
The Minolta 1026189 CLE is a sophisticated and elegant 35mm rangefinder film camera, renowned for its exceptional image quality and intuitive handling. This model, a part of Minolta's prestigious CLE series, boasts a sleek and compact design, making it an ideal companion for photographers who value portability without compromising on performance.
The Minolta CLE features a Quartz-Digital Exposure Meter, which ensures accurate and reliable exposure readings. The built-in CdS cell measures the ambient light and provides an aperture and shutter speed recommendation, allowing photographers to achieve the perfect exposure every time. The meter operates on a single LR44 battery, which is conveniently housed within the camera body.
The camera's rangefinder system offers a bright and clear viewfinder image, allowing for precise focusing. The focusing screen features a split-image rangefinder and a microprism ring to aid in achieving sharp focus. Additionally, the CLE offers a parallax-corrected viewfinder, ensuring accurate framing for close-up and macro photography.
The Minolta CLE's body is constructed of high-quality materials, including a leather-covered body and brass top plate, giving it a refined and luxurious feel. The camera's controls are logically arranged, allowing for easy and intuitive operation, even for those new to rangefinder photography.
This model accepts 35mm film and offers a variety of exposure modes, including program, aperture-priority, and manual. The aperture range is from f/1.4 to f/16, while the shutter speed range is from 1/1000 to 1 second, providing ample creative flexibility. The Minolta CLE also features a built-in hot shoe for attaching external flash units, expanding the camera's capabilities.
In summary, the Minolta 1026189 CLE is a beautifully designed and expertly crafted 35mm rangefinder film camera that offers exceptional image quality, intuitive handling, and a wide range of creative controls. Its sleek design, accurate exposure metering, and precise focusing make it an excellent choice for photographers who value the classic look and feel of a rangefinder camera.
The Minolta CLE 35mm rangefinder film camera is a classic and highly regarded piece of photography equipment. Here are some pros and cons to help you decide if purchasing this camera body is right for you.
Pros:1. High-quality build: The Minolta CLE is known for its solid and well-built construction. It has a sleek and elegant design that makes it a pleasure to use.
2. Excellent optics: The camera comes with a 40mm Rokkor prime lens, which is highly regarded for its sharpness, contrast, and color rendition.
3. Rangefinder focusing system: The rangefinder focusing system allows for quick and accurate focusing, making it ideal for street photography and other types of candid shooting.
4. Manual controls: The camera offers a wide range of manual controls, giving photographers full creative control over their images.
5. Quiet operation: The CLE operates quietly, making it a great choice for discreet shooting.
Cons:1. Lack of automation: The camera does not offer any automatic shooting modes, which may be a disadvantage for photographers who are used to shooting in automatic or semi-automatic modes.
2. Limited compatibility: The Minolta CLE only accepts Minolta SR-T/mc and MD lenses, which may limit the range of lenses available to users.
3. Expensive: The Minolta CLE is a high-end camera and can be quite expensive, especially when compared to other 35mm film cameras.
4. Film processing: Film processing can be time-consuming and expensive, which may be a disadvantage for photographers who are used to the instant gratification of digital photography.
Conclusion:The Minolta CLE is a high-quality and well-built 35mm rangefinder film camera that offers excellent optics, quick and accurate focusing, and full manual controls. However, it may not be the best choice for photographers who are used to shooting in automatic or semi-automatic modes or who have a limited budget. Additionally, its limited compatibility and the cost of film processing may be a disadvantage for some. Ultimately, the decision to purchase the Minolta CLE depends on your shooting style and preferences, as well as your budget and willingness to work with film.
Recommendation:If you are a photographer who values manual controls, high-quality optics, and quick and accurate focusing, and you are willing to invest in a high-end film camera, then the Minolta CLE is an excellent choice. However, if you have a limited budget or prefer the convenience of digital photography, then this camera may not be the best fit for you. I would recommend trying out the camera or renting it for a day to see if it meets your needs and fits your shooting style before making a purchase.
Details:
Film compartment is clean as well. For sale here is a Minolta cle 35mm rangefinder film camera body. Batteries not included this camera in excellent working condition. Rangefinder is clear. Shutter fires nice at all speeds.
specifications filmamm:
- brand: Minolta
- mpn: 1026189
- color: Black
- series: Minolta Cle
- type: Rangefinder
- format: 35 Mm
- focus type: Manual
- features: Built-in Light Meter, Timer
- country of origin: Japan
general filmamm:
- category: Camera & Photo > Photography > Film Cameras
offer filmamm:
- in stock #: 5
- sold #: 13
- availability: in stock
- options: ship-to-home
- started: november 5, 2025
- prices: $99.51–$6999.99
- item condition:
- Used
- Very Good - Refurbished
- For parts or not working
- Open box
returns filmamm:
- policy: no returns
seller filmamm:
- # reviews: 1627
- rating: 100.0%
- city: princeton, new jersey
payments filmamm:
- credit card: visa
- wallet: google-pay
- other
shipping filmamm:
- class: expedited
- service: usps priority mail
- transit: 3-9 days
- carrier: usps
- type: fixed
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