Canon ql17 repair questions and more!

[nmartin]

Hey everyone! I was recently given this wonderful camera. I love the build quality and fast lens, the flash..everything! HOWEVER there is one major problem- a sticky shutter. I expect that this is the same problem that so many other GL17 cameras have.

I have seen various repair instructions throughout the web, and I was wondering how difficult these were for a (handy) inexperienced person to carry out. The reason I ask is that it looks like it would cost a good 150 dollars to have it done professionally, and I can get a new camera for that.. So that's question #1.

I read somewhere that some person in this forum or another can do this shutter cleaning for a reasonable fee. Is this true? Has anyone heard of this?

I like this camera so much that it's making me move away from digital. I like digital because of the tininess of cameras and convenience with which they shoot (I don't think there's a lot of artistry in the technical aspects of photography...I really feel like a photograph should be of something happening . To me a great camera is one that I will want take with me everywhere, so I can focus on leading an interesting life rather than on just taking interesting pictures. This canon is great...beautiful unpretentious looks, fast lens, foolproof flash...in other words, perfect for me! Of course the same can be said of the Leicas, contax etc., although I think expensive cameras tend to detract from image quality in dangerous situations.

If anyone has any advice on getting this bad boy flushed out I would be eternally grateful.

 

[Kim Coxon]

Hi and welcome to the forum,
Whereabouts are you? The G'man who did many of the repairs ahs had to stop taking them in. However, if you search the threads for Canonet or QL17, you will find many have had this problem and sorted it themselves. You will get plenty of advice if you get stuck.

Kim

 

[Sonnar Brian]

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17309&highlight=ronsonol

Aboce is a thread with by "torn down" Lynx. You will need the needle nosed pliers and "most likely" rubber cork for the Canonet. The front element is very thin and I cracked one using the spanner to put it back in. The rubber cork (hollow, like electrical supplies) worked well for on/off operation. The needle nosed pliers get the outer so\ilver retaining ring off. The black plastic nameplate comes off. A spanner "might" be necessary for the front group. The cork will often work.

 

[nmartin]

I work for an architectural model maker - tonight I'll laser cut a plexiglass spanner or maybe shape one out of metal and try to take out the rear lens element. Can lighter fluid damage lens coatings or should I be worrying about other stuff?

Thanks for the links by the way, the discussion was very informative.

 

[dmr]

I work for an architectural model maker - tonight I'll laser cut a plexiglass spanner or maybe shape one out of metal and try to take out the rear lens element.

Wow, you're outa my league here.

I was gonna say that I did this about a year ago and if I can do it, you can too, but you're probably light years ahead of me on things like this. 🙂

Can lighter fluid damage lens coatings or should I be worrying about other stuff?

The one thing people told me to watch out for is letting Ronsonol seep down around the lens elements and attack the balsam cement that holds some of the lens elements together. From what I've read, if the elements come un-cemented, it's a major undertaking, even for somebody experienced, to re-cement them properly.

 

[nmartin]

Man I ground down a utility knife blade to the exact size of the middle ring and I could not get that thing to budge. Is there something I can do to loosen up those threads??

I also tried working from the front, which was a lot easier - I however realized that I would have to remove a lot more stuff to get to the shutters.


I was thinking though, maybe this isn't a stuck shutter? The shutter seems stuck closed, and I've noticed I can cock the shutter about 3 times before it locks up. The whole thing resets when I open the camera.

 

[Spyderman]

I was thinking though, maybe this isn't a stuck shutter? The shutter seems stuck closed, and I've noticed I can cock the shutter about 3 times before it locks up. The whole thing resets when I open the camera.

That is a feature of Canonet. It lets you advance 3 frames at the beginning of film to get to first frame.

I recommend this article: http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/canonetblade.html and maybe, if you're interested also my page about Canonet: http://spyderman.ekodapo.sk/?s=t&p=25

Good luck.

 

[RandyT]

Hi, I inherited a QL17 and thought it had a stuck shutter, just to realize it didn´t fire because the meter had no battery.(it wont let you shoot) ...so I just moved the rings to manual.

I felt stupid I took so long to sort this out... I´m sure you have tried it already, just trying to help.


(PS: try e-bay for the correct battery voltage)


Also, did you check the "delayed shot", isn´t it stuck ? mine jams from time to time.

Good luck !

 

[dmr]

Man I ground down a utility knife blade to the exact size of the middle ring and I could not get that thing to budge. Is there something I can do to loosen up those threads??

I believe (not 100% sure, Gman?) that one of those threads in the rear is left handed. You may just be tightening it more.