C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-35mm
The Canonet QL17 GIII is the third generation of Canon's Canonet line — a fixed-lens 35mm rangefinder with a fast 40mm f/1.7 lens, a coupled rangefinder, leaf shutter (sync at all speeds), and CdS-cell shutter-priority autoexposure. **QL** = Quick Load (a film-loading system that catches the leader on closing the back); **GIII** = third generation. Among the smallest fast-lens fixed-lens rangefinders ever made.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
"Poor man's Leica." A 40mm f/1.7 fixed-lens rangefinder for a hundred dollars in 1972, three hundred today.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Lens | Canon 40mm f/1.7, 6 elements / 4 groups |
| Years | 1972–1982 |
| Shutter | 1/4s – 1/500s, Copal leaf |
| Flash sync | All speeds |
| Meter | CdS, shutter-priority coupled |
| Modes | Shutter priority, manual |
| Weight | 620 g |
| Battery | 1× PX625 mercury (meter only) |
The Canonet line started in 1961 — Canon's mass-market budget rangefinder. The QL series introduced quick-load in 1965; the QL17 (with the f/1.7 lens) followed in 1969. The GIII revision arrived 1972 with cosmetic refinement and minor mechanical improvements. Production ran 10 years; the line ended 1982 as autofocus compacts displaced the rangefinder format. Total Canonet production across all generations ran into the millions.
For 1970s amateurs who wanted a Leica-feel-and-look without the price, the Canonet QL17 GIII was the answer. The lens is genuinely sharp wide-open — comparable to a Leica Summicron 35/2 stopped down a stop. The shutter-priority AE was rare on rangefinders of the period. The QL leaf shutter is silent enough for street photography.
In 2026, the QL17 GIII remains the most-recommended budget fixed-lens rangefinder. Casual Photophile and 35mmc both feature it as a starter rangefinder. Used prices have risen with the film revival but remain reasonable.
Lens fixed. Canolite D dedicated flash; standard hot-shoe flashes work too. Original leather case.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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