This is an attempt to address the common questions which sprout up each time
someone finds a cute Canonet QL17 rangefinder on sale at a pawn shop or camera
store or garage sale. It makes no attempt to address any questions about the
FD-mount cameras, or the Canon EOS system, or any other camera for that matter
(so hopefully this FAQ won't grow into the hundreds of kilobytes).
This FAQ was originally compiled by Alvin Chia-Hua Shih
and he maintained
it til version 0.3 in 1993. Paul Rubin updated it somewhat in June 1999 (really,
there wasn't that much new to say about this 1970's-vintage camera) and
converted it to html for photo.net. Current
(temporary) url is http://phr.www.cistron.nl/canonet-faq.html.
See revision
history for current revision details.
All original material is Copyright (C) 1993, Alvin Chia-Hua Shih (except for this copyright notice, to which Bob Atkins has also contributed :-) and updates in June 1999 and later by Paul Rubin. See permissions for copying permissions and disclaimers.
This information is derived from postings on the net. Contributors to this FAQ include (but are not limited to):
| Geoff Allen | Paul Rubin | Edward A. Davis |
| Fred McKenzie | Alvin Shih | Andrew Cheng |
| Greg Parkinson | Martin Tai | Benson Wen |
| Chris Dooley | Amlan Kundu | Kyle Cassidy |
| Godfrey DiGiorgi |
1. What are the features of the QL17?
2. How do I turn the ambient light autoexposure on?
Shutter priority, ambient light metering is turned on by moving the aperture
ring to the "A" position.
3. How do I turn on the flash autoexposure system?
If you are using the companion flash, the Canolite "D", having the aperture
ring in the "A" position with the flash in the hot shoe will activate the "guide
number" autoexposure system. That is, the selected aperture is only dependent on
the focusing distance. This is based on the guide number formula:
4. How do I turn off the autoexposure system?
Turn the aperture ring to one of the marked apertures and off "A" or any of
the guide numbers.
5. How do I use the AE lock feature?
Just hold the shutter release half way.
6. The 1/30 speed is marked off in blue. Does it flash
sync at all speeds?
The camera has a Copal leaf shutter. It should X-sync at all speeds. The
special colouring of the 1/30 speed indicates the M-sync (flash bulb) speed.
It's also useful as a guide for minimum hand-holdable speed. Indeed, it is
probably the best speed to have set if you just want to use it as a point and
shoot.
7. Is the lens at all sharp?
It is reputedly quite a sharp lens for its time. It is better than some of
the modern nonprofessional zooms. It is supposed to be a coated, six element, 4
group Gauss design (a type of design that still lives on in many modern "normal"
lenses).
8. What does "QL" mean?
It designates the "Quick Load" feature of the camera. Instead of having to
carefully feed the film leader into a slot on the takeup reel, there is a
mechanism that holds the film against the sprocket, and the take up reel grabs
the leader with a rubberized surface.
9. What does "G-III" mean?
From Canon
Japan's web site:
10. What kind of battery do I need for it?
The unit takes a single PX-625. It is only required if you are using one of
the autoexposure modes.
Note that PX-625s are mercury cells which for environmental reasons are no
longer sold in the U.S.A. Since the exposure system is analogue, using an
alkaline or silver oxide PX-625 "equivalent" may not yield consistent exposures
over the life of the cell. In particular, alkaline cells are about 1.55 volts
when new and their voltage slowly drops over the life of the cell. Mercury cells
are very stable at 1.35 volts until the cell is nearly dead.
Wein offers a zinc-air battery which replaces the PX625 and supposedly also
is the correct voltage (1.35 volts). It has a shelf life of 10 years, until you
activate it. You activate it by removing a plastic seal, which then allows
outside air to mix with the cell's internal chemistry. If you're not planning to
use the camera for a while, replacing the tape seal will extend the battery's
storage life.
Unfortunately, this battery costs about $7.50, which is pretty steep.
There is an adapter available that lets you use S76 silver oxide cells
instead of mercury batteries. I'll try to add some more info about this later.
Mercury batteries are still sold in Europe. If you live or visit there you
can buy them there. If you do this, Please dispose of them properly when they're
exhausted.
11. Is there any difference between the cameras made
in Japan and Taiwan?
Unknown.
12. What do the funny sun, cloud, and window symbols
mean?
They are positioned near the ASA selection lever. They can be used to help
you determine the appropriate film speed for sunny days, overcast days, and
indoor shooting. By using those ASAs, it should be very unlikely to encounter a
situation where there is no combination of shutter speed and aperture that will
yield a "correct" exposure.
13. Why can't I press the shutter release?
The camera has interlocks. Two of them are:
1. Shutter not cocked.
2. Autoexposure system would put the aperture outside of the camera's range.
This is true for both ambient and flash AE modes. However, the flash exposure
interlock isn't totally reliable. In certain circumstances, the camera will
allow you to take flash pictures even if your subject is too close/far.
14. Why can't I rewind the film?
You have to press the little button on the bottom of the camera to disengage
the winding mechanism before rewinding.
15. What is the filter diameter?
The filter diameter is 48 mm. There was a hood made for the camera.
16. What's most likely to fail on the camera?
Given that the camera was last made in the 1970's almost anything could have
happened to the camera before you got your hands on it... Anything that relies
on being well-lubricated will probably be the most troublesome. Thus the main
problem areas are the aperture and shutter mechanisms. Given the age of the
camera, it is likely that the lubrication on any random unit may be getting
gummy. The "Quick Loader" can sometimes mess up, causing the take up spool to
fill improperly, causing a jam mid-roll. The battery contact may lose its
springiness, or may have been corroded by a leaky cell. It is possible to
restore some springiness by putting a small piece of foam behind the contact.
You might also want to check the metering system. Some older cells may have
degraded. The camera may be totally locked up due to a failed interlock. The
most likely cause of this is a user not realizing why the interlock has
activated, and forcing the shutter release. There's probably a bent piece in
there.
17. Is it worth getting one repaired?
No. The internals are very cramped and difficult to work with. You can buy a
new one for less than the cost of an hour camera technician's time.
18. What are these cameras worth?
If you find one in a camera store, expect to pay about US$50-75 if they know
anything about this kind of camera. The Canolite D flash may go for $15 or $20
extra. You can almost always find a few QL17's on EBay and they currently tend to go in the $50-60
range there, or slightly higher for unusually clean units.
If you keep your eyes open at garage sales and flea markets, you might be
able to get a QL17 for $20 or less.
Some used QL17's come with an everready case and others are missing it. The
case is fairly decent so it's worth paying a couple bucks extra if you want it.
19. Where can I find more information?
Kyle Cassidy has an excellent online review of
the QL17 with sample shots. His review contains an interesting side-by-side
comparison between the QL17 and the better-known Leica M6---and the QL17
actually holds its own!
Canon's online camera museum
in Japan has a page about the
QL17 with a picture and some basic specs and historical info.
Kyphoto.com has a classics
section which includes instruction manuals and some repair and restoration
articles about the G-III, other Canonet models, and many other cameras as well.
Its general info page
about the Canonets has some technical specs and a couple of nice photos of the
camera. There are links to info about specific models which point to pages in
the Canon camera museum mentioned above. However, due to reorganization of the
museum site, the links from the Kyphoto page (as of May 28, 2000) are
(temporarily?) broken. Thanks to Juergen Keen of Muenster, Germany for
originally supplying this link.
For about $15 you can get an original or reprint instruction
booklet from John Craig.
Steven Gandy's CameraQuest site has a good page
about several 1970's
rangefinder cameras including the QL17.
The "G" in the camera designation stood for "Grade Up" which
referred to the quality improvement. The "III" indicated the third-generation
Canonet series, following the original Canonet and the New Canonet. The basic
specifications were the same as the New Canonet QL17's. Checking the battery
was easier with a battery check button on the side of the viewfinder eyepiece.
A lamp would light when the battery was still good. Manufactured from spring
1972 to summer 1982, it was a long-selling bestseller for over 11 years. About
1.2 million units were made.
| Version | Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | 1993 | Original version |
| 0.4 | June 1999 | HTML-ized and updated by Paul Rubin |
| 0.41 | May 28, 2000 | Updated Canon Camera Museum links. Removed dead link to scanned instruction manual. Added new links to a different set of scanned instruction manuals at Kyphoto.com. Added revision history. Added note about everready case. Other minor fixes. |
| 0.42 | June 17, 2001 | Update info about kyphoto.com to mention new articles there. |