Minolta CLE w/28mm f2.8
After shooting the CLE with the 40mm and struggling with the 28mm frame lines, I found a 28mm lens. It was reasonably priced because, well it is not a Leica. It is supposedly fully compatible with other M mount lens but there seems to be some debate. Best I can tell is they are comparable and most Leica lens will work on the CLE and CL. The exception seems to be the collapsible lens that may hit the light meter. One surprise was that the 28mm is noticeably larger than the 40mm. (I know the lens geeks are rolling their eyes because they know why, but I would expected the opposite.)
I did not intend to end up with a second CLE but this one came as a non-working body. It clearly shows more use than my original CLE, but in not overly worn. I have read that the CLE is susceptible to electric circuit issues so I was not surprised that this one was dead and figured it would serve as an oversized rear lens cap. When I got it home I put in new batteries but no response. Inspection showed some corrosion in the battery bay. Nothing extreme but a visible coating on the connections. So some alcohol and a Q-tip were put to work. My expectations were low so imagine my joy when it came to life after the cleaning. Nice!
Lens: Minolta M-Rokkor 28mm f2.8
Film: Ilford Delta 400
My Take:
In addition to the thrill of getting a bonus CLE, I prefer the 28mm lens. It was much simpler to have only one frame line. I like the Auto feature but you get no meter information in manual. Still a camera I could carry and enjoy.
