Canonet QL17 - At Last!!

Great camera. got mine years ago at a good price. Only thing I mine needed was a seal replacement, no other issues except that most only to write about the G-III. The QL 17 is a very nice , a very conformable fit for my hand.Not to big--not to small . .. it's just right.
 
Just an update. I was able to get it all sorted out in the end. I retired this summer and had to thin the herd as I have way too many film cameras and I needed funds to purchase digital lenses. So I sold the Canon and kept my Leica, Nikon, & Contax rangefinders.
 
I have a Ql17 GIII because it's known as one of the best fixed-lens rangefinders. The camera came with a shifty meter (it jerks around in the display when you depress the shutter) and it turns out that I'm not a big fan of shutter-priority shooting, instead I prefer the Yashica Electros.

I'll probably get the meter looked at one of these days. I do like the form factor though.
 
I don't think you go such a bad deal at all considering it is black. My friend paid close to $300 for a black GIII a few years ago! They brass really nicely!
 
I'm sure you folks know best but is the Ql-17 the same as the G-III ? Some posters seem to use the names interchangeably.
 
I'm sure you folks know best but is the Ql-17 the same as the G-III ? Some posters seem to use the names interchangeably.
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Sometimes.

A G-III is the third generation of Canonet (arguably). A G-III is either a QL17 or a QL19 (same camera, but with a 45mm f/1.9 lens). Likewize a QL17, may be a G-III or the older, plain old QL17.

Before those, there were the ones with the film advance on the bottom, and the Canonet 28. I used to know more about these (when I was hunting mine down), but that's what I recall off the top of my head.

But for most conversations, the terms are used interchangeably to describe the Canonet QL17 G-III, which seems to be, far and away, the most popular and common model of the line.

Additional Required Reading:

http://www.cameraquest.com/canql17.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonet

There's a huge amount of writing out there about the Canonet line. :)
 
:bang:
aoresteen said:
I have finally gotten my abused Canonet QL17 back from repair after a 15 month wait. It had lots of interior water damage and a bad meter. I got it off eBay and of course the seller had no idea that there was water damage. I can't recall exactly what I paid for it but it was in the $85 range.

canonetql17.jpg


While it was away being worked on I tracked down the scarce Canonet Hood 5 for it.

So I try to figure it out and nothing works. After puzzeling over it for 20 minutes I discover that there is no battery in it! So I have to order a new 625 alkaline battery (1.5v) for it (the meter was calibrated for a 1.5v battery). So it will be a few more days before I can run some film throught it.

It's a sold hefty camera. It's not a GIII but the earlier QL17. I hope the lens is as good as the reviews say.
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:bang: I purchase a lot of these every year and once in a great while I get one with water damage. If the seller states I don't know how to open the film door, stay away from these sellers for they are most likely hiding the facts of something like water stains inside. I do strip mine apart and let soak for a week in a catalytic type of penetrating oil. Next a sonic bath is performed, and soon the shutter is running again. If not it goes to the landfill for rust had frozen the escapement up solid
 
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