Can anyone help with a Canonet QL17?

[alanS]

I've recently bought a Canonet QL17 and I'm trying to find out what some of the controls do as I haven't got a manual and the manuals I've found on the internet seem to be for a slightly different GIII model.

Anyway, the controls I'm struggling over are all on the lens and I wonder if anyone can help me with them?

1. There's a small fingernail operated control marked with an M at one end and an X at the other.

2. Just near the M-X control there's a small hooked "button" which can be pressed.

3. On the underside of the lens there's a thumbnail operated slider which may be the self timer. It only moves a small amount, not the full length of the slot and seems to give a delay of about 2 seconds.

[alanS]

I've worked out what 2 does, if I press it I can select longer exposures and B.

Just 1 and 3 to figure out now.

[Roger_Provins]

M and X are flash settings - X is electronic flash and M bulb.


Have you looked at this web page ... there are also links at the bottom of the page.

[alanS]

Great stuff.

Just the self timer to work out now. It only moves a little way along the slot, I don't know if it's a fault of if 2 seconds is all you get.

[Malcolm_Stewart]

I think this model ran for quite a time, and that there were several similar models carrying the f1.7 lens.

I've recently bought a Canonet QL17 and I'm trying to find out what some of the controls do as I haven't got a manual and the manuals I've found on the internet seem to be for a slightly different GIII model.

Anyway, the controls I'm struggling over are all on the lens and I wonder if anyone can help me with them?

1. There's a small fingernail operated control marked with an M at one end and an X at the other.

That's the flash sync selector: M for flash bulbs, X for electronic flash. It seems not to exist on mine, so I guess mine is a later version which has a flash shoe, with shoe + two contacts.

2. Just near the M-X control there's a small hooked "button" which can be pressed.

On mine, that's the lock-release for the aperture control.

3. On the underside of the lens there's a thumbnail operated slider which may be the self timer. It only moves a small amount, not the full length of the slot and seems to give a delay of about 2 seconds.

The 10s delay on mine is just below the clear viewfinder window.

If you PM me your email address I can email you various relevant things I've downloaded from the web - URLs long forgotten.

I assume you've found how to change film speed, and the flash guide number setting?

Mine has a Copal shutter, and serial number is D27xxx.

HTH

[alanS]

Hi,

Mine's a CORPAL-SV.

I'm ok with the film speed, that's set with a thumbnail control on the underside of the lens.

The last mystery control is on the underside of the lens and just above the CORPAL-SV lettering. It's a slot maybe an inch or so long with a thumbnail control at one end but it hardly moves and wont go anywhere near the full length of the slot.

I think it's a time delay and it does give a delay of about 2 seconds but I can't see anything obstructing it. If it is the time delay and it is faulty I might just out up with it.

Thanks for the offer...PM on it's way...

[Malcolm_Stewart]

On mine the delay seems not to work unless I take the Aperture off its Auto ( A ) setting, and then I can get ~10s delay. I think the camera uses a trapped needle form of exposure automation so perhaps the delay mechanism isn't strong enough to do both a delay and trap the needle?

[alanS]

It works on auto and when moved off and onto the various aperture settings too but it always gives the same delay of about 2 seconds.

I think that the lever not moving very far is a clue, I think it's probably faulty.

I'll have to decide if this matters on not and contact the ebay seller if I decide that it does matter.

What a shame.

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Your email is on its way to you with about 1.8Mb of files and folders. Just in case the relative addressing gets screwed up, I saved them originally under:-

G:\Downloads\Canon\Canonet GIII

[alanS]

Yes, got it thanks.

[RogerMac]

If you PM me with a snail mail address I will photocopy the manual and send it to you. I can not do it until the end of the week as I am away from home for a few days

Roger

[alanS]

Thanks...Very kind offer