New Canonet GIII QL17 owner (1st post)

RicardoD

Well-known
Local time
11:55 AM
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
356
Location
South Bay, CA
Hello Everyone,

I just received my new-to-me Canonet GIII QL17 from Classic Cameras. It's was described as in A+++ condition and that pretty much sums it up. It almost too clean as I bought this as a take along Camera on my business trips and now I want to baby this thing. I don't know if they chain smoke at Classic Cameras or its just the previous owner but my Canonet reeks of cigarettes at the moment. Need to air it out.

I'm coming back to film after leaving in 1998. I currently own a Canon DSLR (300D) which has taught me so much. I has also gotten me addicted to fast Prime lenses and so I think I will fit right into this rangefinder crowd. I am also tired of the limited dynamic range of digital and I have come to learn that film will give that back to me.

I have learned so much from this forum in the past week or so. I now have the confidence to use the Voigtlander Vito CD scale focus camera that was my Dad's camera back in the 60s. Here I am thinking I am such a DSLR technical expert yet I never heard of the Sunny 16 rule until lurking about this forum this past week. I am so eager now to go out and shoot with the Voigtlander and some color slides with the GIII.

The biggest thing for me at this moment is to let go the technical with the cameras and just focus on composition. I feel I have mastered the technical aspects of photography with my DSLR images and instant feedback but I now have to teach myself how to compose a shot better. It's like I get it now but its time to become a real photographer. I hope I can do that.

The other thing I have been fighting with on my Digital Rebel is the 1.6 multiplication factor with the lenses. My 50mm prime is a 80mm, my 85mm is a 136 and I did just pick up a Sigma 20mm prime (32mm on the Rebel) but the lense quality is mediocre and the thing is gigantic. . So for over two years now I have this big gaping hole between 35-80. I never use the zoom that came with my Rebel. So I am just so excited to be shooting with a beautiful actual GIII 40mm fast prime lens that acts just like a 40mm!!!

All the best,
Ricardo
Voigtlander Vito CD
Canon GIII QL17
(cough) Canon 300D (cough)
 
Last edited:
Welcome Ricardo,

The QL-17 is a great camera, in my opinion. I have a few of them.

Here is an odd tip for removing odors from your camera. Take a paper plate and place 4 slices of white bread on it. Soak the bread with white vinegar and place your QL-17 and the paper plate with the vinegar soaked bread into a tupperware type container with a sealable lid. Make sure there is enough room in the container that the bread does not touch the camera. Seal the container and check the QL-17 after 24 hours the smell should be reduced. Leave it in for longer if you can go that long with out fondling it.

Wayne
 
Ricardo,
I know what you mean about that smell. I got my Canonet 28 yesterday, and thought the same thing about the cigarette smoke....

Kind of endearing in a strange sort of way...
 
Ricardo,

I have two Canonets. A broken one, about to send to Mark Hama for repair and a working one. The quality of the lens is wonderful. I too appreciate the prime lenses and the Canonet will not disappoint.

I use the sunny 16 rule as I do not have a battery for the meter. I am tempted to buy the Voightlander VCII meter. I also use this on my Leica IIIf.

Good luck with the Canonet!
 
Wayne. My wife and I eat Peppridge Farms Country white. Will that suffice or do I need to go with the pure Wonder Bread? 😀 Thanks for the tip, the smell has very much died down a day later. I think most of it was in the packaging.

All the best,
Ricardo
 
RicardoD said:
I just received my new-to-me Canonet GIII QL17 from Classic Cameras. It's was described as in A+++ condition and that pretty much sums it up.

I think you'll like this one. I'm glad the gang here talked me into getting one about a year ago. 🙂

I don't know if they chain smoke at Classic Cameras or its just the previous owner but my Canonet reeks of cigarettes at the moment. Need to air it out.

One thing I might suggest. Take about 1/2 cup of plain ordinary baking soda. Wrap that up in a paper towel. Then put the camera and the paper towel filled with baking soda in a sealed plastic bag for a couple of days. Baking soda works wonders for getting very yucky odors out of all kinds of stuff.

Hope this helps. 🙂
 
HI Ricardo,

Welcome to the forum.

I just received the GIII that I snagged from the RFF Classifieds not too long ago. I ran a roll of XP2 through it, and I am VERY happy with the performance of the lens and the camera's AE. I'm sure you'll be very happy with it too.

--Warren
 
XP2 vs. Desaturated Color Negative

XP2 vs. Desaturated Color Negative

Warren,

I have a questions concerning XP2. I understand that XP2 is C-41 processed B&W film. Forgive the simplification but I understand it to be a basically a color negative with the "color" taken out and so you end up with a finely grained image as compared to the other traditional B&W films.

In my case I will be scanning my negatives & slides and then printing (or rather having the local walgreens do that). In this setup why shoot XP2 and not just use color negatives and then use photoshop to convert to black and white where you can still use the channel mixer to simulate different color filters?

Just curious cause I am trying to figure what what kinds of films to start loading into my GIII and Vito CD. I won't use traditional B&W until I get my a real film scanner so I can get into developing my own B&W film.

All the best,
Ricardo
 
Hi Ricardo,

I'm no film expert, I can only speak from my own experience. For me, XP2 gives a different look than traditional ISO 400 color print film. XP2 appears virtually grainless when exposed properly. That can be good or bad depending on your preferences, and the subject matter. In fact, I did not like XP2 when I first started experimenting with it, but I've learned to like the look of it after a number of rolls. It's also convenient for me to be able to drop off the XP2 to a common color lab to process vs. finding a B&W lab.

Shoot a roll and compare it to color film (converted to B&W), I'm sure you'll notice the difference.

I also do color conversion in PS on color negs, and I think that its perfectly fine to do so. I guess there are many different ways to achieve the end result.

There are some films characteristics that are difficult to reproduce in PS, Tri-X for example.

Regards,

Warren
 
Ricardo,

For what it's worth, I just uploaded one of my shots from that first roll through my newly acquired GIII into my gallery (it's not much of a gallery, just 3 pics). The other b&w picture on there was shot with my Bessa R, also on XP2.

The 3rd picture is on ISO 400 color print film (Kodak Max).

Link to Pic: GIII PIc .

Warren
 
Thanks for sharing Warren. That picture has shadow and highlight detail, I don't think that would be possile on my Digital Rebel. Now I have to figure out where to pick up a roll of XP2. I gather the local target or walgreens doesn't carry it. Any suggestions?
 
I was very excited at first when i got my Canonet GIII, I even shot a whole wedding with it..yet after using it a while I found it hard to hold being a very small camera. Focusing is also a little difficult with the little lever,as well as through the viewfinder for certain compostions with no strong lines....a great little camera none the less....a back up for me now...
 
Thanks for the feedback anaanda. My first impressions line up with some of your comments. I am trying to figure out how to hold it properly and still use the focusing lever. It doesn't feel entirely comfortable but perhaps because I am used to my SLR. The focus patch is small and I think I am beginning to understand this whole 'bright viewfinder thing" even though I have never looked through a Leica M or a Bessa R.

My Voigtlander Vito CD has "larger" viewfinder in comparison, although to be fair the Vito CD is not a rangefinder, but I can see how that viewfinder makes shot composition much easier.

I am just at the start of my little journey here (haven't shot a single frame yet!) and am already fighting off a GAS attack (Gear Acquisition Syndrome for you other newbies). Canonet D flash is on its way and I am fighting the urge to buy a Yashica GSN.

I'm just excited to go out and take some snapshots this weekend and that's what it is all about.
 
Last edited:
Welcome Ricardo, the canonet is a great camera.

Regarding the smoke, try this, large plastic container, put the camera and about five sliced lemons in there and let it sit for about 24 hours. I know it sounds odd, but it works.

You will have a citrus-scented camera and no remaining smoke smells. good luck
 
Back
Top Bottom