants are really just labeled differently. About 65000 we’re produced in total, and 3500 of those were 50th anniversary models. Can’t go wrong with one of those! Although the meter isn’t very accurate and you can expect to carry a light meter with you to be more confident with your exposures.
The meter is not an averaging meter ... not sure what you are talking about there. The CLE?? I've had one of these since they came out and love it, so I know how the meter works. And the viewfinder also has a 90mm frame. As others note, the CL and the CLE are very different cameras. The Minolta CL was just the Leica branded one with the Minolta name. Something not many know -- Minolta made its own 40mm lens for these but the 90 was made by Leitz and given a Minolta lens ring. Other than that, same lens.
The worst Leica camera that I owned. I had three Leitz-Minolta CLs, and all three CLs' take-up plastic spools deteriorated. I don’t recommend buying one of the biggest failures of Leica cameras. After three failures in the 1970s, I replaced immediately with Leica M4, then the M6. At that time, my primary camera was a Leica M2-R, and I thought CL could be a sub-camera at the beginning of my photography career.
I think reliability is fair and comparable to other cameras in that price range. There are only a handful of cameras like the Leica M when it comes to reliability!
@@holy_grain The M’s rangefinder is not reliable either. If someone hits the M camera accidentally in a crowded space, the Leica M’s rangefinder is a susceptible mechanism that is damaged easily. It costs a minimum of $350.00 to adjust the alignment through Leica-certified technicians. I own seven Leica Ms, and my M8 and M240, two cameras, have rangefinder measurements that are slightly off and must be sent to NJ Leica headquarters. Leica/Leitz lenses are always perfect, and Leica lenses are the best. And Arri/Zeiss optics are equally the best.
After three vast disappointments with Leica CL, I purchased Minolta CLE. The CLE was robust and very reliable; there is no comparison to Leitz-Minolta CL, but it’s a Minolta.
Not sure about yours, but mine is nearly 50 years old and still my regular travel camera. Yes it has needed service at times, but every camera does and I need to learn to quit dropping things. I have two, actually, and both meters work. I do see a lot for sale with non-working meters. Working meter or not, great little cameras.
Awesome video one correction though, the CL was the first major product of the collaboration. The CLE wasn’t made until 7 or so years down the line by Minolta.
It's a shame that Leica has not followed the Barnack idea of keeping it small and compact. They should return to that idea and I bet a lot of photographers would love it.
This camera predated the Leitz-Minolta CLE. It had no Minolta nomenclature and came with a Leica warranty.
You're absolutely right! The CLE came 4 years later, the CLE did have some similar design cues.
Great video mate, thanks for sharing! Glad I found your channel too, quality film camera content seems hard to come by I find. Looking forward to seeing more from you in the future. Cheers!
Im glad I found your channel. I just bought my first Leica and it is Leica CL. Just loaded my first roll and noticed that my shutter will fire even the film advance lever pressed in. Is it normal?
I think that is normal operation! don't waste any film!
The CL fires after being cocked no matter where the film advance lever is. Pushing it all the way back to the start position does not lock the shutter, if that is what you are thinking.
Great video. Thanks. I am still a fan of film cameras and this one has my interest. I was looking around the Internet for one of these cameras. I noticed yours seems to be a 50th-anniversary model. Is this true? Is there anything different about the 50th-anniversary model? Throughout the production run were there changes made from 1 year to another. In other words are some years more desirable, or less desirable? If I get one of these cameras I will use it. I am not a collector. That is why I asked about variations from one year to another. So far, it seems like a body is selling for around $500.00. What lens do you recommend? I like the idea of a 50mm or 40mm. I will use the camera with only 1 lens. Thanks again for the great video. Any help you can offer will be appreciated.
I think for the most part the variants are really just labeled differently. About 65000 we’re produced in total, and 3500 of those were 50th anniversary models.
Can’t go wrong with one of those! Although the meter isn’t very accurate and you can expect to carry a light meter with you to be more confident with your exposures.
The meter is not an averaging meter ... not sure what you are talking about there. The CLE??
I've had one of these since they came out and love it, so I know how the meter works. And the viewfinder also has a 90mm frame.
As others note, the CL and the CLE are very different cameras. The Minolta CL was just the Leica branded one with the Minolta name.
Something not many know -- Minolta made its own 40mm lens for these but the 90 was made by Leitz and given a Minolta lens ring. Other than that, same lens.
The worst Leica camera that I owned. I had three Leitz-Minolta CLs, and all three CLs' take-up plastic spools deteriorated. I don’t recommend buying one of the biggest failures of Leica cameras. After three failures in the 1970s, I replaced immediately with Leica M4, then the M6. At that time, my primary camera was a Leica M2-R, and I thought CL could be a sub-camera at the beginning of my photography career.
On this day, you can make your 3D printing take-up spool. But it’s not a reliable camera.
I think reliability is fair and comparable to other cameras in that price range. There are only a handful of cameras like the Leica M when it comes to reliability!
@@holy_grain The M’s rangefinder is not reliable either. If someone hits the M camera accidentally in a crowded space, the Leica M’s rangefinder is a susceptible mechanism that is damaged easily. It costs a minimum of $350.00 to adjust the alignment through Leica-certified technicians. I own seven Leica Ms, and my M8 and M240, two cameras, have rangefinder measurements that are slightly off and must be sent to NJ Leica headquarters. Leica/Leitz lenses are always perfect, and Leica lenses are the best. And Arri/Zeiss optics are equally the best.
The CL wasn’t a failure. It was discontinued because it handily outsold the M class cameras at that time and Leitz couldn’t see that happening.
@@dhg5451 It was the same fate as M5, and many users complained that it was “made in Japan.”
a lousy unreliable camera! the Minolta CLE no better! Think before even looking!
Interesting! Is it the light meter life span that makes it unreliable? Or mechanics? And compared to what? A Leica M?
After three vast disappointments with Leica CL, I purchased Minolta CLE. The CLE was robust and very reliable; there is no comparison to Leitz-Minolta CL, but it’s a Minolta.
Not sure about yours, but mine is nearly 50 years old and still my regular travel camera. Yes it has needed service at times, but every camera does and I need to learn to quit dropping things.
I have two, actually, and both meters work. I do see a lot for sale with non-working meters. Working meter or not, great little cameras.