Canonet QL17 wind on and on and on...

[garythegit]

Just got my canonet QL17 after been on its way for three weeks from the US! Must be a record...

Anyway, the camera is in tip top condition, the usual light seal job and a minor clean of the rangefinder glass. Now it's big and bright and a pleasure to use. The only thing that struck me as strange was that the wind on lever doesn't lock after you wind on a shot.

I closed the back and practiced the wind on and shoot procedure. Wind on the lever several times and wanted for it to stop, hence telling me to fire the shutter if I wanted to wind on again. But this does not happen. More disturbingly I seem to be able to wind on the whole of film this way without having to fire the shutter!!

Is there something broken at the wind on section??

Cheers

 

[garythegit]

This is the GIII I found the article that you wrote before G'man with the pictures but everything looks fine in mine. It's a pretty mint camera.

 

[garythegit]

DOH! It's working now! I think it just needed a bit more time for the oil to seep into the gears! Thanks G'man!

 

[iMacfan]

I know that it doesn't account for everything, but the Quick Load ones do wind on enough film to get you ready to shoot without firing the shutter, so it might not always seem like its working until the back is closed and the film is loaded.

David

 

[garythegit]

Yeah I knew that you had to wind on until the lever stops when the back is closed. The original problem was that it kept on winding even *with* the back closed! But thankfully that has been solved with a little bit of oil, a bit of patience and some diagrams from *the* G'man! (has anyone thought about giving G'man a medal of somekind??? 🙂)

 

[glchua]

I just found out my QL17 GIII also have the same problem. Passed it to my friend to clear a roll for me and it came back blank. Checked the shutter and it seems okay but found that the cam just kept winding on. Probably my friend didn't realise the shutter didn't fire.

I followed G'man's instructions and now it seems to be working okay, except that the lever looks a little weaker now, hope it doesn't give way. I had also damaged the leatherette. Need more practise!

Thanks G'man!