Serial Number: Cam0172
Type:
Range Finder Camera
Manufacturer:
Canon Camera Company Incorporated
Country of Origin:
Japan
Production Period:
1960 - 1980
Approximate Price:
USD 150.000
Reference:
Camerapedia
Status: Display
Description:
The Canon Canonet was released in 1961 and is remembered as Canon s first entry into the intermediate-class camera market, and also the first of the highly successful Canonet series of 35mm automatic-exposure rangefinder cameras.
The top plate only houses the shutter-release, with a locking ring for time-exposures, the frame counter and an accessory shoe.
The clean lines of the top are achieved by putting the advance lever underneath, together with the rewind crank, rewind release and back catch. The advance lever had an end which hinged downwards, making it easy to operate using the left middle- or third-finger. These controls on the bottom necessitate corresponding holes in the every-ready case.
Rangefinder focusing is controlled by a lever attached to the focus ring, also at the bottom of the camera.
The selenium meter cell is arranged around the Canon SE 45mm f1.9 lens - thus automatically compensating for filters the aperture ring is scaled from f16 down to f1.9, followed by an auto setting (with a latch), for shutter priority automation. The Copal SV shutter has speeds from 1 500 down to 1sec, plus B. Film speed is set between 10-400 ASA by a lever in the shutter speed ring.
The viewfinder features a bright-line, and a scale showing the aperture. Early models had no aperture scale but used two arrows to indicate over or under exposure. These early models also had a limited 10-200ASA range (as did the first model with the aperture scale).
