Offset of all

Canonet QL17Canon Canonet rangefinders come up in many flavors merely have some common problems for the user-collector. Like I've said elsewhere I'one thousand no practiced but I've discovered a few things based on the Canonets I ain, and having done a chip of research on the web. I'll simply speak well-nigh the ones I'thou familiar with fixing for at present: Canonet QL19 (1st version, like Bell & Howell xix), Canonet GIII QL.

The Basic Issues

ALL of the 60s-70s rangefinders, not just Canonets, seem to have the post-obit problems in common: deteriorated foam low-cal seals (gummy, sticky, messy) and cloudy rangefinder glass. I'll talk most these first even though I depict in detail the process on my calorie-free seals replacement tips folio.

Rangefinder Glass

Canonet Repair

Cleaning the outside is easy, just Windex/Glassex or ethanol (similar a halfway decent vodka) on a Q-tip or Kimwipe (lens tissue), wiped dry with a Kimwipe. To become within, though, requires taking off the top cap — the metal shroud that houses the rangefinder. I'1000 finding this to be fairly standard construction beyond all makes and models, so this is pretty generic info that will apply in most cases. First remove any visible screws, sometimes at that place are three or four, sometimes every bit few as ane or ii. The rewind knob is virtually invariably removed by opening the back, placing a bar of some sort (screwdriver, tweezers) in the fork that enters the film canister, and winding the knob counterclockwise to unscrew it. A little actress force per unit area is required to get information technology started. The wind lever is almost always held in by a meridian cap removed by a spanner in ii holes or past gripping the outside and twisting counterclockwise. On the QL19 in that location is also a second retaining ring that twists off similarly. Sometimes there are boosted screws, rings, washers here — identify them advisedly bated, noting which manner they were oriented when you removed them.

Gently elevator the superlative cap directly up when you get all the screws and knobs removed. Often it will be attached by a wire to the hot shoe, effort non to put any strain on this wire as you lay the cap aside. The rangefinder is oftentimes underneath another little embrace held in by a couple of screws. Do not touch the meter needle or anything else in here, simply blow out whatever grit and dirt, then carefully brush off any visible dust before CAREFULLY cleaning the glass and mirrors.

This should go without maxim, but never put liquid directly on a lens or other drinking glass. Always accident off dust offset, so gently employ your lens brush before fifty-fifty touching it with anything else, THEN moisten a swab or foursquare of photogapher's wipe with solvent, and gently clean the glass, following with a dry out wipe. In this example you'll use cotton swabs because of the tricky trivial glass placement. Don't reuse them, just wipe the wet end on and and then the dry end, and so get a new swab. Mirrors should be cleaned VERY gently if at all, I've had great luck with Windex on all this glass. Don't forget the inside of the glass that'south fixed in the top cap. The frosted glass is perfectly ok to clean, it looks for a 2d similar you've ruined it just it dries cloudy over again. Put everything back together over again.

Light Seals

Seals Replacement 5 - CleaningBrand no mistake, replacing lite seals is a tiresome, dirty, painstaking job but admittedly worth it and often absolutely necessary, once again, not merely on Canonets but on but near all cameras from the 60s-70s when they started using cream instead of felt, cord and condom for light seals.

Go out the Q-Tips, toothpicks, dental picks, 97% isopropryl alcohol, newspaper towels, and Kimwipes. Scrape, moisten, rub, carefully brand it all become away, noting exactly where it all went, a section at a time then you lot can supersede information technology precisely. I use strips of mousepad (neoprene safety) advisedly cut using an X-acto pocketknife and a metal straightedge for the film door mating grooves in the camera body. If you cutting the mouse pad strips a trivial wide and stretch them they'll fit in the grooves without whatever adhesive (thanks Winfried for this tip!). For the rest of the calorie-free seals I use strips of black felt salvaged from used moving picture canisters (get them from your local friendly photo lab). For adhesives for the felt I either use Pliobond or a Duro-type all-purpose cement from Radio Shack.

For the larger sections of seals in the Canonet GIII QL17, use pieces of something chosen 'Foamies' which are nigh $.79 for an viii.v″ x xi″ sheet at craft and fabric stores. Get black (it comes in all sorts of fun colors). Employ information technology with double-stick tape. If you lot can find the cocky-stick Foamies all the improve.

Some other good culling is a premade calorie-free seal kit such as the ones you lot can go from Jon Goodman (non the actor!), aka ebay seller 'interslice'. His kits are top-notch and include well-written instructions. Highly recommended!

Battery Compartments

Frequently y'all'll find that a mercury battery was left also long in the chamber and leaked. After advisedly removing and disposing of the bombardment, and washing your easily (it'southward mercury, later on all!), you can swab out the green rest with white vinegar and a cotton swab. Hope that the wiring is nonetheless all OK.

Canonet Special Problems

Original Canonet selenium cells dead. You can spot selenium cells easily, they look a lot similar cycle reflectors. They are light-sensitive only can eventually die and once dead, they're dead. Original Canonets take a ring of selenium cells around the lens and since they're 'always on', they're ofttimes dead. Selenium was replaced as light meter cloth sometime in the 60s by Cadmium Sulfide or CdS, which becomes light sensitive in the presence of electrical current, eg a battery. Plainly sometimes these tin can die too, but much more common is the battery either simply needs replacing or a corroded battery has damaged the wiring or the circuitry. In whatsoever issue, don't go your hopes up expecting any selenium cell calorie-free meters to piece of work, and be happy if they practise!

Stuck shutter. They become 'click' just nothing happens. It's the dreaded Canonet sticky blade problem. Here's what I've discovered: information technology looks similar some of the lens elements are held in place past lacqer or shellac, which somewhen becomes breakable and flakes off into the discontinuity blades and slow timer machinery, if not the shutter itself. Shellac was (is?) common for holding screws in identify, to go on them from vibrating loose. I see a like thing in computers, but I retrieve now information technology's more so they tin tell if y'all've voided your warranty by dismantling your laptop. It's easily dissolved past a solvent like 97% isopropryl booze or lighter fluid (naptha). The real play a joke on is getting to the blades in the outset place.

Here'due south how I went about it, you tin can tell me if you think this is worth the problem:

On my QL19s I went in through the front of the lens. See, there isn't plenty clearance through the back to go around with a spanner, you don't have a full circle to turn. Then instead I removed the retaining rings and (carefully!) all the drinking glass elements on the way to the shutter, which is how I institute out near the shellac (I'one thousand guessing, I'm pretty sure information technology's not glue, that would only be stupid). The last element earlier the shutter blades is held in place with shellac, which if you get this far, you will see is brittle and flaking. If you're not videotaping yourself at this point, make careful notes which elements become which way, etc.

The shutter blades will not open if the button is pushed until you have dissolved the residue that holds them together. The aperture blades, located correct behind the shutter blades, volition non open across total stop (1/sixteen) until they are freed up. Notation that even if the aperture blades are freed up, they do not open as the ring is turned but instead open to the setting yous've selected when the shutter is cocked. Await and meet, that makes sense, I swear.

Avant-garde Repairs

For anything more advanced not covered hither or on the camera pages yous'll probably desire to go the service manual, likely available at CraigCamera or manuals2go.com and perchance a general photographic camera repair text like Ed Romney's popular (if amateurishly published) Revised Bones Grooming in Camera Repair, which I have and recommend. Pricey ($40US) but pays for itself quickly if you've got the issues like me. Conduct in mind that these texts are written for service technicians, non laypeople.

You can also find much proficient info and advice on sites like Medium Format Home, and forums like the Classic Photographic camera Repair Forum.

Patience and attention to item are necessities. For me it's a nice calming practice every bit I am rather impatient and not so much detail-oriented. Also information technology helps to not take toddlers running around, that should go without saying. I exercise my piece of work late at dark with a bad movie on and a nice bright magnifying lamp.

Final Word

It's also well known that people usually ruin the first camera they endeavour to gear up. Practice on a camera you don't intendance too much about, like a $5 Argus. If it works when you're done, all the better, if non – no large loss! I've been lucky so far, simply then my Contaflex is still sitting in a tray in many pieces…

Comments? Questions? Kudos? Flames? Go alee and email me. I hope you find some of this useful.

Related Links

  • Micro-Tools
  • manuals2go.com
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