dead GIII QL

FrankS

FrankS

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Aug 23, 2004
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Another camera bought at an antique shop for $30 with a dead meter. Step one, change the battery. Still dead. Step two, clean the battery chamber contacts. While trying to do this, I notice the contact on one side of the battery chamber is too far back and can not make contact with a battery in the chamber. Two screws removed the baseplate, Two more screws removed the plastic battery chamber. One of the battery chamber teminals has become disconnected from the battery chamber and the metal bulge in it does no longer protrude into the batery chamber enough to make contact with a battery. I used 5 minute epoxy to glue the terminal back onto the battery chamber and.... it's alive!
 
I wasn't quite as lucky as it sounds. There was more effort involved in this particular camera. It wasn't until I got it out of the antique shop in bright light that I noticed it had a lens element separation. Unfortunately I was already in another town stopping for a coffee and did not want to go back to return the camera. Actually I felt quite foolish in not inspecting the camera/lens very well before purchasing it. (This sounds too similar to another more expensive Canon rangefinder purchase I made recently. When I find a desireable camera I get too excited to slow down to inspect it thouroughly.) I had never seen lens element separation before but it was clearly evident in bright light. Luckily (hey I am lucky) I got a GIII lens assembly from Kin, another RFF member, who lives near by. Getting to the separated elements was a bit tricky. The most obvious lens element retaining ring only released the front element, but it was the next 2 elements just in front of the lens iris (aperture blades) that needed to be removed. The retaining ring for them was more difficult to get to. It was located withing a very narrow space. I finally did get them using needle nose tweezers as an optical spanner tool. Now all is fine. I just need to replace the light seals on the back door. Does anyone have a parts GIII? I also need that little knob (and screw) on the film rewind crank.
 
Hello Rick, and welcome to the forum. Its a great place to talk RFs.

Have you ever swapped out a lens from one QL17 body to another? I have a Black QL17 that I'd like to replace the lens on. Or more correctly, I have a chrome QL17 that is in excellent condition and a black QL17 that has a couple issues. I'd like to take the Black one and put them on the chrome one. I have done everything but the lens. SO now I have a black QL17 with a chrome lens. It actually looks rather nice, but I'd rather make it original. Do you know how hard it is to move the lens between the two bodies?

By the way, I've used your site for help, and referenced your drawings etc. Really appreciate it when someone takes the time to do what you have done for others.

Thanks,
 
thanks!

you can swap out either just the glass, or the entire shutter, or the entire front panel with the shutter attached. i've never done a swap from one camera to another, but i have taken the glass out and i've had the shutter off.

the KYPHOTO site gives good tips for getting the glass out, i have sketches for removing the shutter if you'd like me to email them to you.

i have never taken the entire front panel off of the Canonet, but it shouldn't be a prohibitive job. it's attached basically similarly to the way the 35RC is built, and i have had that apart.

:)=
 
I have a GIII QL 17 and am in need of a good repairer in the UK. My usual guy no longer repairs older cameras and is too busy with the work he already has (newer cameras and digital). Shame, as he really did a good job on my other cameras.
Can anyone recommend a good repairer who can give my Canonet a CLA at a reasonable price and bring it back to life for me?

BTW Got a Vivitar 35ES arriving tomorrow so that's something to look forward to.
 
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