[Leica] Thoughts on the ZI rangefinder

[mccluney at sbcglobal.net (Gene E. McCluney)]

>Gene E. McCluney wrote a long, very plausible explanation about why the new
>Zeiss is not at all like a Bessa, but then foolishly asked...:-)
>
>
>>  Is a Leica CL, just a "dressed up" Minolta because that is who made it, 
>> or
>>  rather is it a unique camera that has its own merits which happened to be
>>  made for Leitz under contract by Minolta.
>
>Yes, a Leica CL is just a "dressed up" Minolta with an M lens mount. Fun,
>useful, compact, and when mounting a Leica lens, capable of producing images
>as good as those produced by an MP - but a Minolta none-the-less. Which has
>nothing to do with what the new Zeiss will or won't be. :-)
>

Well, Gene E. McCluney would like to ask what model of Minolta camera is
the CL a "dressed up" version of?

As far as I can see, the CL was a totally unique product, reflecting 
engineering
concepts of Leitz and Minolta, and not based on any existing Minolta model.
Even the vertical traveling cloth focal plane shutter is unique to 
this particular
camera.   Did any Minolta cameras of the same time period have this shutter?
The light meter cell on a swinging stalk behind the lens?  What other Minolta
camera had that?  AFAIK, only the Leica M5 shared that concept, and that
was a Leitz/Germany product.

It would be more appropriate to comment that some of the Leica "R" models 
were
dressed up "Minolta's", as they shared many inside bits with Minolta SLR's.
I don't think the CL shared any bits with contemporary Minolta cameras.
We are talking about the Leitz and Leitz/Minolta CL here,  not the Minolta 
CLE.

Good natured debate by
Gene McCluney