Yet another member of the QL17 GIII family!!

[Cale Arthur]

Hi All.. my first post on RFF! ..just got back from my usual run through the thrift store camera 'department', where i scored a Canonet QL17 GIII for $20 (talked 'em down from $30.. ha!).. It came with the case and a uv filter (which i'll donate to my girlfriend for her Canonet 28).. absolutely no haze or dust in the finder, battery compartment is free of corrosion, lens is spotless, shutter speeds look/sound appropriate, and on and on.. naturally, the foam is a lost cause, which i'll be remedying within the next few days. I don't think this thing has seen much use at all (though the jury's still out on the meter).. any way you slice it, this thing just 'feels' right!

All in all, i'm pretty happy with it, and now i can officially attend the ongoing RF party! If my bid on the IVSb (as close as i'll ever get to a Leica) holds up, i'll have a nice little Canon family, what with the QL17, and the 2 Dial 35's (one of which came from JoeFriday!).. Of course, i will report back directly with some pics after the first roll. ...hope everyone has a great weekend!

Cale

 

[Todd.Hanz]

welcome to the party Cale, I really liked my QL17 until the film advance broke, the lens was great!

Todd

 

[jan normandale]

It's a great camera you'll find out as you use it. The meter is a good one also. Put up some shots!

 

[willie_901]

Sounds like you got a great buy.

Welcome to the club.

 

[tomtodeath]

now , go get yourself some neopan!

 

[gb hill]

My ql17 loves riding shotgun with me in the ol Freightliner as we cruise on down the highways & up through the Blue Ridge Mtns.🙂 Every one at work is amazed at the quality of photos this camera takes. And you will be too. HAVE FUN!!!😀

 

[Cale Arthur]

Step 2 complete!

Step 2 complete!

Got up early this morning, and got some fresh light seals in the QL17, which was a bit trickier than i had expected (thank goodness for Jon Goodman's explicit instructions!).. shouldn't be too long now before i have some share-able pics! Probably going to shoot some BW400CN, even though i'm not a huge fan.. have to get some ADOX KB100 pretty soon!

Thank you all for the kind welcome.. it's great to be here!

Cale

 

[schrackman]

Welcome! You may wish to check out some of my slide film tests on the Canonet GIII. Thus far I really like the Kodak Elite Chrome 100 for warm tones. Fuji Provia 400 was also nice, but is probably better for all green scenery. I'll know when Spring comes around. Still have to try a few other slide films, so keep your eye out. Kodak BW400cn actually works nicely with the Canonet, but I found that Fuji Neopan 400 works better.

 

[dmr]

Every one at work is amazed at the quality of photos this camera takes.

Quote Of The Year for 2005, regarding the QL17 GIII:

"You paid less than $50 for that camera and it takes pictures like that!!!???"

(No, I paid less than $50 for it and I take pictures like that!) 🙂

He was a client, so I had to be semi-nice to him. Digital type guy, about 1/2 my age, who didn't even recognize the term "rangefinder". 🙂

 

[jamesj]

welcome to the club. Im still amazed when i get my film back and see the image quality from this little camera.

Have fun with it!
i know i do...

 

[Cale Arthur]

..Digital type guy, about 1/2 my age, who didn't even recognize the term "rangefinder".

Seems like understanding the technological development history of any medium is becoming a lost art.. quite sad. Pretty soon, very few people will have a grasp on the soul and quality of analog-anything (except us folk, and a handful of recording engineers!)..

Really like your ''minimalism, public & private'' sets on 'the Flickr', Willie_901!

Cale

 

[carlo39]

Got up early this morning, and got some fresh light seals in the QL17, which was a bit trickier than i had expected (thank goodness for Jon Goodman's explicit instructions!).. shouldn't be too long now before i have some share-able pics! Probably going to shoot some BW400CN, even though i'm not a huge fan.. have to get some ADOX KB100 pretty soon!

Thank you all for the kind welcome.. it's great to be here!

Cale

For B&W with the Canonet I like a lot Kodak Tri-X. This film gives me the look that I expect from street photography. Also give a try to TMax 3200 during the night: the QL17 is easy to hide for candid night shooting and fast enough (of course You have to focus and expose by experience: if I can save 10 pics out of a roll I'm happy 🙂 ).



Hi,

Carlo

 

[willie_901]

Really like your ''minimalism, public & private'' sets on 'the Flickr', Willie_901!

Cale

Thanks for looking and for the kind words Cale.

willie

 

[Cale Arthur]

Drum roll please...

Drum roll please...

Ok, well, the test roll shots aren't super-special (my fault, not the camera's, of course!), but i have to say, i LOVE this little camera.. The important thing, i guess, is that it works, and it looks like it's going to be a pretty good night shooter! I've got a bit to learn about RF focusing under adverse conditions, but for the $20 paid for this little thing, i couldn't be happier! Now i want another one....

Cale

 

[pesphoto]

impressive quality. I just find the camera and the controls too small for my hands

 

[mac_wt]

The last pic is nice and made me look twice. Congratulations on the new Canonet. I like mine. Even more so after I cleaned the haze out of the viewfinder.

Wim

 

[Cale Arthur]

Thanks, Wim... i took that at about 2am with the 'B' setting.. got pretty lucky, and the crazy clouds helped! I'm looking forward to getting more 'real' b&w film (waiting on about 30 rolls of Adox KB100, etc. from J&C) -- the BW400cn just isn't doing it for me, and the local mini-lab processing is about as dependable as a '82 Civic with a bad head gasket (apologies for the auto reference).

Cale

 

[CJP6008]

Wim, how did you get the haze out of the VF? i gather one has to be a bit careful not to clean off whatever it is that makes the RF patch yellow for obvious reasons. Mine is pretty hazy.

Chris

 

[mac_wt]

I tried it first on a canonet 28 (of which I have a few, mostly for parts); you can't really do much wrong. It's just the mirror that could be sensitive and that is best left alone. The clear glass parts (including the semi-frosted front) can be cleaned with whatever stuff you use for cleaning windows. I used some of those hygenical cotton-wool sticks to apply the product and to clean it of again.
The most difficult part is getting off the film advance lever. It's screwed on with a cover that has no real grip. You need to use some pincers with rubber tips (or with electrical tape wound round them).

Wim