Canonet QL 25

<p>Hi.<br /><br />I just purchased a Canonet QL 25 from ebay. It came yesterday. What a beauty but...I tested it and the shutter does not work at all. Can you give me advise on this? I have the owner's manual and followed the instructions. Please help.<br /><br /></p>

<p>Hmmm....Sounds rather like the dreaded "Canonet Stuck Shutter" syndrome, which afflicts several in my possession. Google "Canonet stuck shutter" and you'll find all the information you don't want to know....</p>

<p>Thank you, Rick.</p>

<p>I have a Canonet QL19 which I bought in 2006. It was cosmetically perfect but also suffered from the stuck shutter. I had it repaired in 2006 at a cost of $100; a complete CLA. In 2010, it stopped working again, most likely a relapse of the sticky shutter syndrome. I am not sure I want to spend another $100 to fix it. The Canonets of this era are great cameras provided they are working. The lens is fabulous; the 45mm f1.9 is sharp and contrasty. But these older Canonets suffer from mechanical woes. By contrast, I also own a Canonet 28 which I purchased new as N.O.S in 1985. It has been CLA'd twice purely for maintenance purposes, not for repair. It has proven to be the most reliable camera I have ever owned. The 40mm f2.8 is supremely sharp as well. So much so that I think it is better than the Canon 40mm f1.7</p>

A search of the archives on the Classic Camera Repair Forum - http://www.kyphoto.com/cgi-bin/forum/discus.cgi - may turn up some info.

<p>Luis and Charles,</p>

<p>Thank you much for your advise.</p>

<p>It's cheaper to replace than repair. The Canonet model you want is the GIII QL17. That was the final version, with a very sharp f/1.7 lens. I've used two and loved them. My current one has semi-stripped gears tha make film advance undependable. Tempted to pick up another one. These camera sometimes go for $100 or more. Got lucky and paid around $40 for mine, which I thinnk is much closer to the actual value.</p>

<p>I would agree that the GIII QL17 is the preferable model. The price is just under $200 on the auction site. KEH carries them sporadically.</p>

<p>A number of Photo.net members have fixed stuck shutters/and or aperture blades by partially disassembling the lens and applying Ronsenol lighter fluid to the stuck blades. I got an Konica Auto S and a Minolta Hi-Matic 7S to work again by this method.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone. I ended up returning the camera and am expecting a refund from Ebay. I will stick to using my SLR and taking the filter on and off for my infrared work.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone. I ended up returning the camera and am expecting a refund from Ebay. I will stick to using my SLR and taking the filter on and off for my infrared work.</p>