Canon Canonet

[ronnies]

I'm talking about the original model here with the wind lever on the base.

I've just picked one up which had two sets of instructions with it. One set which matches the camera I have and talks about two arrows in the viewfinder and has no aperture scale. The other set talks about the aperture scale in the viewfinder. Now most of the web stuff about this model of Canonet talk about the aperture scale in the bottom of the viewfinder and also mention a top ASA rating of 400 (my model only goes to 200).

Now this forum is the fount of all knowledge when it comes to rangefinders so does anyone know all the variations that there was of the original Canonet and perhaps when the changes were made? I'm suspecting mine is a very early version.

Thanks

Ronnie

 

[HLing]

Interesting. I wonder what your serial number is?

According to the Canon museum, the original canonet has the film speed select 10-200, which is interesting. I hadn't looked at the site before now, but I do have a bottom winder canonet with the serial number in the 134xxx, and the ASA speed range does up to 400.
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/.../1961_net.html?lang=us&categ=srs&page=net&p=2

 

[ronnies]

Interesting. I wonder what your serial number is?

According to the Canon museum, the original canonet has the film speed select 10-200, which is interesting. I hadn't looked at the site before now, but I do have a bottom winder canonet with the serial number in the 134xxx, and the ASA speed range does up to 400.
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/.../1961_net.html?lang=us&categ=srs&page=net&p=2

My serial number is 103XXX, ASA 10-200 and NO aperture display in the finder. The aperture display must have been added sometime after the start of production. I also don't have the 'cloudy sunny whatever' images on the bottom of the lens.

Ronnie

 

[HLing]

oops! Just to clarify, after looking again, m my serial number is 134xxxx, seven digits instead of six.

 

[ronnies]

Thanks ! Mine is only six digits.

I wonder when the aperture scale was added?

Ronnie

 

[ronnies]

Initial research seems to indicate there are three versions of the original Canonet.

Version 1 (original ?)
- no aperture scale in the viewfinder (has a left/right/no arrow system)
- ASA range 10-200
- No "cloudy/sunny" settings on the bottom of the lens

Version 2
- aperture scale in viewfinder
- ASA range 10-200
- "Cloudy/Sunny" setting son the bottom of the lens

Version 3
- Same as version 2 but with ASA range 10-400

I seem to have the first version. Not much info around on the web for that version though.

Ronnie

 

[HLing]

Thanks for that! So I must have the last version, then. It'd be nice to be able to find Canon's serial number map, and also to find the identifiers, if any, for the three versions.

Maybe all the bottom winder lever ones are considered Canonet Original? I wonder if other camera makers use this feature. Anyone else know?

 

[jet1944]

thanks I have version 3 serial number 1520099 any ideas what year they were made,I bought one in Singapore in 1963 but it came back with fungus