Using the Canon G-III QL

[prakashdaniel]

Dear All,

I just got this camera, and I have so many good reviews bout the Rangefinder, it will be really good if some can actually give some really good advice on the settings for this camera, since the aperture goes up to 1.7...

Please do send in your advice and suggestions so that I can work this baby well....Thanks

 

[nzeeman]

its a beautiful camera - i bought mine in flea market in not so good condition with light leaks and i fixed it. now it works nicely.
advice - you can use zync lr44 hearing aid batteries for it. you just need to put some aluminium foil on top because its a bit smaller than slot for original battery.also i saw in the net that some people put small rubber ring around battery to stop its movement inside.
if you need some more advice be free to ask.

 

[nzeeman]

oh and i forgot - check your light seals. usually they get sticky over the years. if that happen - you need to replace them. its an easy job - you can cut stripes from your mouse pad and glue it in place of old seals. it works great.

 

[prakashdaniel]

thanks nzeeman...

 

[fishtek]

Welcome to CanonLand! The QL17 and QL17 GIII are great cameras. Take the time to get familiar with the features. For instance, the light meter won't work unless the aperture is set to "Auto". You can't use the meter in manual mode. Take a look at this article:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/youngds/Classic35/CanonGIIIQL17/CanonGIIIQL17.htm

as well as the ones you might "google". There's a great one at http://www.CameraQuest.com, for instance. Look in the "Classic Camera Profiles" section. THEN...grab some film and start shooting.

Enjoy!
Don

 

[ChadHahn]

They make an alkaline (I think) battery that is a direct replacement for the mercury battery that the camera calls for. On my camera the meter compensates for the voltage difference.

For replacing the light seals there is a product called "Foamies" that comes in a 8.5" x 11" sheet. It had self-adhesive on the back so you just cut it to the right size, tear off the backing and place it in the camera.

To get the old foam out, use Naptha lighter fluid and a wooden skewer.

Yes, the meter only works in Automatic mode and then the shutter speed only trips if the exposure isn't too high or too low.

It is a good camera though and I have taken plenty of good shots with mine.

Enjoy and have lots of fun.

My avatar was taken with a Canonet.

 

[dmr]

It's a very nice camera. Overall excellent, small, sharp, quiet, very reliable.

It has some shortcomings:

1. Lens seems to show significant astigmatism wide open. Avoid point source lights around the edges of the frames wide open.

2. Auto or totally dumb. No match-needle mode.

3. 800 ISO limit. I've worked around this on one of mine.

I echo the comments about the light seals. They are easy to install. Getting the old ones out is the hard part.

It's become a favorite of mine for general purpose shooting and low light shooting within reason.

Yes, the intended battery is not available. There are hundreds of work-around, some simple, some convoluted. Just read around and ask around for some very strong opinions on this. 🙂

 

[venchka]

Nope. No Way. No!

Nope. No Way. No!

They make an alkaline (I think) battery that is a direct replacement for the mercury battery that the camera calls for. On my camera the meter compensates for the voltage difference.

The 1.5v alkaline so called replacement for the PX625 mercury cell is not and never has been a replacement for the original PX 625 battery. Search this forum and GOOGLE all of Al Gore's internet for the explanation. In a nutshell: the voltage of the alkaline battery starts off too high and declines steeply before dying. The PX625 has a ruler straight output curve at 1.35v until dead.

EDIT TO ADD: There is no mention in any of the literature that the Canon QL17 GIII has any kind of voltage regulation. The only Canon camera that I know for a fact has this feature is the Canon EF SLR. If you can prove me wrong I will use alkaline batteries in my QL17.

The zinc air Wein cell PX625 replacement works just fine. Lasts about a year. Some folks use 675 hearing aid batteries with shims, o-rings and foil. They will work.

Turn the meter OFF when not in use. This is easy. Turn the aperture ring off of the green "A" to any numbered aperture. This turns the battery off and prolongs it's life.

Use the 1.5v alkalines at your own risk. YMMV. 😎

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[dmr]

EDIT TO ADD: There is no mention in any of the literature that the Canon QL17 GIII has any kind of voltage regulation. The only Canon camera that I know for a fact has this feature is the Canon EF SLR. If you can prove me wrong I will use alkaline batteries in my QL17.

There's no regulation. I think I posted the simplified schematic with my re-calibration project. If anybody wants I can post it again. I've had it looked over by a couple hardcore electronics geeks and all of us agree that it's a very simple series circuit.

The schematic looks so confusing because there's all of the stuff in there for the Canolite flash, but if you take that out and follow the path for current, it's really the battery, the meter, the light-sensitive resistor cell, the resistor of the speed and aperture dials, and the calibration potentiometer (sp?) which is just a variable resistor.

I forget the exact numbers, but there's something like a 15% error with the newer battery. It makes the whole circuit a bit "hotter", more meter movement for a given luminance, thus a tendency to underexpose.

Using just the calibration potentiometer I was able to get within a half stop or so, calibrating for ISO 1600 film at the most sensitive end of the scale, and for the new battery. By rotating the meter itself to do a true "two-point" calibration, I was able to get the thing very close, both at the dim and bright ends of the scale. This was quite a project, but it did turn out quite well. 🙂

 

[venchka]

Fair enough. But that's not an off the shelf camera. If it works for you, fine. You're overlooking the variable output curve of the alkaline batteries. The zinc air batteries are still the most consisitent answer for a standard QL17 camera.

 

[mike goldberg]

Hi,
I really like my QL-17, and here's a couple of pointers:

The Wein cell PX625 replacement works just fine and lasts about a year, as mentioned above. I use the same battery in my Olympus OM-1.

There are light seal replacement kits available on the B@y. Be sure to get seals that are NOT too thick. The guy I bought my QL-17 from replaced the seals, and occasionally the camera pops open in mid-roll! 😱

You can get acceptable pix at f1.7... but stopping down to f2.8 is better. See Link to photo done at f2.8 on a bus.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikegoldberg/1470526407/

Good luck, Mike

 

[prakashdaniel]

thanks all for the feedbacks....

 

[kuzano]

EDIT TO ADD: There is no mention in any of the literature that the Canon QL17 GIII has any kind of voltage regulation. The only Canon camera that I know for a fact has this feature is the Canon EF SLR. If you can prove me wrong I will use alkaline batteries in my QL17.

Correct... only canon with voltage regulation is the Canon EF Black Beauty. I've had two, currently having still one.

If there was correction in the GIII, Steve Gandy at the CameraQuest site would not post that re-calibration of the GIII meter is one of the solutions to the meter battery problem.

I, too have used the Alkaline solution. the PX625A batteries go from too much voltage to not enough voltage almost while you're not looking.

Solutions:
Cris Adaptor
Wein Cell - pull and tape the holes shut when not in use... can get well over 1 year this way.
Turn meter off - take off A on aperture ring - use a lens cap also.
Have meter circuit re-calibrated to 1.5 silver oxides.

Not that big a deal for an exceptional shooter, smaller than a jacket pocket, and sharp as a tack.

 

[dmr]

I, too have used the Alkaline solution. the PX625A batteries go from too much voltage to not enough voltage almost while you're not looking.

Last month I had one of these die very unexpectedly, working fine one minute, dead the next, leaving me with only my eyes to use as a light meter for the evening. Until recently it seemed like you could get these at any drug store, but this time none were to be found at two Walgreens and one CVS. I had to get one at a real photo shop, but unfortunately none of them were open on a Sunday evening.

 

[venchka]

That's why my bag has several spares in it. Of course there are times when I leave my bag at home. Like last week. My Gossen meter died. I actually did ok with my eyeballs.

 

[clarence]

You don't have to be tethered to the 800 ASA limit of the meter. Metering in Auto mode and then switching to manual served me well for higher speed film.

Clarence

 

[Herman Abdullah]

canonet goes horses

canonet goes horses

Hi.
Just got a canonet GIII. Here is a sample of it's first roll. A very straighforward image.

fully manual, iso400 and forgot to take off the skylite filter.

 

[noimmunity]

here is one from joe's QL19, on lucky asa 200, at f1.9

 

[canonet17]

Just got a QL17, got everything working properly. Making pics as a madman just for triying. We'll see results in a couple of days. Got around battery problem simply pouring a SR44, a silver oxide battery and adjusting asa. i.e. for asa 400 dialing 350 more or less, comparing with lunasix is spot on. Should work fine. Great forum btw.

 

[jayfixit]

What's the voltage on the silver oxide batteries? I use a 675 zinc air hearing aid battery which is 1.4 V. 0.05V doesn't seem to make too much a difference...based on picture results.