Canon Canonet family model list

The Canonet was introduced in 1961 as a low-cost advanced camera for a broader customer base. An automatic, plastic body viewfinder with a selenium meter around the 1.9 lens. Zone focusing with pictographs. It was received with great enthusiasm, about a million units sold.

Its success had invited competition from fellow Japanese camera makers, such as the Minolta H-matic line, the Olympus 35 with alphabet soup in tow, and the Konica Auto S and EE Matic models, to name just a few.

In 1963 a second generation, the Canonet Junior, was even cheaper, smaller, and simpler. Similar Selenium meter, with 2,8 lens.

Two unrelated models, introduced in the same year, the Canonex and the Cine Canonet, were meant to ride on the earlier models’ success but were soon forgotten.

The Canonet S came in 1964 with a faster 1.7 lens and CdS meter. Price higher than the first model.

1965 saw a four models suite. Three models, the QL17, QL19, and the QL25 were essentially the same camera with different lenses. Automatic or manual bypass, with a quick load feature that accounts forth QL. The fourth model, the QL19E or QL19 Electromatic, had an electronically controlled shutter. Not many survived.

A step back came in 1968 with the Canonet 28. An updated version of the Canonet Junior.

The QL17-L was an upscale revision of the QL17 with a 40mm lens. A dedicated flash gun did away with lighting calculation, making the camera fully automatic day and night.

Another Canonet 28 came in 1971. This model is called the New Canonet 28, Canonet 28/2, or Canonet 28 1971. This is a scaled-down OL17.

The last two models, The G-III 17 and 19, a 1972 crop, were the best sellers of this line. The 17 alone sold 1.2 million over its ten-year production run. Most Canonets offered now for sale are the G-III 17. The III stands for the 3^rd generation, and the G for “Grade up”.

The upmarket models were made in black or chrome bodies, with the black fetching slightly more on the used market.

In the US, the first Canonet was sold by Bell and Howell as the Canonet 19, and the QL17 as the B&H Canonet 17.

Quick lookup

Details

Canonet 28 / 2
Canonet QL17
Canonet GL17 GIII

Canonet 28 / 2

User manual

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Canonet QL17

User manual

I am at a loss with the Canonet QL17 QL that is in front of me. Checking user manuals for this model returns different features. The PC port is either on the front or at the side. The battery check shows two variations. Perhaps there was a transitional period.

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Canonet QL17 GIII

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Mike Eckman
James Ollinger