just found a ql17

[shadowfox]

Besides his light seal kit, Jon Goodman also sells a battery adapter that will allow the cheap Walgreen 675 batteries to be used to replace PX625.

The adapter is a one time buy of $10, it's quite a bargain.

 

[bigal5567]

sheesh, you guys are awesome. thanks alot
so, i need 35mm film. what exactly is asa? is that a type of film? right now the camera has 100 in its asa box thing by the lens.

the light seals look to be pretty much gone on the bottom, and kinda there on the top. i'm sure theyll probably have to be replaced, but it doesnt sound hard.

thanks again, and yeah, i'll definitely post some of my stuff.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

You can get the manual for the camera off the net. It is an easy seach. Each film has an ASA number which you match to the meter system. I have seen the WEIN cells at reputable camera shops. Ritz chain carries them. Also, the lens is a 48mm and you might need a UV filter (although there are those that disagree on using one). I use a Hama Hood on mine. This will keep the flare down. The 49mm fits if you put just a small piece of self adhesive felt around it. Some people use small wrist straps on these cameras rather than carrying them around their necks. But first of all replace the seals and shoot a couple of rolls and see how you like it. Good Luck. It is a fast lens and the camera is quiet even stealthful for street photos.

 

[mike goldberg]

Hi, I'm a new QL-17 owner and love it. ASA = ISO or the speed of your film, as noted above.

TIP:
When you install new seals from your kit, it takes a while for the edges of the camera's rear door to seat themselves in the seals. Thus, make sure the rear door is properly latched and locked with the latches controlled by upward and downward movement of the Rewind knob.

Good luck ;-)

 

[Charly]

I too am a very happy QL17 GIII user. I'm going to b slightly contraversial however, and suggest that you ignore the battery problem entirely, here's why:

The meter is only coupled when the camera is in automatic mode. The automatic mode on the camera is called "shutter priority." What this means is that you select the shutter speed and then the camera will decide what aperture (f stop) is necessary for correct exposure.

For street shooting, shutter priority is pretty hopeless; though aperture priority would not be. The aperture controls the depth of field (how much of the picture, from the selected focus point is in focus.) If the camera had aperture priority, the meter would be a bunch more useful but as it is, you find youself switching between A and manual (the other way is to twist the shutter ring until it reads the f stop you want). However, the lack of exposure compensation makes life still more awkward.

I use my camera without a battery. I have a Sekonic L308 meter - though, if you are shooting B&W, practice and a copy of the "Sunny 16" rules, though harder, will be more rewarding as you learn to read light properly rather than relying on a meter. At first this is a burden, with time, you become liberated from metering and more able to concentrate on making the picture you want to take rather than worrying about how to get *a* picture exposed correctly.

HTH

charly

 

[imajypsee]

To add to your arsenal of good advice, I'm going to suggest that you get a copy of the book "Black & White Photography; A Basic Manual" by Henry Horentstein. It will help you with everything you need to know about making photos, including how to use your camera without the meter.

 

[bigal5567]

alright, so. i got a battery. went to my local shop and the guy there helped me out.
its an alkaline px-625. the battery check light now turns on. anyway, i dont think the camera is firing. its set to A, but when i pull the lever back and push the button some blades in the front come out, but the ones in the back stay permanently shut. i dont know if this is what's supposed to happen? also, sometimes the button wont press in all the way. weird.

anyway, any interpretations ya'll could offer would be awesome. thanks again.
-alex.

 

[bigal5567]

alright, i'm stupid. i found an online users manual and read it. i realized that the camera does not take if the line thing is off the meter in the viewfinder. so, i adjusted the shutter speed ring until it was. i also realized that you pull the lever back about three times after you load the film, or simply close the back door. after that you dont need to mess with that lever. my bad again.

anyway, the button will press now, but the blades dont seem to be opening, or is that just what happens? is there a distinctive noise made? because right now all i hear is the sound of the button on top. keep in mind i havent loaded any film yet.

thanks
-alex.

 

[fishtek]

Alex, you should be able to see the shutter operate. Crank the film advance lever, make sure the shutter is at a value that the camera will allow, (Or, set the aperture and shutter speed to other values besides "A"), turn the lens so you can see into it, and press the shutter release. You should be able to see it cycle.

The camera won't let you attempt to take a picture if the light/shutter speed aren't properly set for automatic, and the meter doesn't work on manual setting. For openers, say, set the shutter speed at "4" (1/4 of a second) and the aperture at 5.6. That should give you something visible.

See ya~
Don

 

[bigal5567]

i see the outer? shutter flick, but theres another one behind it that remains closed?

 

[Roger Vadim]

This sounds like a sticking shutter (often found on the olde Canonets...). Mine had the same problem. Try to excersize the shuttter, push it, rewind push it... (It works without the battery if you set the aperture ring to something else then "A" - 2.8 for ex.)
Well, this didn't work for mine, allthough it could with yours. The old lubricants used in the shutters are drying out and causing the shutter to stick. I had to repair mine, including opening the lens, nothing easily being done.
So if the exersize don't work try to google "shutter sticking Canonet ql17", there are a couple of great sites with recomondations.
But hopefully you're lucky and its just a handling error or the camera falls in love with you and returns from sleep - think about it as Snowwhite...

Good luck, great camera btw.,
Michael

 

[ebolton]

The outer leaves are the aperature blades, which open up/close down from f1.7/f16 in response to the aperature ring. With the aperature ring set on 1.7, shutter speed set to 4, you should easily see the shutter itself, behind the aperature, open when you fire the camera. If not, the shutter blades are probably stuck. That is common on these cameras. The solution is to clean the blades, and despite what you may see here I wouldn't recommend somebody with no experience doing that.

One fairly harmless thing you might try is gentle heating. I have a Canonet I left in the car overnight accidentally in the winter. The shutter was stuck in the morning. Once it warmed up, it started to work, and after some exersize it's been fine ever since. You might try warming your camera up under a heat lamp and see if you can get the shutter working.

Nothing too hot. Don't want to melt anything. Just some very gentle heating, maybe to 150°F or so...

Ed

 

[FrankS]

What do you see when you look into the lens and fire the shutter with the camera set manually to f1.7 and "B"?

 

[Kim Coxon]

This one certainly seems to be in need of a service. These are the clasic symptoms of a stuck shutter.

Kim

 

[bigal5567]

alright, i tried all of your suggestions, and still the thing wont move at all.

probably would be best to take it to my local shop and get them to check it out.
thanks
-alex

 

[FrankS]

But have you tried warming the camera to about 100F for an hour? Sticky shutter blades (which is what it sounds like you've got) may be fixed by warming the camera to soften sticky greasy residue on the shutter blades. It'll cost you about what the camera is worth ($100) to get this fixed at a shop.

 

[Kim Coxon]

At best warming is only a temporary fix. It makes the oil more fluid so the shutter fires but doesn't get rid of it so the problem will come back in a short time. In the meanwhile it could slow the baldes down affecting the exposure. 😉

Kim

But have you tried warming the camera to about 100F for an hour? Sticky shutter blades (which is what it sounds like you've got) may be fixed by warming the camera to soften sticky greasy residue on the shutter blades. It'll cost you about what the camera is worth ($100) to get this fixed at a shop.

 

[FrankS]

I agree that warming is not the best fix, but with it there is a chance that the blades will be freed and remain so given exercise. Remember this camera was stored and inactive for many years. Given the choice between an inoperative camera and a chance, I'd take the chance. Of course the proper route would be to have the camera repaired by removing the sticky lubricant residue on the shutter blades.

 

[Kim Coxon]

With an expensive camera, I would only advocate a professional repair. However, for Canonets and indeed many of the FSU ones, this may not be a viable solution. In which case a DIY repair would be in order. With a stuck shutter, the best way to do a DIY repair in the Ronsonal trick. Total cost less than $10 if you have no tolls and a few cents, if you have them. Warming will only work in a very few cases and is more likely to make the situation worse. If the problem is creping lubricant, warming can spread it further and perhaps also cause it to affect the aperture blades as well. If a pro job is out and you don't wnt to or can't do a cleaning job, then it might be worth trying if the only other alternative is the trash can.

Kim

 

[bigal5567]

alright, so sounds like sticking it in the oven is bad.
but if a repair is gonna cost me 100$, forget that. i'll google stuff, and see if i think i can handle it.

if i cant fix it however, i'm sad.
thanks
-alex.