ATEL CAPITAL EQUIPMENT FUND VII, L.P.

                           SELECTED DEALERS AGREEMENT


                                                       San Francisco, California

                                                       ..................., 199_

Gentlemen:

         The undersigned,  ATEL Securities  Corporation (the "Dealer  Manager"),
has entered  into an  agreement  (the  "Selling  Agreement")  with ATEL  CAPITAL
EQUIPMENT FUND VII, L.P., a California limited  partnership (the  "Partnership")
and its general partner  pursuant to which the undersigned has agreed to use its
best  efforts  to form and  manage,  as Dealer  Manager,  a group of  securities
dealers (the "Soliciting  Dealers") for the purpose of soliciting offers for the
purchase of units of limited partnership  interest ("Units") in the Partnership.
The  terms  of the  offering  are set  forth in the  Partnership's  Registration
Statement  No.  33-_____,  on Form S-1 which was filed with the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission (the "Commission")  pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "1933 Act"). Such registration statement in the form in which it
became effective is referred to herein as the  "Registration  Statement" and the
prospectus included therein, in the form in which it became effective and in the
form as first filed with the Commission pursuant to its Rule 424, is referred to
herein as the  "Prospectus."  The terms used but not  otherwise  defined in this
Agreement have the same meanings as in the Prospectus.

         You are  invited to become one of the  Soliciting  Dealers  and by your
confirmation  hereof  you  agree to act in such  capacity  and to use your  best
efforts,  in  accordance  with  the  following  terms  and  conditions,  to find
purchasers  for the  Units.  You  hereby  confirm  that you are a member in good
standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD").

         l. You hereby agree to solicit, as an independent contractor and not as
our agent or as an agent of the  Partnership  or its  general  partner,  persons
acceptable to the general  partner to enter into the  Subscription  Agreement in
the form attached to the Prospectus.  Until such time as  subscription  proceeds
for a total of not less than 120,000 Units are received,  accepted and deposited
with the escrow  agent,  all  subscription  checks  shall be payable to "Bank of
America - ACDF VII Escrow." All Subscription  Agreements  solicited by you shall
be  transmitted   promptly  to  the  Dealer  Manager  in  accordance   with  the
instructions set forth in the Subscription Agreements, and all funds received by
you with respect to any Subscription  Agreement shall be promptly transmitted to
the Dealer Manager.  As used herein the term "promptly  transmitted"  shall have
the meaning set forth in Rule 15c2-4 under the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934
(the "1934 Act"),  as interpreted in NASD Notice to Members 84-64 which requires
that during the escrow

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period checks be transmitted from you to us as the "Processing Broker-Dealer" by
the end of the next  business  day  following  receipt  by you.  We in turn will
transmit subscriptions and funds received during the escrow period to the escrow
agent not later than noon of the second  business day following  receipt of same
by us. After  subscriptions  for a minimum of 120,000 Units have been  received,
accepted and deposited  with the escrow  agent,  and  subscription  proceeds are
thereafter  released  to the  Partnership  pursuant  to the terms of the  escrow
agreement,  all further  subscription  checks  shall be payable  directly to the
Partnership.  No  Subscription  Agreement  shall be  effective  unless and until
accepted  by the  general  partner,  and in no  event  will  a  subscription  be
effective until five days after the investor has received a Prospectus.

         You agree that you will:

                  (a) (i)  diligently  make  inquiries as required by law of all
                  prospective investors in order to ascertain whether a purchase
                  of Units is suitable  for the  investors  and (ii) inform each
                  prospective  investor of all pertinent  facts  relating to the
                  liquidity  and  marketability  of the Units during the term of
                  the investment;

                  (b)  have  reasonable  grounds  to  believe,  on the  basis of
                  information  obtained  from  the  participant  concerning  his
                  investment objectives, other investments,  financial situation
                  and needs, and any other information known by you, that:

                                    (i)     the participant is or will be in a
                           financial position appropriate to enable him to
                           realize to a significant extent the benefits
                           described in the Prospectus;

                                    (ii) the  participant  has a fair market net
                           worth sufficient to sustain the risks inherent in the
                           program,  including  loss of  investment  and lack of
                           liquidity; and

                                    (iii)     the program is otherwise suitable
                           for the participant;

                  (c)  maintain  copies  of  all  Subscription   Agreements  and
                  information  relating  to  suitablity  determinations  in your
                  records  for the  longer  of (i) six  years  from  the date of
                  investment, (ii) the period prescribed by Rule 17a-4 under the
                  1934 Act,  or (iii) the period  required by  applicable  state
                  blue sky laws;

                  (d)      execute no transaction in a discretionary account
                  without prior written approval of the transaction by the
                  investor; and


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                                        2





                  (e)      comply in all respects with the Conduct Rules of
                           the NASD in the conduct of the offering of Units.

         Furthermore,  you expressly  agree to be bound by the escrow  agreement
executed by the  Partnership for the deposit of  subscription  proceeds  pending
receipt and acceptance of subscriptions for a minimum of 120,000 Units.

         All  subscriptions  solicited  by  you  will  be  strictly  subject  to
confirmation  by us and  acceptance  thereof  by the  Partnership  and  we,  the
Partnership  and  its  general  partner,  reserve  the  right  in  our  and  its
uncontrolled  discretion to reject any such subscription and to accept or reject
subscriptions  in the order of their receipt by the Partnership or otherwise.  A
sale of a Unit shall be deemed to be  completed  only after (i) the  Partnership
receives a properly completed subscription agreement from the Soliciting Dealer,
together with payment of the full purchase  price of each  purchased Unit from a
buyer  who  satisfies  each of the  terms  and  conditions  of the  Registration
Statement and  Prospectus;  (ii) a period of five days has passed  following the
receipt by the investor of a Prospectus;  and (iii) such subscription  agreement
has been accepted in writing by the general  partner.  Neither you nor any other
person is authorized to give any  information or make any  representation  other
than those contained in the Prospectus or in any  supplemental  sales literature
furnished  by  the  Dealer  Manager  or  the   Partnership  for  use  in  making
solicitations in connection with the offer and sale of the Units.

         Upon  release  by us,  you may offer the Units at the  public  offering
price, subject to the terms and conditions hereof.

         2. We understand that the Partnership will provide you with such number
of copies of the enclosed Prospectus and such number of copies of amendments and
supplements  thereto as you may  reasonably  request.  In this  connection,  the
Partnership  and its general  partner have  represented and warranted to us that
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and all amendments or supplements
thereto,  will contain all statements which are required to be stated therein in
accordance  with the 1933 Act and the  Rules  and  Regulations  thereunder,  and
neither the  Registration  Statement  nor the  Prospectus,  nor any amendment or
supplement thereto, will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
any  material  fact  required  to be stated  therein  or  necessary  to make the
statements  therein not misleading.  It is understood by the Partnership and its
general  partner  that Section  (b)(3) of Rule 2810 of the Conduct  Rules of the
NASD requires that you determine that all material facts relating to the subject
offering are adequately and accurately disclosed to prospective  subscribers and
provide a basis for evaluating the offering, and the Partnership and its general
partner therefore have specifically represented and warranted to us that:


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                                        3





         (i)  all items of compensation payable to them and their affiliates are
         and will be set forth in the Prospectus under the caption "Management 
         Compensation";

         (ii) all types of Equipment to be acquired by the  Partnership  are and
         will be  described  in the  Prospectus  under the  caption  "Investment
         Objectives  and Policies - Types of Equipment" or in a supplement to be
         included inside the back cover of the
         Prospectus;

         (iii)  all material tax aspects are and will be set forth in the 
         Prospectus under the captions "Income Tax Consequences" and "Risk 
         Factors";

         (iv) the  financial  position  and business  experience  of the general
         partner  and of those  affiliates  of the  general  partner  who are of
         relevance  to the  subject  offering  are and  will be  accurately  and
         adequately reflected in the Prospectus under the captions  "Management"
         and "Prior Performance Summary";

         (v) all material conflicts of interest and risk factors are and will be
         set forth in the Prospectus under the captions  "Conflicts of Interest"
         and "Risk Factors"; and

         (vi) all pertinent facts relating to the liquidity and marketability of
         the  Units  are and  will be set  forth  in the  Prospectus  under  the
         captions "Risk Factors - Limited Transferability of Units" and "Summary
         of the Partnership Agreement - Transferability of Units."

         We also  understand  that the  Partnership may provide you with certain
supplemental   sales  material  to  be  used  by  you  in  connection  with  the
solicitation  of Units in the  Partnership.  In the  event you elect to use such
supplemental  sales material,  you agree that such material shall not be used in
connection with the solicitations of Units unless accompanied or preceded by the
Prospectus as then currently in effect and as it may be amended or  supplemented
in the  future,  unless  you are  notified  by us that  such  material  has been
prepared and cleared for use in compliance with the SEC's Rule 134.

         We  shall  have  full  authority  to take  such  action  as we may deem
advisable  in respect of all matters  pertaining  to the  offering.  We shall be
under no  liability  to you except  for lack of good  faith and for  obligations
expressly  assumed by us in this Agreement.  Nothing contained in this paragraph
is  intended  to operate  as, and the  provisions  of this  paragraph  shall not
constitute, a waiver by you of compliance with any provision of the 1933 Act, or
of the rules and regulations thereunder.

         You confirm that you are familiar with  Securities Act Release No. 4968
and Rule l5c2-8 under the 1934 Act,  relating to the distribution of preliminary
and final  prospectuses,  and  confirm  that you have  complied  and will comply
therewith. We will make

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                                        4





available  to  you,  to  the  extent  they  are  made  available  to us  by  the
Partnership,  such  number  of copies of the  Prospectus  as you may  reasonably
request for the purposes  contemplated by the 1933 Act and the applicable  rules
and regulations thereunder.

         You agree that you will exercise due diligence in determining  that all
material facts are adequately and accurately  disclosed in the  Prospectus.  For
purposes  of  compliance  with  Sections  (b)(3)(A)  and (B) of Rule 2810 of the
Conduct Rules of the NASD regarding due  diligence,  it is understood and agreed
that you may rely upon the results of an inquiry  conducted by another member or
members of the NASD, provided that:

                  (1)      you have reasonable grounds to believe that such
         inquiry was conducted with due care;

                  (2)      the results of the inquiry were provided to you with
         the consent of the member or members conducting or directing
         the inquiry; and

                  (3)      no member that participated in the inquiry is a
         sponsor of the Partnership or an Affiliate of such sponsor.

         3. We will be  entitled  to  receive  from the  Partnership  a  selling
commission  equal to 9.5% of the Gross  Proceeds.  For your services  hereunder,
subject to the condition that  Subscription  Agreements for a minimum of 120,000
Units have been received and accepted by the general  partner by the termination
date of the offering,  you will receive from us a selling commission equal to 8%
of the proceeds from all Subscription  Agreements  solicited by you and accepted
by  the  general   partner.   No  other  payment  or  reimbursement  of  selling
compensation  or  expenses  will be made  hereunder  unless  and  until  we have
executed an addendum to this  Agreement  setting forth the terms of such payment
or reimbursement.

         In the  event  that a sale of Units  for  which  you have  solicited  a
Subscription  Agreement shall not occur, whether by reason of the failure of any
condition  specified  herein or in the  Subscription  Agreement  or the  Selling
Agreement,  rejection of the  subscription by the  Partnership or otherwise,  no
payment  with  respect  to such  Unit  shall  be made  to  you.  Further,  it is
understood  and agreed that we shall be under no  obligation  to make payment to
you, and you expressly waive payment, of any commission  hereunder except to the
extent  that we shall have  first  received  from the  Partnership  the  selling
commission to which we are entitled in connection with the subject  transaction.
Any payment to you will be payable only with respect to  transactions  lawful in
the jurisdictions where they occur.

         We as Dealer Manager may, in our  discretion,  rebate to a purchaser of
Units  the  selling  commissions   otherwise  payable  in  connection  with  any
investment in Units by the general partner, a Soliciting Dealer or any Affiliate
or  employee of the  foregoing.  Any such rebate will only be made if and to the
extent that the

atel7-2/07.sda
                                        5





Soliciting  Dealer which would otherwise be entitled to a selling  commission on
any such  transaction  agrees to such  rebate.  Therefore,  we will by  separate
letter agreement  establish the amount of selling  commission rebate, if any, on
transactions  for which you would  otherwise  be  entitled  to the full  selling
commission,   but  which  are  eligible  for  the  rebate.   It  shall  be  your
responsibility to notify your Affiliates and employees as to the amount, if any,
which you agree to rebate.

         As  described  in the  Prospectus,  we may from time to time during the
offering  establish a non-cash sales incentive  bonus program,  subject to prior
NASD approval and compliance with all applicable NASD rules and procedures.

         4.  This Agreement may be terminated by us at any time upon
five days' written notice to you.

         5. In soliciting persons to acquire the Units, you agree to comply with
any applicable  requirements  of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the published rules
and regulations thereunder and the Conduct Rules of the NASD and, in particular,
you  agree  that you will not give any  information  or make any  representation
other than those  contained  in the  Prospectus  and in any  supplemental  sales
literature  furnished  to you by the  Partnership  or us for use in making  such
solicitations.  You  further  confirm  and agree that,  in  connection  with any
assistance  you may provide in the sale or transfer of Units,  you will  fulfill
your  obligations  pursuant to Sections  (b)(2)(B) and (b)(3)(D) of Rule 2810 of
the Conduct Rules of the NASD.

         6.  We  assume  no  obligation  or  responsibility  in  respect  of the
qualification  of the  Units  under the laws of any  jurisdiction.  The Blue Sky
Memorandum enclosed, or to be promptly furnished to you, indicates the states in
which it is believed by the Partnership  that the Units are exempt from, or have
been qualified under, the applicable state securities or "blue sky" laws and the
restrictions,  if any, on the rights of dealers to solicit sales thereof.  It is
understood  that  under no  circumstances  will  you  engage  in any  activities
hereunder  in any state  which is not  listed in said Blue Sky  Memorandum  as a
state in which  the  Units  are  exempt  from,  or  qualified  under,  the state
securities or "blue sky" laws.  Solicitations  are to be made only by Soliciting
Dealers  qualified  to act as such for such  purpose  within the states in which
they make such solicitations.

         7. Nothing contained herein shall constitute the Soliciting Dealers and
us, or any of them, an association,  partnership,  unincorporated  business,  or
other separate entity. We shall be under no liability to make any payment to you
except out of funds received by us from the Partnership as hereinabove provided,
and we shall  not be under  any  liability  for or in  respect  of the  value or
validity of the Subscription Agreements, the Units, or the performance by anyone
of any  agreement  on its part,  or for, or in respect of any matters  connected
with this Agreement, except for

atel7-2/07.sda
                                        6





lack of good faith, and for obligations expressly assumed by us in
this Agreement.

         8. It is expressly  understood  that the Dealer  Manager may  cooperate
with other broker  dealers who are licensed  members of the NASD,  registered as
broker  dealers  with the SEC and duly  licensed by the  appropriate  regulatory
agency  of each  state in  which  they  will  offer  and  sell the  Units of the
Partnership.  Such other NASD  members may be employed by the Dealer  Manager as
Soliciting  Dealers  on  terms  and  conditions  identical  or  similar  to this
Agreement  and shall  receive such rates of  commission as are agreed to between
the Dealer Manager and the  respective  other  Soliciting  Dealers and as are in
accordance with the terms of the Registration Statement, and to that extent such
other Soliciting Dealers shall compete with you in the sale of the Units.

         9. Under the  Selling  Agreement,  the  general  partner  has agreed to
indemnify us, the Soliciting Dealers and each person, if any, who controls us or
any  Soliciting  Dealer  within  the  meaning  of the 1933 Act  against  certain
liabilities  under such Act.  Each  Soliciting  Dealer  agrees to indemnify  the
general  partner and the  Partnership  as provided in Paragraph 7 of the Selling
Agreement  and to  indemnify  us and each  other  Soliciting  Dealer to the same
extent and in the same manner as such Soliciting  Dealer agrees to indemnify the
general partner and the Partnership.  In the execution of the Selling Agreement,
we shall be deemed to have acted as a  representative  of each of the Soliciting
Dealers, and the Soliciting Dealers shall be deemed to be in privity of contract
with the general partner and the Partnership.

         10. Any notice from us to you as  Soliciting  Dealer shall be deemed to
have been duly given if mailed or  telegraphed  to you at your address set forth
below.

         Please  confirm this  agreement to solicit  persons to acquire Units on
the  foregoing  terms and  conditions by signing and returning the form enclosed
herewith.

                                            Very truly yours,

                                            ATEL SECURITIES CORPORATION

                                            By: ______________________________


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                                        7




ATEL Securities Corporation
235 Pine Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, California  94104

          RE: ATEL Capital Equipment Fund VII, L.P.

Gentlemen:

         The undersigned confirms its agreement to act as a Soliciting Dealer as
referred to in the foregoing Soliciting Dealers Agreement,  subject to the terms
and conditions of such Agreement.  The undersigned  confirms that it is a member
in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

         PLEASE NOTE: The undersigned further confirms that its registered 
representatives (check one):

                  __ are authorized

                  __ are not authorized

to subscribe  for Units for their own account on terms which include a rebate of
commissions  otherwise  payable  on  their  investment,   as  described  in  the
Prospectus under "Plan of Distribution."

Dated: ________, 199_.          ________________________________________
                                        (Print Name of Firm)

                                By: ____________________________________
                                        (Authorized Representative)

                                ----------------------------------------
                                (Print Name of Authorized Representative)

                                Address___________________________

                                ----------------------------------

                                Phone Number (___)________________

Send Due Diligence Information To:   Send Marketing Information To:

- --------------------------------     ------------------------------

- --------------------------------     ------------------------------

                                            Send Commission Checks To:

                                            --------------------------

                                            --------------------------




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