Canonet CLA?

[zenrhino]

I know there are folks out there who do foamseal replacements on Canonet GL17's, but do y'all know of anyone who does full CLA's on them?

In particular I'd like to get the rangefinder cleaned up since it's not as bright as I'd like.

Thanks!

[MattCarey]

I found a site on the web that showed how to take the top off of the camera (not hard). The main problem is getting the rewind nob off. Once you see how it is done, it isn't difficult at all.

Then I cleaned the rangefinder parts with a q-tip and some alcohol.

Of course, I had 2 Canonets at the time, so I could risk one. It did work well enough that I was able to do the second.

I never worried about the light seals. Never had a light leak. Then the back started opening on its own. $6 on eBay and I had a seal kit. No more problems there either.

Matt

I would try to find something softer than the Q-tip, but it worked great.

[MattCarey]

Here is the website I mentioned:

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-30.html

Matt

[geraldatwork]

Cleaning the viewfinder is easy. If I can do it anyone can. I used the same diagram that Matt posted a link to. I thought my viewfinder was clear until I cleaned it and saw the difference. I also bought a kit on ebay to replace the foam seals. If you search there are also directions on replacing the seals. One of them used the foam from a mouse pad.

[gnashings]

I am so glad I remembered this thread!

I just took delivery of a Bell&Howell Canonet 19 - and I LOVE IT!!! I found a very useful link, as well, that no Canonet RF owner should be without:

http://homepage.mac.com/mattdenton/p...s/canonet.html

But my question is this:

The 19 is really simple in terms of access to the top - the rewind lever is on the bottom (and the more I use it, the more I think that is where it ought to be - seems awkward, but its just so intuitive - I was shocked!). I noticed that Matt mentioned the a q-tip and isopropyl. Easy enough, as I only have three little screw to take out, BUT - is there anything I should just NOT touch (either at all or with the alcohol)? Are any of the parts going to be affected by the alcohol (I understand the amounts have to be very judiscious)? Can I use compressed air in there, or is that too "forcefull"?

And finally - I want to clean now, but there is half a roll of film in the camera - does the top coming off affect the light-proofing of the body ( I would assume yes, but I htought I'd ask).

Thanks,

Peter.

[Biogon Bill]

You can get a CLA at www.cameraquest.com for $100.

[gnashings]

Yeah, uhm....

You can get a QL17 GIII at www.ebay.com for $25...

[Biogon Bill]

I'd question the $25 Canonets. They often have something wrong with them. A Canonet in good working order normally costs $50 - $75 on ebay and I've seen them go for over $100.

To me, this is money well spent. Remember that this camera sold for over $100 when new, or over $400 in today's money. It has probably never had a CLA. There's no point in buying the camera if it's not going to be put in good working order. Even with the additional investment, it's a very good buy. You can buy a 20-year-old old car for a cheap price, but you might easily have to invest the same amount you paid for it to get iit in good working order.

[Max Power]

I'd question the $25 Canonets. They often have something wrong with them. A Canonet in good working order normally costs $50 - $75 on ebay and I've seen them go for over $100.

To me, this is money well spent.

I'm with you on this one Bill...I have a $10 eBay special QL-17 GIII for parts...It's worth about $10. I bought a recently CLA's one (with receipt) and a Canolite D from a reputable dealer for $100.

Kent

[Biogon Bill]

If it's worth having, it's worth having it in proper working order. You can do it yourself, or you can pay someone else to do it, but time is money; you're paying for labor, knowlege, & experience. I've read posters report that they have gotten CLAs for a little less. $85 comes to mind, but I don;t know where. perhaps you can find a local independent service tech to do it. There's a company near me that services a wide range of cameras. When they made a very minor repair for me on my Nikon FM3A under warranty, they told me that their minimum charge is $95 & that the Nikon factory is higher. ToCad, which services a number of products, including Contax has a minimum charge of $150. within that contest $100 for the Canonet seems reasonable to me. All mechanical products need periodic service & the cost of service is completely unrelated to the age of the machine & what its retail value is - new or used.