Paulo J Moreira
Canon Canonet 17
I didn’t know that I had this one in my collection until my good friend Christos posted a picture of his Canonet 17, 2nd generation. I have quite a few Canonets from this generation and wrongly assumed that they were all the 19 models. They are so discrete or blandly designed that even I fail to see the differences between them. From the 19 models, to the E model, they all look the same. Perhaps this anonymity was also what helped them to sell in a phenomenal way. The emphasis was put on quality, not on frills, from the build to the lenses, it’s very difficult to pinpoint a weakness in a second generation Canonet. The camera feels very well built and it conveys the message that you are buying a Canon 7 sister, so no need for outrageous designs.
I confess that I am not that attracted to Canonets, perhaps it’s the styling, perhaps it’s the size, possibly it’s the availability of two Canon LTM bodies that provokes that indifference. Still, this Canonet, as modest and lowly as it might be compared to its posher sisters is a fine camera, not designed to challenge Leica, but to capture those family moments in the simplest and sharpest possible way.
Canon Canonet 17
I didn’t know that I had this one in my collection until my good friend Christos posted a picture of his Canonet 17, 2nd generation. I have quite a few Canonets from this generation and wrongly assumed that they were all the 19 models. They are so discrete or blandly designed that even I fail to see the differences between them. From the 19 models, to the E model, they all look the same. Perhaps this anonymity was also what helped them to sell in a phenomenal way. The emphasis was put on quality, not on frills, from the build to the lenses, it’s very difficult to pinpoint a weakness in a second generation Canonet. The camera feels very well built and it conveys the message that you are buying a Canon 7 sister, so no need for outrageous designs.
I confess that I am not that attracted to Canonets, perhaps it’s the styling, perhaps it’s the size, possibly it’s the availability of two Canon LTM bodies that provokes that indifference. Still, this Canonet, as modest and lowly as it might be compared to its posher sisters is a fine camera, not designed to challenge Leica, but to capture those family moments in the simplest and sharpest possible way.