« previous next »
Pages:  [1]     Go Down

Author Topic: I found this camera in my basement.  (Read 2680 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Lethal Squirrel

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 460
  • Location: Michigan
  • I <3 60%
I found this camera in my basement.
« on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 09:54:10 »
This thing looks freakin old but is heavy and solid, and very complicated. There are buttons and levers all over it and I'm afraid to touch any of them. It seems like it is still a nice camera. I think it still works too because there is still film in in and when I pushed the shutter release it clicked. anybody know anything about it? there seems to be plenty of camera buffs around here.

For all i know I might have scored me a nice or rare camera. I kinda doubt it though.



Logged

Offline Phaedrus2129

  • Posts: 1131
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 10:00:54 »
Vintage SLR I presume.
Logged
Daily Driver: Noppoo Choc Mini
Currently own: IBM Model M 1391401 1988,  XArmor U9 prototype
Previously owned: Ricercar SPOS, IBM M13 92G7461 1994, XArmor U9BL, XArmor U9W prototype, Cherry G80-8200LPDUS, Cherry G84-4100, Compaq MX-11800, Chicony KB-5181 (SMK Monterey), Reveal KB-7061, Cirque Wave Keyboard (ergonomic rubber domes), NMB RT101 (rubber dome), Dell AT101W

Offline Lethal Squirrel

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 460
  • Location: Michigan
  • I <3 60%
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 10:06:14 »
I just looked it up on google shopping. they still go for $100-$200. I think I might sell this on ebay :)
Logged

Offline theferenc

  • Posts: 1327
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 10:16:45 »
Kids these days. SLRs and range finders were not complicated objects, though I do enjoy your description of "buttons and levers all over it". That appears to be a Canon Canonet Range Finder camera. Not actually an SLR, but more in common with a standard point and shoot. Also, from the 1970s.

Assuming the battery still has any charge, it might actually be worth finishing the roll of film and having it developed. You may want to bring the whole camera to the developing shop though, if you've never removed film from a full manual camera.

The battery is not necessary for actually taking a picture, as that is a mechanical action, but if you had the battery, you'd see a light meter and a range finder overlaid on the view finder.
Logged
HHKB Pro 2 -- Custom UNIX layout Unicomp Customizer 101 -- IBM Model M 1391401 (modded to UNIX layout) -- IBM 1397000 (also UNIX layout) -- SSK in UNIX layout -- Model F 122 key in UNIX layout (Soarer USB "native")
 
CST L-TracX trackball -- Kensington Expert Mouse trackball

Offline instantkamera

  • Posts: 617
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 11:02:16 »
Quote from: theferenc;291750
Kids these days. SLRs and range finders were not complicated objects, though I do enjoy your description of "buttons and levers all over it". That appears to be a Canon Canonet Range Finder camera. Not actually an SLR, but more in common with a standard point and shoot. Also, from the 1970s.

Assuming the battery still has any charge, it might actually be worth finishing the roll of film and having it developed. You may want to bring the whole camera to the developing shop though, if you've never removed film from a full manual camera.

The battery is not necessary for actually taking a picture, as that is a mechanical action, but if you had the battery, you'd see a light meter and a range finder overlaid on the view finder.


What he said.

Also, here's the manual:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/manuals/instruction/Canon_Canonet_QL17.zip

U/P : free/manuals123
Logged
Realforce 86UB - Razer Blackwidow - Dell AT101W - IBM model MCST  LtracX - Kensington Orbit - Logitech Trackman wheel opticalAMD PhenomII x6 - 16GB RAM - SSD - RAIDDell U2211H - Spyder3 - Eye One Display 2

Offline Lethal Squirrel

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 460
  • Location: Michigan
  • I <3 60%
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 11:12:29 »
xD If anything it will be grandparent porn. I live with my grandparents.
Logged

Offline instantkamera

  • Posts: 617
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 11:20:12 »
mature amateur FTW
Logged
Realforce 86UB - Razer Blackwidow - Dell AT101W - IBM model MCST  LtracX - Kensington Orbit - Logitech Trackman wheel opticalAMD PhenomII x6 - 16GB RAM - SSD - RAIDDell U2211H - Spyder3 - Eye One Display 2

Offline quadibloc

  • Posts: 770
  • Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Layout Fanatic
    • John Savard's Home Page
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 12:18:14 »
Quote from: Phaedrus2129;291745
Vintage SLR I presume.
Definitely not an SLR. Where's the pentaprism?

It's a 35mm camera, all right, and the little window directly over the lens implies that it does have a rangefinder.

Now, some reflex cameras don't have pentaprisms, the ones that you have to bend over and look down on when shooting. Usually, twin-lens reflex cameras are that way, but this is also true of the Hasselblad SLR.
Logged

Offline keyboardlover

  • Posts: 4022
  • Hey Paul Walker, Click It or Ticket!
    • http://www.keyboardlover.com
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 12:20:08 »
Quote from: instantkamera;291791
mature amateur FTW

Gives "buckling springs" a whole new meaning.
Logged

Offline instantkamera

  • Posts: 617
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 12:22:43 »
Quote from: instantkamera;291778
What he said.

Also, here's the manual:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/manuals/instruction/Canon_Canonet_QL17.zip

U/P : free/manuals123




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonet
Logged
Realforce 86UB - Razer Blackwidow - Dell AT101W - IBM model MCST  LtracX - Kensington Orbit - Logitech Trackman wheel opticalAMD PhenomII x6 - 16GB RAM - SSD - RAIDDell U2211H - Spyder3 - Eye One Display 2

Offline mike

  • Posts: 82
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 14:01:30 »
Quote from: theferenc;291750
but more in common with a standard point and shoot. Also, from the 1970s.


I'd hesitate to say any rangefinder camera resembles a standard point and shoot for fear of being lynched by a mob of outraged Leicaphiles. Rangefinders occupied the middle ground between point and shoot (with fixed focus lenses) and large format cameras focused on ground glass from the 19th century through to around the 1950s when SLRs began to take over.

If you want to resurrect this camera, it may be worth getting it serviced by someone who specialises in rangefinder cameras. The rangefinder can get misaligned causing missed focus.
Logged
Keyboards: Unicomp UB40T56 with JP3 removed, Unicomp UB4044A, Filco Tenkeyless Brown (with pink highlights), Access AKE1223231, IBM DisplayWriter, Das Keyboard III, and a few others.

Offline Pylon

  • Posts: 852
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 14:10:40 »
My friend had a broken one of those (Canonet QL17) that he gave to me (which I later took apart to use the lens as a loupe). They're sturdy, and a lot of people find rangefinders fun to shoot with.
Logged

Offline nathanscribe

  • Posts: 171
I found this camera in my basement.
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 08 February 2011, 15:53:05 »
I used to use one of these regularly - they're very easy to get to grips with.  Focus with a rangefinder involves matching two superimposed images - whatever's matched is sharp. The lenses on these particular Canons are not the best, but you can make good enough small prints from them.  One thing to look out for is the battery - check it hasn't leaked if there's still one in, and make sure you get a suitable replacement - not all identically-sized batteries will work.

I sold mine for £10 a few years ago.  Oh well.
Logged
Conquering the world with BASIC since 1982
Pages:  [1]     Go Up
« previous next »