Black Pellix ?

<p>On an auction site is a (damaged) black Pellix. (auction # 230986095185) Is this home-painted or did Canon really make a black model?</p>

<p>According to Eric Skopec's Collectors Guide black Pellix's were made. Looking at the one for sale, it seems genuine to me because you can see brass where the paint has come off. Repaints will show silver.<br>

I learned this from this forum when I bought a black Canon FP and showed it here. The Canon guru's at photo.net pointed out nicely that this was repainted, they were right :-(</p>

Canon made black Pellix bodies, absolutely.

In fact, Canon was among the more prolific makers of black bodies across wll levels

of their line.

 

That is a pretty camera in black. If it didnt have so much brassing, I would buy

another in better condition and swap the guts.

<p>Nice ones don't show up very often, and Black Pellixs are much less common than black FTs. And, of course, you have to be concerned about the mirror condition, or else you'll end buying another Pellix just for the mirror.</p>

<p>Black Pellixes come up very infrequently. The last one I saw, which was well over a year ago, was in better external condition but also had a damaged mirror. It went for more than US$350. There are few if any other non-F1 FD/FL bodies that will fetch over US$100, let alone in this beat-up condition. Ironic, in a way, as the Pellix is way less pleasurable to use than an FT, say. YMMV, naturally.</p>

Pellix is an oddball camera alright, and thus quirky fun! Mine's chrome, with VG+ mirror and functional meter,

paired with the FL 38/2.8 "pancake" it's a really nice carry-along outdoor shooter.

<p>I think I bought that one last year, Jim. I got a partial refund for the mirror and bought a jammed chrome one for the mirror, but I haven't replaced it yet, because i got deployed again. That was a nice black one. The one last week was too brassed up for me.</p>

<p>I have a black Pellix. I bought it on eBay years back. It looks like it's been around the block a few times and has a fair amount of brassing and a few dings. Looks cool though, and the brassing just adds to the camera's character.</p>

<p>Mike's right though, when buying a Pellix, always look at the mirror first. If it's bad (vey common) all you have is something to put on your mantle. If the mirror is good, then you'll have a good picture-taker.</p>

<p>I saw one with a rare 40mm lens at Lemon Camera in Tokyo. It appeared mint. They wanted ¥85,000. I was very sorely tempted.</p>

<p>To my knowledge, backed up by docs from a former senior rep at Canon, Canon never made an SLR 40mm lens, so who's lens was on it.</p>

<p>Thanks folks. I too have a chrome one with a good mirror. Very nice camera. Another question please : Does anyone know a source for pellicle mirrors ? Some time ago a group of them was on sale on the bay but I failed to bid on them. Too bad.</p>

<p>The only source I know for a replacement Pellix mirror is another Pellix!<br>

I had to buy a couple basket cases just to get good mirrors for otherwise nice bodies.</p>

<p>Believe it or not, the all-glass pellicle mirror from an EOS-1N RS will fit a Pellix. I bought one, on whim on eBay a few years back, and was amazed that the dimensions are the same. It fits into the Pellix like it was made for it. The mirror attachment mechanism is different, but after a little jury-rigging on my part, I now have a Pellix with an all-glass pellicle mirror.</p>

 

<p>A colleague of mine had a genuine Canon black Pellix in the 1960s, at which time I had a chrome one. The black one looked very smart, but even the manufacturers at that time could not produce a finish that had much resistance to "brassing" in heavy use, perhaps rather less resistance than the satin chrome of the day.</p>

<p>The "40mm" lewns mentioned sounds like the FL-P 38/2.8, a Pellix-only short back focus design that has a claim to be Canon's first "pancake" lens.</p>

<p>Brassing is not just a 1960's thing, it happens today too. New Leica M7s' or MP's, which are made the old-fashioned way (meaning black paint on brass) will brass after a few years too. </p>

<p>Personally, I like brassing. It can give a camera body a lot of character.</p>

<p>Jim, agreed. A very small amount of brassing on the high points / sharp edges is fine with me, but a used and abused example is not to my liking. Nice examples are getting harder to find. I'd like a black FT with serial # on top, but cannot seem to find one, and a black Pellix non-QL (need to not hold my breath waiting got one of those to show)</p>

<p>And of course, there's Elliot Erwitt's Leica.</p>

<p><img src="http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/354884-2/leica.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="499" /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>I'd like … a black Pellix non-QL</p>

</blockquote>

<p>One just <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-version-Canon-Pellix-Black-boxed-lens-hood-very-scarce-/161044512042?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=Z9qtEh3af%252FFL32tSGtod4LHZ9jk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc">been and gone</a>.</p>

<p>It was on ebay UK - so I missed it. -Damn!!!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>It was on ebay UK</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually it was listed in Australia. You need to cast your net a little wider, perhaps. There is a world beyond US shores after all ... ;-)</p>

<p>Well, I seem to recall that Mike has been stationed in Afghanistan for a while. And aren't Australia and the US perceived by the Brits as colonies of the UK?</p>

<blockquote>

<p>aren't Australia and the US perceived by the Brits as colonies of the UK?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Hahaha. </p>

<p>No. </p>

<p>And the perception in question is a US one. Anyway, all very off-topic. <br>

Reverting to the OPQ, what the Brits <em>would</em> say about black Pellixes is that they are like London buses: you wait for one for ages and then three come along at once. Remarkable that that is just what has happened in the last few weeks, there not having been one on the auction site for over a year (if my reminders have been working properly).</p>

<p>Actually I doubt the Pellix shown in the eBay ad is real. The box may be real, but the camera looks like it was a re-paint. The lack of brassing suggests somebody put black paint on chrome, which is something Canon never did. Plus the film advance is chrome which is contrary to the usual Canon practice of the day. Mind you I'm comparing this camera to my black Pellix QL. There are enough differences to raise a few flags, at least to me.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>the film advance is chrome which is contrary to the usual Canon practice of the day.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Um ...</p>

<center><img src="http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/images/Canon-Pellix-black.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="300" /></center>

<blockquote>

<p>Mind you I'm comparing this camera to my black Pellix QL.</p>

</blockquote>

<center><a title="Black Pellix on Wikipedia" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Canon_pellix.jpg/1280px-Canon_pellix.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Canon_pellix.jpg/1280px-Canon_pellix.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" /></a></center>

<p>From a quick Google, I think your surmise must be right.</p>