Canon V mystery

[sparrow6224]

A fellow is selling on this very site, our beloved RFF, a repainted (green, though it looks black) Canon rangefinder which he calls the Canon V. In his ad he has a picture of it but calls it nothing; the ad copy refers to his Canon 7 but not to this camera. I e-mailed him for info. He sent me 9 pictures of it.

OK, so this camera is exactly like the VT but has a knob rewind (but not a tall one), no trigger on the base, tripod mount far left on the base, no door lock mechanism on base; but it does have a back opening door, is not a bottom loading camera. The top plae is arranged and looks identical to a VT's, from what I can tell.

None of the Canon rangefinder sites found easily with a google search or a bit of forum exploring mentions the existence of this camera. Does anyone know anything about it?

Thanks

Vince P

 

[DanOnRoute66]

Canon VI-L?

 

[Maiku]

Hi,

I am the seller. When I bought it Lemon Camera told me it was Canon V without the trigger. It might have a L-base plate. That is all. I know I cannot ad more. Please feel free to post the photos of the camera. I would like to solve the mystery too.

Maiku

 

[CameraQuest]

a shintaro modification?

Stephen

 

[sparrow6224]

It's a beautiful camera and if I had the money I'd buy it.... With the seller's permission [see above] here are some photos of it.

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[Maiku]

Head Bartender,

I do not think the paint job is a good a Shintaro`s. Why? There are two small chip. The exposed body is chrome underneath. Shintaro removes the chrome does he not?

Maiku

 

[mfunnell]

It is still a beautiful camera, though. I note that in the ad there's no price listed for this item (or maybe I just didn't see it). This thread is attracting enough eyeballs that the seller might want to fix that (if a sale is still in the offing: it looks good enough to keep).

...Mike

 

[sparrow6224]

Note the back door and the self-timer button in combination with slow speed button on front. These make it VT or later from what I've read. But the bottom has no extra door lock mechanism. And of course, no trigger.

 

[pagpow]

Have you checked the Canon Camera Museum?

Any possibility it is a VL with the advance lever replaced by a knob?

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/..._vl.html?lang=us&categ=crn&page=1956-1965&p=1

Can't quite see as many views as might be helpful.

 

[sparrow6224]

Well it would be weird and difficult I think to replace a lever with an advance knob, wouldn't it? But perhaps... Here's the anomaly however: both the VL and VL2 are supposed to have metal shutters as with the VT and later P and 7 series; but this camera I believe has cloth. They might have been replaced of course.

 

[rover]

Crank rewind, 1/1000 top speed, and Serial number make it look like a L1 or VT Deluxe top plate. If it is a VT then the base plate has been modified. If it is an L1 then the lever has been replaced with the knob.

 

[rover]

VTDZ would have a self timer and cloth shutters. I think that is what we have with a modified base plate. If I remember correctly the advance knob on top turns when you pulled the trigger of a T so I think it is likely the base plate was changed and advance by knob would still be possible.

 

[sparrow6224]

I'm buying that. Which makes it roughly what the seller was told it was: a VT without the T. By the way we in the US would never have a store called Lemon Cameras. We should have a few however called Hoodlum Cameras.

 

[rover]

what is the square thing under the word Canon on the top?