old canonet rangefinder.

[DIRT]

Anybody ever used one? are they any good? im just lookin tinto getting one as a portable camera aside from all my SLR stuff.

 

[Mitica100]

Anybody ever used one? are they any good? im just lookin tinto getting one as a portable camera aside from all my SLR stuff.

Canonets are decent cameras. Are you looking into a compact 35mm? If so, there are a few choices outside of the Canonet. The Minox 35, the Rollie 35, the Olympus XA, all excellent cameras. If interested in a Rollie 35 make sure it's made in Germany and not in Singapore (these break down much more often).

 

[usayit]

I own 6 canonets and I really enjoy them. One of my QL17 G-III Canonet's sees a lot of use. Easy to load, small, lightweight, simple operation, and I even like the way they look. The lens is very good at 40mm f1.7 with shutter speeds to 1/500. I also have a Canonet 28 that sees some use... cheaper version of he QL17 with a slower f2.8 lens.

Note: I have never seen a Canonet that did not need new seals. Messy to get all the goop out but easily replaceable. I've also had difficulty finding the Canolite D flash so if you see one better snap it up. Also note that this camera uses a no longer available mercury battery. Alkaline replacements are available.

There's a good write up on Photoethnography.com:
http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/CanonCanonetGIIIQL17.html

Hope you find one to enjoy....

 

[Menard]

I love the redoubtable Canonet. I have a few, and I agree that I have yet to see one in which the seals do not need to be replaced. The Canonets are durable cameras with a good set of basic features. They are among one of the best deals in rangefinders when you compare price to quality. They also are one of the easiest rangefinders to focus (at least in models I have tried) as the images in the viewfinder are quite distinct.

Although the Canonets do use a mercury battery, which can be substituted with an alkaline or zinc/air replacement, they do not require it for their functions other than the built in meter. So no battery, no problem. I can't say the same for my Olympus XA and Minox 35, both of which will not operate without batteries.

I have an Olympus XA and Minox 35 which are nice pocketable cameras. Neither, however, is going to give you the functionality or flexibility of a Canonet, and both are most likely going to cost more than the Canonet; not to mention they are not near as durable as the Canonet (how many have had the film advance lever break on a Minox 35?).