Canonet 28 rangefinder meter not moving in manual mode

I found one of these for $20 NZD in a secondhand shop last year and just getting round to using it.
Im not too familiar with its use, but i put a new battery in it after cleaning the corosion inside and the meter appears to be working, but in manual mode the meter does not move unless its in the automatic position.
Is this normal? How am i supposed to set the exposure? The meter only moves if the aperture is set to the automatic position, but whats the point if its automatic, will it automatically set the correct aperture size when I take a picture?
Doesnt really look like this camera has much in the way of adjustments so am assuming its largely automatic.
Either way I will put a roll through this camera and test it out.

I haven't used that particular camera, but it was common for similar cameras to not have a manual mode, let alone a metered manual mode. The manual settings are probably intended for use with a flash.

4season said:

I haven't used that particular camera, but it was common for similar cameras to not have a manual mode, let alone a metered manual mode. The manual settings are probably intended for use with a flash.

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OK, so is there much point of the light meter then? Just point and shoot in the auto position? I thought most cameras back then typically required more manual input?

The meter on the Canonet QL17 only works in auto mode so it seems likely the 28 works the same way.

I don't know what Canon's logic was on that. Seems to me you want the meter to be active in manual mode. Why turn it off?

BobD said:

The meter on the Canonet QL17 only works in auto mode so it seems likely the 28 works the same way.

I don't know what Canon's logic was on that. Seems to me you want the meter to be active in manual mode. Why turn it off?

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I thought the whole point was to have the meter working in manual mode so you turn the exposure dial to get the needle to sit in the middle, well thats how I assume it worked with cameras of this period? My pentax spotmatic works like this, I would have thought if anything that the meter would not work in auto mode and would only work in manual?

The trap needle metering system means that the meter can only function in auto mode.
However, the display in the viewfinder gives the photographer the ability to read the indication, and then switch off the meter and set the camera to the appropriate manual setting, based on judgment and what the meter viewfinder indicator suggested.
It is sort of a built in hand meter - more convenient than the meters on the top of the camera, that required one to move one's eye from the viewfinder to read the light.

MattKing said:

The trap needle metering system means that the meter can only function in auto mode.
However, the display in the viewfinder gives the photographer the ability to read the indication, and then switch off the meter and set the camera to the appropriate manual setting, based on judgment and what the meter viewfinder indicator suggested.
It is sort of a built in hand meter - more convenient than the meters on the top of the camera, that required one to move one's eye from the viewfinder to read the light.

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OK, so really you only need to adjust things unless the needle is way off the scale? Seems from what im reading that as long as its not pointing to over or under exposed aeras in the red, you will be OK?

Nzoomed said:

OK, so really you only need to adjust things unless the needle is way off the scale? Seems from what im reading that as long as its not pointing to over or under exposed aeras in the red, you will be OK?

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Sorry - I realize now that this model of the Canonet won't do what you need - control exposure manually, except when flash is involved.
I had it confused with the Canonet QL 17, which does operate the way I indicated.
The Canonet 28 uses programmed exposure, and there is no indication in the viewfinder what aperture is being set - just the shutter speed.
The only way to control the shutter speed is to insert a flash, which sets the speed to 1/30.

MattKing said:

Sorry - I realize now that this model of the Canonet won't do what you need - control exposure manually, except when flash is involved.
I had it confused with the Canonet QL 17, which does operate the way I indicated.
The Canonet 28 uses programmed exposure, and there is no indication in the viewfinder what aperture is being set - just the shutter speed.
The only way to control the shutter speed is to insert a flash, which sets the speed to 1/30.

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I see what you mean, your right, it looks like it is just shutter speed shown on the viewfinder.
So the whole thing is pretty much automatic, just point and shoot much like my Olympus XA3, and the pointer in this case just tells you how long the exposure needs to be so you know if you need a tripod, etc.