Canonet QL17
Clean, elegant design, a fantastic lens and near silent operation




Although it has a strong Canonet-esque appearance the internal construction of the QL17 is totally different to the original making it a very different model. QL stands for Quick Loading, a simple modification that makes the easy process of loading 35mm even more fool proof.
The main design change from the original is a more traditional top-mounted, right hand lever wind and an equally sharp but faster f1.7 lens. The simple, clean lines and solid design of the camera give it a very sophisticated appearance second only to the original Canonet. It features shutter priority CdS-meter controlled auto exposure and fully manual override. There is a lever attached to the left side of the focus ring which makes it easy to handle and focus quickly, and the film advance stroke is very short and easy to operate.
Like the Canonet, the film advance and shutter operation are extremely quiet and can leave you wondering if the shutter actually fired. It is extremely robust and durable for everyday use and abuse.
Lens: | Canon SE 45mm f1.7 |
Elements/groups: | 6 elements in 5 groups |
AOV: | 52° |
Aperture: | f1.7-f16 |
Shutter: | Copal SV |
Shutter speeds: | B, 1 -1/500 |
Viewfinder: | Automatic parallax correction with projected frames and marked finder |
Focusing: | |
Focal range: | 2.6ft - ∞ |
Exposure modes: | Manual & Auto |
Exposure Meter: | CdS comb-controlled shutter speed-priority EE |
Battery: | 1.35V PX625 |
ASA: | 25 - 800 |
Filter mount: | 55mm threaded |
Winding method: | Single full stroke or multiple short strokes |
Winding distance: | |
Dimensions WxHxD: | 140 x 79 x 73 mm |
Weight: | 773g / 1.7lb |
Year: | 1965 |