Berndt
Lifetime Member
Posts: 751
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Post by Berndt on Jan 31, 2013 8:55:24 GMT -5
Unlikely that it exists, but does somebody has a good link to a repair manual of a Canonet ( the original very first one with selenium meter ).
I have a few of those cameras, but none of them is perfectly working anymore. It's strange anyway somehow. It is not really a rare camera here in Japan. You can find many of them in 2nd stores or on auctions for almost no money ... but ... I have actually never seen a perfectly working one. Always something is broken. I already made one out of three, but it was "just" a rangefinder problem. Then the shutter jammed and I put it away for a while.
Recently, I found another one in a junk box. The rangefinder and selenium meter is very well working and adjusted on it, but there is also something wrong with the shutter. First, the advance lever jammed and then, ( actually without doing anything special ) it worked BUT the shutter becomes released already when the film advance lever snaps back. I need to disassemble it. No big risk, I might practice on one of my junk ones first, but I have no idea, how to get this thing open ... I mean reaching the shutter mechanics and stuff.
It's a very common camera. So I thought, somebody might be able to help. No urgent, but somehow, I want to get one fully working unit again. It's actually a great camera by design, I think ... just not as robust as other models, I think. Otherwise, more working units could be find.
Cheers from Tokyo,
Berndt
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Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Jan 31, 2013 9:16:15 GMT -5
I think that you have summed up the early Canonets, they were not reliable.....Canon had reduced standards from the early rangefinder days of the 1950's to contain costs, and it took a while to get things to a consistent quality. The lenses were OK, but meters were bad, and shutters sensitive to heat, damp, and dirt. Not sure about repair links, the usual net terms Google search may bring up a reference.
Stephen.
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Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Jan 31, 2013 9:25:19 GMT -5
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Doug T.
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Pettin' The Gator
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Post by Doug T. on Jan 31, 2013 11:22:18 GMT -5
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Post by John Farrell on Jan 31, 2013 15:03:10 GMT -5
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lloydy
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Posts: 506
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Post by lloydy on Feb 7, 2013 14:41:16 GMT -5
Dead links can sometimes be found using 'Wayback Machine'. If you have the original URL paste it into the search box and see what turns up. archive.org/web/web.phpI've found it very effective, but not infallible.
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Berndt
Lifetime Member
Posts: 751
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Post by Berndt on Feb 8, 2013 1:14:51 GMT -5
Thanks so much for the many replies so far. I need to check everything in detail when being back home again. I am on a movie shooting at the moment. All cameras at home.
Berndt
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jack
Senior Member
Posts: 76
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Post by jack on Mar 18, 2013 11:05:28 GMT -5
I have one of these early Canonets on the way. Advertised as well cared for... beautiful condition... shutter working... glass is clean... no mention of meter working. Didn't pay a lot for it, so I hope it's a nice user rather then a (dust) collector camera.
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Post by yashica1943 on Apr 26, 2014 3:46:26 GMT -5
I have just bought a Canonet - the early one with the film wind lever on the bottom plate. Not to use, just because 'I always wanted one'. Quite nice cosmetically and some things on it appear to work! Nice Clean ERC. There is one small chrome plated screw missing from the camera, from the side of the top plate, the side away from the viewfinder. I just wondered if anyone has a spare or if there is a place where I could buy one? Seems to be about 2mm? thread.
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daveh
Lifetime Member
Posts: 4,696
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Post by daveh on Apr 26, 2014 9:03:07 GMT -5
Have you thought of buying another just to get the screw you need? Unfortunately most of those that I have are neatly attached to a camera, so not exactly spare. Those that aren't will be in a little box somewhere, but my filing system of useful things isn't exactly neat.
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Post by yashica1943 on Jun 18, 2014 3:12:17 GMT -5
I found an old Fujica Film SLR at a car boot sale, dirty, the entire central front plate was missing, no lens, no lens mount, mirror mechanism exposed, but it did have a number of plated screws on it that looked about right for the Canonet. I asked how much for the broken camera. "It's not broken, it just needs a lens!" said the stallholder.
"How much.?" '£5' - so I offered him 50p, which I thought was a good offer in the circumstances. He just walked away.
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Post by philbirch on Jun 18, 2014 16:40:23 GMT -5
I found an old Fujica Film SLR at a car boot sale, dirty, the entire central front plate was missing, no lens, no lens mount, mirror mechanism exposed, but it did have a number of plated screws on it that looked about right for the Canonet. I asked how much for the broken camera. "It's not broken, it just needs a lens!" said the stallholder. "How much.?" '£5' - so I offered him 50p, which I thought was a good offer in the circumstances. He just walked away. I've met them too. One was selling a rare KGB version of the Zenit E. A black one. I passed on that. He pointed out that his thumb had gone through the cloth bit inside but it shouldnt affect the operation. I double passed on it.
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mickeyobe
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Resident President
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Post by mickeyobe on Jun 18, 2014 21:06:56 GMT -5
Although I was a true believer who used a Canon T90 for 20 years and who still considers it one of the best 35 mm cameras ever I have nothing but scorn for the Canonets.
To find one in good working condition is quite rare. I have three that I managed to restore by sacrificing two of their less robust brethren.
They ain't getting no respect from me.
Mickey
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Post by philbirch on Jun 19, 2014 4:51:38 GMT -5
Japanese cameras had a bit of a bad reputation in the old days. This model would seem to reinforce this.
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Post by John Farrell on Jun 19, 2014 14:56:59 GMT -5
When I embarked on the hobby of camera repair, one of the first cameras I bought was a Canonet. Then, to my wife's horror, I bought a heap of ice cream containers, each of which held a dismantled Canonet. Trying to reassemble these was very good practise.
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