Canon cononet QL 17 GIII

Sunset on the Wilmington

D
Sunset on the Wilmington

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Rio_Bidasoa

H
Rio_Bidasoa

  • 1
  • 0
  • 101
IMG_0675.jpeg

H
IMG_0675.jpeg

  • 3
  • 4
  • 809
Six Arches Bridge

A
Six Arches Bridge

  • 10
  • 3
  • 1K

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
199,586
Messages
2,793,714
Members
99,959
Latest member
NukemJim
Recent bookmarks
0

Sweetlou42

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
89
Location
California
Format
35mm RF
just purchased really nice version, buy no battery. Really confused as to which battery to use now, and will the replacement work with the light meter? Thank you
 

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
6,902
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm
The original battery is no longer available as it is mercury. It's the PX625. You can buy the Zinc Air battery MRB625 which has the same voltage but doesn't last long. I use the PX625a alkaline battery which has 1.5V instead of the correct 1.35V but the meter works fine. It's less than 1/2 stop off.
 
OP
OP

Sweetlou42

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
89
Location
California
Format
35mm RF
The original battery is no longer available as it is mercury. It's the PX625. You can buy the Zinc Air battery MRB625 which has the same voltage but doesn't last long. I use the PX625a alkaline battery which has 1.5V instead of the correct 1.35V but the meter works fine. It's less than 1/2 stop off.
Amazon?
 

Bill Burk

Subscriber
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Messages
9,362
Format
4x5 Format
If you're shooting a negative film, you probably can get by with an alkaline battery and just accept the exposure will be a little off. I never worried about it. You can always use the camera in manual - that's one of the attractions of the Canonet QL17 GIII. Here's hoping you got a good one. You should plan on replacing light seals, they may be gummy. But it's a great camera. Very easy to take good pictures with it.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,493
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
There are a bunch of solutions for the 625 battery challenge, and once you choose one, they are quite easy to work with.
Basically they consist of:
1) using an alkaline cel and not worrying to much about accuracy;
2) having the camera modified to take batteries that are currently available and provide different but consistent voltage;
3) buying an adapter that converts the size and voltage of currently available silver oxide based batteries;
4) buying an adapter that converts the size of readily available and inexpensive hearing aid batteries; and
5) using the Wein cels that are the right size.

I have in the past or now use both the 3rd and the 4th options. I have in the past had cameras (like an Olympus OM-1) that I might have considered having modified if I was also having the camera serviced as part of scheduled maintenance.

My advice would be to pursue option 4 first, because it is effective and inexpensive. Once you have used the camera for a while, you can consider option 2 or 3 if you think that the advantages of doing so (longer battery life) make sense given your use of the camera.
 
OP
OP

Sweetlou42

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
89
Location
California
Format
35mm RF
If you're shooting a negative film, you probably can get by with an alkaline battery and just accept the exposure will be a little off. I never worried about it. You can always use the camera in manual - that's one of the attractions of the Canonet QL17 GIII. Here's hoping you got a good one. You should plan on replacing light seals, they may be gummy. But it's a great camera. Very easy to take good pictures with it.

Where would I find an adapter for hearing aides , option 4
I really don’t care how often I replace battery
 
OP
OP

Sweetlou42

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
89
Location
California
Format
35mm RF
If you're shooting a negative film, you probably can get by with an alkaline battery and just accept the exposure will be a little off. I never worried about it. You can always use the camera in manual - that's one of the attractions of the Canonet QL17 GIII. Here's hoping you got a good one. You should plan on replacing light seals, they may be gummy. But it's a great camera. Very easy to take good pictures with it.

I ordered one from amazon $4.oo, we’ll see what happens with this route, thx
 

donkee

Member
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
219
Location
Mid Michigan
Format
Multi Format
I ordered a few aluminum adapters from ebay about 5 years ago. They were cheap and work great. Both my QL17s have them. I picked up enough for each camera that needed them plus the 4 brass ones I that I don't remember where they came from. I buy 675 hearing aid batteries from Walgreens drug store. they usually have a buy one get one half off special for a total of like 48 batteries for about $25 or so. Been a little while since I bought them.

Here is what I came up with doing a quick search, they are brass but if you do some more digging you can probably find other options.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MR-9-Batte...119974?hash=item36217db326:g:520AAOSw9fRZvNyX
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,493
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Where would I find an adapter for hearing aides , option 4
I really don’t care how often I replace battery
In the past I've bought mine from jon goodman, who is more famous for his excellent light seal replacement kits.
My last contact email for him was jon_goodman@yahoo.com
And my earlier contact email for him was JGood21967@aol.com
 

mgb74

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2005
Messages
4,777
Location
MN and MA US
Format
Multi Format
A #9 o-ring will allow you to use a zinc air battery in many cameras, but not the Canon as it doesn't allow electrical contact on the edge. Some old info here: http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/jon.pdf
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,493
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
OP
OP

Sweetlou42

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
89
Location
California
Format
35mm RF
I ordered a few aluminum adapters from ebay about 5 years ago. They were cheap and work great. Both my QL17s have them. I picked up enough for each camera that needed them plus the 4 brass ones I that I don't remember where they came from. I buy 675 hearing aid batteries from Walgreens drug store. they usually have a buy one get one half off special for a total of like 48 batteries for about $25 or so. Been a little while since I bought them.

Here is what I came up with doing a quick search, they are brass but if you do some more digging you can probably find other options.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MR-9-Batte...119974?hash=item36217db326:g:520AAOSw9fRZvNyX
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8DC9D6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I ordered these batteries from amazon, do I still need the brass adapters as well?
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,493
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8DC9D6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I ordered these batteries from amazon, do I still need the brass adapters as well?
Those are alkaline batteries. They are the right size, but their voltage is both wrong and not consistent enough to give you correct meter readings through much of their life. They correspond to choice #1 in my earlier post.
The brass (or other material) adapters allow you to use a zinc air battery that gives the right and consistent voltage but would otherwise be the wrong physical size.
Don't throw away the alkaline batteries, some handy people use them to make the adapters that allow you to use the zinc air batteries.
 
OP
OP

Sweetlou42

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
89
Location
California
Format
35mm RF
Those are alkaline batteries. They are the right size, but their voltage is both wrong and not consistent enough to give you correct meter readings through much of their life. They correspond to choice #1 in my earlier post.
The brass (or other material) adapters allow you to use a zinc air battery that gives the right and consistent voltage but would otherwise be the wrong physical size.
Don't throw away the alkaline batteries, some handy people use them to make the adapters that allow you to use the zinc air batteries.
Another bad purchase, damn it! But I do think I found them, the brass adapter you showed and a zinc air Duracell battery 675

Thanks
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,493
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Another bad purchase, damn it! But I do think I found them, the brass adapter you showed and a zinc air Duracell battery 675

Thanks
Buy the 675 batteries from places that sell hearing aid batteries. As an example, the Costco ones around here come in large quantities, for very little money.
 

Chan Tran

Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
6,902
Location
Sachse, TX
Format
35mm
There are a bunch of solutions for the 625 battery challenge, and once you choose one, they are quite easy to work with.
Basically they consist of:
1) using an alkaline cel and not worrying to much about accuracy;
2) having the camera modified to take batteries that are currently available and provide different but consistent voltage;
3) buying an adapter that converts the size and voltage of currently available silver oxide based batteries;
4) buying an adapter that converts the size of readily available and inexpensive hearing aid batteries; and
5) using the Wein cels that are the right size.

I have in the past or now use both the 3rd and the 4th options. I have in the past had cameras (like an Olympus OM-1) that I might have considered having modified if I was also having the camera serviced as part of scheduled maintenance.

My advice would be to pursue option 4 first, because it is effective and inexpensive. Once you have used the camera for a while, you can consider option 2 or 3 if you think that the advantages of doing so (longer battery life) make sense given your use of the camera.

I usually use choice 0 which means I use it without meter or battery. Otherwise I use choice 1 and and test the meter and see how it works. I never care for other choices.
 

mgb74

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2005
Messages
4,777
Location
MN and MA US
Format
Multi Format
Another bad purchase, damn it! But I do think I found them, the brass adapter you showed and a zinc air Duracell battery 675

Thanks

Not completely. That battery will allow you to confirm that the meter is working. Initially, it will give you readings that are probably close enough for b/w negative work. After a bit of use, the voltage will drop to the level where it's spot on (but you won't know when that is). Then it gets to the point where the voltage is too to be accurate. My suggestion is to go ahead and use it for a while (maybe 20 rolls?).

That will give you time to order the adapters from Jon Goodman or from ebay (cheap if they come directly from China). Zinc Air require air to activate, so make sure any adapter you get has a hole in the bottom for air to reach the zinc air cell.

Also, you may want to try the adapter with a silver oxide (1.5v) battery. You may find that you can compensate by changing the ISO setting. But the Canon ISO settings may not be precise enough to do this. I think higher voltage gives lower exposure, so you would have to "fool" the meter by setting an ISO value lower than your film's ISO value.
 

abruzzi

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Messages
3,097
Location
New Mexico, USA
Format
Large Format
adjust the QL17 meter for a different battery voltage is pretty easy. That said, you don't want to use alkaline batteries because their voltage changes as they discharge. Put a silver or lithium battery in there, adjust the pot under the top piece *, and you're good to go. It may not be perfect, but even with the correct battery, I doubt they are that accurate.

• To adjust the meter remove the top piece, and there should be a pot right behind the piece that wiggles to show you the film is advancing. Put the new battery in, and adjust the pot while comparing to a known good camera.
 

donkee

Member
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
219
Location
Mid Michigan
Format
Multi Format
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8DC9D6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I ordered these batteries from amazon, do I still need the brass adapters as well?

This photo shows 3 of the adapters but for the Canonet GIII you will only need one. Just wanted to show the aluminum and brass as well as the vent hole in the back of the aluminum one. The 675 zinc air batteries can be bought in value packs. the card I have in the photo was from a 24 pack if I remember correctly.
 

Attachments

  • P6070123.jpg
    P6070123.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 125
Last edited:
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom