Advice for Original Canonet?

[tonyhartphoto]

Hi chaps and chapettes,

Over christmas my mother emerged from her room with two lovely Canon Canonet rangefinders. (The original ones a la http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Canon_Canonet) I've never used a rangefinder before, so this was all new to me and it was quite exciting. I shot my first roll of out of date Fuji Superia over the weekend and have just had it developed.

I have some questions!!!

1. Does the original Canonet have a battery? If so, how do I replace it. One camera seems to function, the other is unresponsive. I removed the top cover but couldn't see anywhere for a battery. I was very very careful, but now the shutter release isn't as smooth as it was before. Bugger.

2. How does the aperture scale in the viewfinder work? When I have it on auto mode, the needle moves, but it changes its position depending on how far I depress the shutter button. It's very annoying!

3. One the lens, there are a few things I can't figure out. Firstly, how do you change between the 'sunny/cloudy/indoor' setting, and secondly, what does the lever beside the 'sunny/cloudy/indoor' icon do? It doesn't appear to be mentioned in the manual and it doesn't seem to move. I don't want to force it for fear of damaging the camera.

Thanks in advance to any kindly souls who can give me any pointers. Very nice to have found this forum!

All the best,

Tony

 

[kuzano]

So many Canonets...

So many Canonets...

No way to start to answer your question unless you pin down which canonet.

Early were not battery dependent, later yes, some full manual override, some not.

Here is a link to the Canon Museum pages:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/film/chrono_1956-1965.html

This and the next page will help you identify which canonet(s) you have.

 

[payasam]

If this is the very first Canonet, with the film advance lever on the camera base, it will have a selenium light receptor arranged around the lens. This does does not need electrical power. The camera has what was called "trapped needle" shutter priority automation but can also be used manually. I think the lens is a 45mm f/1.9 one.

 

[tonyhartphoto]

Thanks for your replies guys. Yes, this is the original Canonet with the film advance lever on the base.

 

[payasam]

Tony, the dictionary says -- or will say when I finish it -- that the correct form is chappette.

I used this model of Canonet(te) in the 1960s. Perhaps more than any other, it marked the beginning of the boom in fixed-lens RF cameras with built-in meters. The meter may not function correctly now, but it is otherwise pretty much bullet proof. Good lens.

 

[tonyhartphoto]

Chappette it is.

Thanks for all the advice thus far. Any suggestion as to what the lever on lens next to the sunny/cloudy/indoor icons do?

And as for the meter, should the needle in the viewfinder move to one spot and then stop? It dances all over the place on mine. Is this because the meter is cooked? Any way of knowing for sure?

Btw, here is one of the few successful images from my first roll in the Canonet. This was shot on out of date Fuji Superia:

 

[payasam]

If I remember, the meter needle should not dance around. You may have a loose electrical connection or an unclean contact.

Can you post a photo of the little lever? Does it perhaps have two positions, marked X and M?