The Canon Canonet QL25

The Canon Canonet QL25 (1965) is often available cheaply because the lens is a bit slower than the more glamorous QL17, and QL19.

Type: 35mm Rangefinder Film Camera

Lens: Canon Lens SE 45mm f2.5 – 16. There are 5 glass elements in 4 groups.
 
Shutter speeds: 1/15, 1/30, 1/60. 1/125, 1/250. 1/500.
 
Viewfinder: Viewfinder combined with rangefinder. Bright frame with moving parallax correction lines. Rangefinder spot rectangle. The viewfinder of the Canonet QL25 is particularly large, bright and easy to use. Magnification ratio 0.7x. Aperture reading shown along top of viewfinder.
 
EE Mechanism: Shutter priority auto exposure. EE or Electronic Eye exposure meter.
 
Film Speeds: ASA 25 to 800 / Adjustment by lever underneath lens.
 
Battery: Originally 1 x Mallory RM-1R. Works with one cheap alkaline LR44W button cell. This is 1.55 volt but seems to provide correct exposure – at least with negative film.
 
Manual Control of Aperture: Yes. Both auto exposure and manual control.
 
Shutter: Copal Leaf Shutter. Speeds range from 1/15 to 1/500 of a second.

Self Timer: No

Flash Contact: Accessory shoe without direct contact. There is a conventional flash socket on the front of the camera. Electronic flash works at all shutter speeds.
 
Film Advance: Single stroke approx. 120 degrees. The Canonet QL25 features Canon’s excellent Quick Loading film system.
 
Film Counter: Resets automatically.
 
Size: 140 x 79 x 69mm (including lens).
 
Weight: 770g
Canon Canonet QL25 top plate.
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Allan Burgess

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  • I've shot a few fixed lens rangefinders. Himatics, canonets, Soviet models and a yashica electro 35 (rubbish in my opinion). My ql25 is my favourite (even kept it over a ql17 giii - though I think I had a bad copy).

    The quick load system is a breeze. The rangefinder patch is brilliant after a clean and rewind is super smooth.

    One huge upside is that the meter works in manual mode. Something the ql17 giii doesn't do. So you always have a meter.

    This is one camera I really love. More than some of its more popular counterparts.

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    • Hi Ricardo, I agree 100% with everything you have said about your Canon Canonet. Very well made too.

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Allan Burgess

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