C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →rangefinder-35mm
The Minolta CLE (1980) is the most technically sophisticated M-mount rangefinder camera produced outside Leitz. A direct evolution of the Leitz-Minolta CL (1973) — a camera co-developed by Leica and Minolta for the compact rangefinder market — the CLE was Minolta's own independent continuation of the design after the CL collaboration ended, and it went considerably further in specification.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The most advanced M-mount rangefinder of its era — a Japanese-made compact with Leica M-bayonet, aperture-priority AE, TTL off-the-film flash metering, and 28/40/90 framelines, produced by Minolta after the Leitz-Minolta CL collaboration.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica M bayonet |
| Years | 1980–1984 |
| Shutter | 4s – 1/1000s + B, horizontal cloth FP |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Meter | TTL OTF, EV 1–18, Av / M |
| Framelines | 28 / 40 / 90 mm |
| Viewfinder | 0.58× |
| Weight | 340 g body only |
| Battery | 2× SR44 / LR44 |
| Mechanical fallback | None |
The Leitz-Minolta CL was produced 1973–1976 as a compact, lower-cost alternative to the Leica M5. After Leica wound down its side of the collaboration, Minolta continued independently — applying its own electronic and metering expertise to a refined version of the same basic concept. The CLE appeared in 1980 and represented a significant technical leap: the OTF meter, the aperture-priority AE, the 28mm frameline, and the TTL flash capability were all advances over both the CL and the contemporary Leica M4-P.
Leica was notably displeased with the CLE. The CLE undercut Leica M pricing significantly, offered features Leica had not yet implemented on the M series (aperture-priority AE on the M wasn't achieved until the M7 in 2000), and used the same lens mount. Leica reportedly pressured distribution channels to limit the CLE's availability in some markets.
Production ended in 1984 after approximately four years. No direct successor was produced; Minolta moved away from rangefinder camera development. The M-Rokkor lenses continued to be sold for some time afterward.
The Minolta CLE occupies a unique position in M-mount history: it is the only camera other than Leica's own bodies to offer M-bayonet in a production camera with full AE and TTL flash, in a smaller and lighter package. For photographers who want M-mount lens compatibility without Leica M prices, the CLE is the definitive answer.
The aperture-priority metering is accurate and practical. The TTL OTF flash enables automatic flash exposure with any appropriate flash unit. The 28mm frameline — absent from Leica M bodies until the M8 digital — makes the CLE the natural complement to wide-angle M-mount shooting. The M-Rokkor 28/2.8 and 40/2 are excellent lenses and are today undervalued relative to their quality.
The CLE's limitations are real: no mechanical fallback (a dead battery means a dead camera), horizontal cloth shutter with a modest 1/60s sync speed, and no interchangeable viewfinder or accessory shoe compatibility with all flash units. But for AE rangefinder shooting with M-mount glass, it remains unmatched.
Leica M bayonet mount — all M-mount lenses compatible. Native M-Rokkor lenses: 28/2.8 M-Rokkor, 40/2 M-Rokkor, 90/4 M-Rokkor. Any Leica M-mount lens (Summicron, Summilux, Elmarit, Voigtländer Nokton/Color-Skopar, etc.) mounts and meters correctly. Leica M39 screw-mount lenses work with M39-to-M adapter. Flash via standard hot-shoe; OTF TTL works with Minolta dedicated flash units; manual flash with any unit. Accessory shoe for external meter is not standard.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →Minolta CLE
Image coming soon