QL19 , thoughts & advice

[Parkes Owen]

I have the chance to pick up one of these for $40AUD, nice cond, just wondering if its a good buy and how it compares to the other canon fixed lens rangefinders. Any info much appreciated.

 

[filmgoerjuan]

I have a Canonet QL19 and it's nearly identical to my GIII QL17 (which seems to be everyone's favourite model of Canonet). The main differences that I can see seem to be:

- maximum f1.9 aperature vs. f1.7 for the GIII
- 45mm lens vs. 40mm lens for the GIII
- no battery check button & indicator
- no little window on the back that shows if the shutter is cocked

Everything else seems to be pretty much the same, although it's my understanding that the build quality of the lens is supposed to be slightly lower than the GIII QL17.

I think if you check for the usual issues that these cameras suffer from: sticky shutters, light meter broken, etc. and it checks out as good, then $40 AUD isn't a bad price. I just developed a test roll from the QL19 but haven't had a chance to scan anything in yet; I can post examples from the camera later if you'd like.

BTW, I'm assuming that you're talking about a new Canonet QL19 rather than the older version of the Canonet QL19. The newer model has a hot shoe on top for the flash and has a PC socket on the left-hand side of the camera, covered by a rotating plastic cover (the older version has a PC socket on the front).

 

[Parkes Owen]

Thanks for the info, from what you said it looks like the new QL19 and is in excellent cond, new battery fitted and has apparently been checked and cleaned. I managed to bargain the price down to$20AUD so I jumped at it! Can`t wait to see how it performs, cheers.

 

[filmgoerjuan]

For $20 AUD and in great shape you've got yourself a real deal! I got the negs back from my first roll with the QL19 and they look great. Congrats!

Here's my set of QL19 photos

 

[desmo]

I spotted this thread after seeing that a Canonet was being used in the RFF round the world project. I remembered I had a Canonet in my basement amongst a bunch of other cameras I've collected over the years.
Mine is the newer QL19 but it is missing a bettery and I've never shot a single picture on it.
Can anyone tell me what modern battery will fit these cameras so I can shoot with it or sell it?
Thanks in advance

Thanks for the info, from what you said it looks like the new QL19 and is in excellent cond, new battery fitted and has apparently been checked and cleaned. I managed to bargain the price down to$20AUD so I jumped at it! Can`t wait to see how it performs, cheers.

 

[filmgoerjuan]

There are also zinc oxide replacement cells for the Canonets, manufactured by Wein; they're the same size and voltage as the original batteries (with the hearing aid batteries you need to use some kind of padding or shim to have them fit the battery compartment properly).

I've been using one successfully in my Canonet 28 for about 4 months. They can be pricey and I've heard conflicting reports about how long they'll last (from one year down to just a few months). So far so good for me.

 

[desmo]

Ta muchly folks, I'll get one today

A 625 akaline will fit. But it is a little high on voltage so the meter won't be right. Or you could get a 675 hearing aid battery. Correct voltage for the camera.

 

[Roger S.]

The wein cells work great- they fit correctly, the voltage is perfect and for me they've lasted almost a year (which compares favorably to silver-oxide batteries for my SLR).

 

[Parkes Owen]

Filmgoerjuan, just checked out your QL19 photos, they look excellent, just proves you don`t have to spend a fortune to get good shots! 😀

 

[filmgoerjuan]

Thanks 🙂

I've been shooting with a 28, GIII QL-17 and just got the QL-19 a few weeks ago. The Canonets are a lot of fun to shoot with -- I love the quality of the lenses.

Hope you enjoy the one you just bought!