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Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch
Post Number: 177
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 10:10 pm: | 
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I stumbled across a minty QL17 today at a local thrift store, and just couldn't let it sit there with a $12.50 price tag on it. Got it home and inserted a 1.4v zinc-air battery in it, keeping the fingers crossed that the meter would respond, but nope. The "Check" LED does not light up either when the little red button is depressed. So I came here and did a search on the subject and got a few hits, but every situation was different from mine.
When looking through the viewfinder, the needle is stuck all the way up at the top, just above "17". It doesn't move, regardless of where I set either the aperture or shutter speed dial. The only way I can get the needle to respond at all is when I set the camera to "A". The shutter won't fire, but when I depress the button the needle jumps slightly. I'm assuming that this is just the meter's "trap" function.
The battery contacts looked clean, but I reached in there with a small flat-bladed screwdriver and lightly scraped away at them anyway. No difference.
I downloaded the repair info here and I guess the next step is to open her up, perform a close inspection and start taking some readings with my multimeter.
If you've got any suggestions as to where would be the best place to concentrate on, I'd appreciate your input. The camera sure is clean; it would be nice to get it working right.
BTW, I also have a functioning QL17 GIII so I have a reference camera to work from if you think that might help. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 130
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 05:25 am: |
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Check the wiring from the battery. Often, the contacts can be clean, but the wires are corroded. In some cases he wires are corroded inside of their insulation and need to be replaced. This is not a complicated job, but you will have to remove the leatherette from the camera and that is a real pig of a job! It will come off in small pieces and will need to be replaced with something else. I have done it once, and hope I never have to do it again. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 188
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 10:23 am: |
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With the QL17, you can always just shoot it in manual, using either the Sunny-16 method of exposure calculation, or a hand-held meter (better yet, one of the few shoe mount CdS meters that were made). Besides, the meter turns off when it is in manual mode. That's how you shut it down when not using the camera. And it does sound like a bad connection to the battery. Take the top off first to see if there is juice getting to the meter.
PF |
Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch
Post Number: 180
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 23, 2011 - 09:26 am: |
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Thanks guys, I'll give your suggestions a try and report back. It might be a while before I can get to this project.
Yep, the QL17 makes for a great little non-metered rangefinder camera. I often use an external meter with the one I already own, mostly just because I trust that Gossen Luna Pro F more than I do the QL17's old meter. However, I have found it to be reasonably accurate with print film. |
Mr_flibble
Tinkerer
Username: Mr_flibble
Post Number: 55
Registered: 10-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - 01:48 am: |
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I was given a QL17 GIII just after Christmas. It has a similar problem to Cooltouch's camera where the meter only moves slightly when in Automatic-mode. The battery check lamp does light up though.
So I expect there to be a break in the CdS circuit somewhere, or the sensor itself might be broken.
So far I've managed to get the shutter and aperture working properly again in Manual mode, but I still need to install new light seals before I'll run some film through it. |
Bobd
Tinkerer
Username: Bobd
Post Number: 4
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2012 - 01:49 pm: |
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The meter only works when the camera is set to "A" |
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