Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Alastair and other LUGers: Please stop trading in these cameras. I'm certain I would have paid more for your CLE system than you got from some dealer. The lens set is a great compact trio, and no doubt someone here could have found it a good home. I know we don't want this to turn into a swap meet, but how else can we keep these jewels in the family. Tom :At 02:45 AM 8/27/97 -0700, you wrote: >> I would appreciate feedback on the reliability and in particular >> repairability of the Minola CLE. > >Buyer beware! >Minolta will not support this once very expensive camera. It was the nicest >camera system I owned and I was quite distressed to trade it in last week, >but there is a serious developing problem in the metering system, which if >it does not affect the camera now will haunt it. It may not be true, but my >source had no reason to lie and is very knowledgeable on things Minolta. It >seems, that part of the metering circuit is on a ceramic board. This board >was a fairly primitive design and has a habit of developing micro >fractures. From what I can gather, this problem makes the meter more >sensitive to battery condition until one day "Edward Kangaroo" :-) My baby >was in fantastic "nick", but was beginning to demand fresh batteries too >often- may have been my imagination, but---. In fear I traded it in. This >on top of its flash crashing 5 years ago. Even then Minolta Pooh-poohed its >repair and told me it was unsupported. Parts are rare as the camera is >rare. When Minolta told me a month ago that it "would not touch my XD7", I >finally decided to dump the CLE and clear out the cupboard. When this >happens, it will end a 29 year association with the company, and put me >fairly in line for a wallet emptying experience with Mr Leica, or perhaps >Mr Rollei if he could be tempted to roll in behind the 3003 again. [vain >hope, but how good would an autofocus version be? ;-)] > >All that said, if you could buy a CLE at a reasonable price and could have >the ceramic board checked for defects first, it is a great camera!!!! > > >Alastair Firkin > >http://users.netconnect.com.au/~firkin/AGFhmpg.html > > > >