Nice feature summary. Also worth looking out for: the L1, which was the economy version of the VL in the same sense that the P was the economy version of the VI-L. It has everything the VL has except the self-timer. There was also an L2 which had shutter speeds only to 1/500, bulb flash sync only, and rewind via a knob instead of a crank, and an L3 which was like the L2 but with no flash sync at all, AND another economy model, the VL2, which was exactly like the L1 except that it had shutter speeds to 1/500, full flash sync, and rewind knob instead of crank, plus metal shutter curtains like the P. (Sometimes I get the feeling that the Canon guys just showed up for work each day, decided what parts they were going to put together, and called it a new model!) A lot of these weird variants are hard to find, but sometimes you can get a good deal on one because it's less “full featured” than the better known models but is basically the same camera...
I have a l2 and a vl, and the l2 was substancially cheaper and in much better condition. It also has a cloth shutter which some people like. I use a lot of daytime fill flash myself so it's great for me, but get yourself and nd filter and you won't miss the 1/1000 shutter speed, making it a really good model for most people shooting film. Likewise with the vl2 I imagine, which seems to flood auction sites, though I also see them overpriced in comparison
Awesome cameras I wanted a canon P or a 7 for so long but everyone I bid on went for stupid money I finally bid on an L3 for a decent price just deved the film from first shoot absolutely chuffed to bits love this thing📷❤️ great vid mate cheers
The Trigger wind Canons had their roots in Leica. Leica had an optional baseplate called the Leicavit. Which was a trigger wind for the Barnack Leicas. There also was an option for Leicavit for the M series cameras. And Canon had a similar option for pre V model Canon rangefinders.
Right. With Canon's traditional lack of flare in naming their products, it was labelled "Canon Rapid Winder". I bought one many years ago in the spur of the moment, just because it was an oddity I had not previously seen. It looks and functions exactly like the Leica unit, replacing the bottom plate on the IV and some earlier models.
After seeing the brief appearance of the Canon VL in one of your previous videos (and subsequently watching every other video on youtube featuring it), I got one. Well, technically, I got a L1, which is basically the VL without the self timer (an improvement, I think). I couldn't believe I could get a working one for < $50, while Canon Ps seem to start at over $200. For an excellent but budget lens, I started with the Jupiter 8, but later decided to get the Canon 50mm 1.8 as well (which was cheaper to buy on a second L1 than standalone. Interestingly my first L1 has a cloth shutter but the second has a metal shutter despite being otherwise identical). Absolutely love it - I agree the looks are the best of any of this style rangefinder. Another bonus? No light seals to worry about. Anyways, thanks for putting me on these - I've had so much fun with with it!
I read years ago on one of the older forums that when cloth-shutter V-series Canons were sent in for any shutter-related issue, they just replaced it with a metal shutter. I'm not sure if that's true, but it's certainly plausible.
Really interesting. I am also thinking of getting a VL. How gib is the viewfinder and what are the frimelines like?. I am concerned that getting a Canon 7 might be better for its larger screen. Would love to hear your thoughts, all the best
@@jfs_films Long term Canon collector here. If you are buying a Canon RF for use regularly, then I'd avoid the late models, being the P, 7 and 7s. The 7 models are a bit large, quite heavy, and the modernization they represent isn't all that useful these days. The light meters they added are probably nonfunctional now, and the battery required for the 7 hasn't been made for years. The biggest reason to avoid is the shutter. It was a major redesign at the time, more complex and operating under higher spring tensions. At the time, no problem, however when Canon discontinued support and parts dried up, they became practical irreparable. Speed above /125 are likely to be out of spec, with the fastest being more than a full stop slow, and beyond any adjustment. So, keep a user simple: a V series, or if your stars align, a nice VI series for its shutter improvements over the V. The complex optical system for the rangefinders on these models can fade as the semi-silvered mirrors degrade, so that's a possible issue you need to watch. Owning a nioe example of all of these series of Canon's, IMO the VIT is the winner.
I fully agree that the VI series was the prettiest looking Canon rangefinder series. It may also be the most successful, retaining the advanced viewfinder system of the V and 7 series, and the fairly simple and repairable shutter abandoned for the 7 series. I bought a Canon IV model with a large selection of the then-best Canon lenses at an estate sale, the one-owner having purchased the whole system while in the Navy upon end of his tour in Japan in 1954. This launched my status as a semi-collector. A VIT was added a bit later, then several others. The bottom trigger relates back to an accessory trigger bottom plate made for the IV models. It makes the camera frame photo rate nearly as fast as a slower motorized modern camera. You adapt to it quickly and do not miss the lever advance.
Great review! I was considering switching my P for the VL based on the viewfinder options, but in the end I agree with that less bells and whistles is what makes the P great. Just a solid and sturdy machine that does its job. The VL seems like a great machine as well though!
The late Canon rangefinder cameras (with appropriate lenses) are in every way equivalent to the Leica M2 and M3 for real picture taking. (perhaps not for pixel peeping, depending on the lens) but significantly undervalued. Don't tell anybody.
@@BriansPhotoShow Well I have my first 35mm LTM RF is the Yashica YF, and then later the Canon 7, and then later I started thinking of my Dad's 35mm RF a Contax IIa that he pickup in Germany, Well I too also pickup 2 Zeiss Jena Contax II & III on Ebay, as their not Ugly, but lovely models...
Canons first TLR, the Canonflex, had a botton trigger for winding and advancing film. Dropped in second edition. Some other cameras used the bottom trigger like mech during this time. One that i know of was the Ricoh 500.
Hello. I would like some advice. I can't decide between VL and P which one should I choose. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each one? And the 50mm chrome lens, which one should I choose, 1.2 or 1.4?
Between these items, I would choose the VL and the 50mm 1.4. Reasons: Body. The VL uses a fairly simple, repairable copy of the classic Leica shutter. Any repair shop can service it. The P shares a shutter with the 7 and 7S. It was new for these models. It operates under much higher spring pressures and is much more complex. It''s problem is that over time, the springs weaken and the high speeds slow to the point where they cannot be adjusted into acceptable speed standards. No parts for 40 years. No one will work on them. The shutter was a bad idea that failed to work out. Lens. From the 50mm 1.8 up to the 0,95, these are all variations on a Planar lens design. The 1.8 is superb, and the 1.4 is a faster version, very well regarded. The 1.2 is a faster, version yet, but the design was abused to get there, and its overall performance is quite inferior to the other two. This is largely because of uncontrolled curvature of field and chromatic aberration. The 0.95 is just a wider, further abused extension of the 1.2 design. The 1/3 stop faster aperture of the 1.2 over the 1.4 doesn't offset its lesser performance optically at all stops. Cost. The P is currently enjoying a price range far above its traditional valuations, whereas the VL being a lower production and harder to find in good condition may cost as much, but is better built When I was collecting Canon RF, I never bothered picking up a P because they were common as dirt and sold for less than $125 in mint condition. The 1.4 is not cheap, but it costs half the price of an average 1.2, mainly just for the novelty of the 1.2.
@@randallstewart1224 Thanks for the advice, now I have a Vi (6) in new condition, no scratches, and a silver 50 f1.5 lens in very good condition as well. And I got a Leica M3 at a good price, no scratches. I am having a lot of fun taking photos.
@@treywilliams3124 Yes. Apart from its cluttered viewfinder, the P is considered to be not as well-built as the earlier models. That is not saying that it is defective or poorly built. The later models just do not have the finish and "fine mechanical feel" of the earlier units, IMO. The VL2 is a relatively hard to find item, as not that many were made compared to other models. Frankly, the only attraction of the P was its low price, both when new and on the used market for many years. It's current high price Is a product of social media hype. If you have a line on a good deal for a nice condition VL2, snatch it up. If you later fall out of love, it is always going to maintain or increase its price in the collectibles market.
Thank you very much! Some say the P is way better but I did not get why. Now I see that the 7 is what I'm buying :) I love my FED-5B, but it's viewfinder is a pain and I'd like to have 35 mm so this is why I want to get the Canon 7 :) Hope to do it in a week or less.
Loved the video it was very informative. I was just curious though. I recently just purchased a Canon P and I was confused by6 the small red dot that rotates between the advance lever and shutter button. I noticed it was on your Canon VL as well, I'm just curious to know what it supposed to indicate?
to confirm that film is transporting through the camera i think. on many cameras the rewind dial rotates as you wind on to the next frame but this doesn’t occur on the P.. no dot rotation means the film hasn’t loaded properly..
Hey man! I’m currently using the VIT, the trigger is quirky and I never use it, I guess it’s good for loading the next frame with the camera still up to your eye but I’ve never came a cross a situation I have had to do that yet, I just use the advance knob on the top of the camera to advance frame.
For years I shot theater productions with a VI-T and 50mm and 100mm lenses. The trigger wind was great for that -- you could be ready for the next shot almost immediately, which was important in case a better moment happened onstage. To get the most out of the trigger wind, you really needed to add the cylindrical grip that threaded into the tripod socket on the left end of the camera -- it gave you a place to stabilize your palm so that operating the trigger didn't unbalance your grip on the camera. The downside of that was that you'd need to remove the grip before changing film, so you could turn the locking key on the camera bottom -- but I got around that by removing the locking key (easy, just take out one setscrew and lift it out) so I could open the back with the grip still in place. No, I never had the back pop open by accident -- the key was really just for opening and closing Canon reloadable film magazines and wasn't needed when using conventional film rolls. Another nice feature of the VI models for stage photography was the 1:1 viewfinder, which let me keep both eyes open so I could be aware of everything happening onstage, even outside the finder area. The biggest downfall of the VI-T (and VI-L, plus the P to some extent) is that on many of them, the silvered viewfinder framelines have eroded over the years, making them hard or impossible to see. (Canon said in period literature that silvered framelines had not been usable before because the silver attacked optical glass, but that Canon had found a solution to that problem... unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have been a PERMANENT solution! Do-it-yourself "cleaning" probably didn't help either.) If not for the frameline problem, they would still be highly viable cameras for serious photography. It's too bad there's no way to find one with a finder as clean and framelines as bright as they were in 1959, and compare it to, say, a Leica IIIg and a Nikon S3... am guessing it would trump both of them easily...
It was meant for professionals in the field. Expirienced users could shoot up to 3 photo's each second! It was very handy for sports and combat correspondents, you have no blackout because of the rangefinder, and you can shoot in rapid succession.
Thanks for posting this! May I ask which viewfinder is easier to use? And to be more specific, which has a brighter viewfinder? :) Also, do they have the same body size? Would a leather case for one fit the other? Thanks!
The size of the body is about the same, though they are not identical. I'm not sure if a case made for one would fit the other. Personally, I think the P has the brighter viewfinder.
@@BriansPhotoShow Something I don't care for are obtrusive bright lines that don't apply to the lens focal length you are using. The only thing I can find showing this is an online manual for the VL, in Japanese. Does the VL have any brightlines at all, only the magnification in the viewfinder changes? Is the P viewfinder full of brightlines all the time?
@@bigpardner Hello. The Canon V series (in rough chronological order : VT, model L2, model L3, model L1, VL, VT de luxe) all have basic plain viewfinders. As many people who began photography on a 35mm reflex, I feel theses cameras provide a viewing image that resembles the most to the plain image of a reflex. They have no framelines, you just use the totality of the viewfinder to compose your image. It is for me absolutey not disturbing.
@@bigpardner The V and VI change magnifications, but do not project "bright lines" to frame viewed subjects like on a Leica. On the other hand, you opnly get a "35", a "50" and a high magnification for precision focusing which doubles as a "135" . Therefore you do not get a viewfinder with lines for multiple frame lines showing at the same time. As a matter of economy, the P shows a fixed complex of frame lines for several lines, all at the same time, which many folks dislike as cluttering up the viewfinder
It varies. The patch on my P is faded but usable. The VL has held up better, though I wouldn't conclude much from that. I suspect it has more to do with how the cameras were stored and maintained.
Hey I recently bought a konica autoreflex T2 from KEH (largely on your recommendation), and I think it needs some attention. Is there a camera service tech you can recommend? Specifically the light meter and EE functionality don't seem to work. The viewfinder is also pretty dirty. I also wouldn't mind having it converted to use modern batteries. It's my first camera so I don't really want to do it myself, even if I am a mechanic.
Back when I had a T2 and T3, I used a local tech for repairs but those days are long gone. I'm not sure who overhauls Autoreflexes in the States. I know KEH does some repair work, so you might give them a call for starters.
the vi-l and vi-t have a 1:1 viewfinder at 50 ，and around 0.7 at 35 compared to the somewhat smaller magnification of the v-l，which is a great improvement
When you would compare the rangefinder to the one found on the Canon Cannonet 1.7, do you think its much brighter especially the patch, cause when its darker i have trouble finding focus... Thanks for all the Info
I don't know. I've never used a Canonet 1.7, though the brightness of rangefinder patches on fifty year old cameras is today more influenced by the overall condition of the camera than differentiation between models.
Hello, Just to let you know that I am watching this video, and also watching the DECADES Binge Timeline program today is the series from 1966 The Time Tunnel all weekend, since that when I was 10 that a person came to my school of Saint Peter's School in San Francisco that the photographer from the SF Chronicle was photographing the school for a feature story, as HIS Camera was a Canon 7 with a 50mm F/1.4 LTM lens as he photograph without flash and I asked hm in what way how you can take photos with no flash, as he told me that he was using TX 400 pushed to ONE Stop. Well understanding him I did not knew was he talking about One Stop push until when I started taking photo classes in High School (Mission High Class of 1974 - GO BEARS!!) Well as my teacher explained to me of exposure, and pushing, as he ask me to photograph the basketball game as I had a Praktica with a 50mm 1.18. and had 2 rolls of TX as I push one roll, as the other I did it at 400 speed, as we processed it both rolls one in a different tank as one was push to 800, as the other at 400. Well both rolls came out fine, and wound up in the yearbook. So in future years that I remember the camera of the Canon 7 from 1966 that I GOT one with a Canon 50mm 1.18 lens. And then later got myself the Canon VT as with that I also have the 35mm Komura 2.8 as I both took those to Japan as I was very fond, and was please in using both models, and for the Record, that I did not find your experience that the Canon 7 is Big, and Ugly, UN-contarty as I find the Leica M7 the most uglest camera OK.... Be happy in what you have, and please to take images....
The "EP" seen on many Canon RF models stands for "Exchange Post". These units were so marked because they were sold through military exchange posts (think department store on US bases in Japan after the War, accessed only by military personnel). Canon units sold domestically and generally exported do not bear this mark.
The Canon 7 is big and ugly because it had to make room to mount the monstrous 50mm f0.95 dream lens on the outer lens mount bayonet. Unlike Canon's older smaller and prettier LTM cameras, the design of the 7 included taller and wider positioned viewfinder/rangefinder windows to clear the dream lens which also widen the rangefinder base length which improves overall focusing precision compared to older cameras. The Canon 7 is the most advanced Canon LTM camera and arguably the most practical.
@@BriansPhotoShow You can "hear" a lot of weird stuff on the Internet, but that doesn't mean you have to believe it. There are some commenters who think the 7 series were less well-built simply because they don't like their metal finish ("whiter" chrome rather than the deeper-looking "silvery" chrome of the VI/P) but I think that was just Canon trying to make the RF cameras match the appearance of their newer SLR models. I use a VI-T, a P, and a 7s, and they all feel equally solid to me.
I recommend avoiding collapsible lenses and the Soviet Jupiter 12. Also, I've found that the Jupiter 9 has focus compatibility issues on Japanese cameras.
@@BriansPhotoShow The Jupiter 12 (35mm f/2.8) mounts quite fine on V / VI series cameras. You just have to be careful when introducing the huge protruding rear elements inside the camera. There is very tiny leeway, but it works. By comparison, on Bessa cameras range from Cosina Voiglander, a Jupiter 12 will crash when mounted.
This is the most concise and thorough comparison of Canon rangefinders of this style.
Thanks !
Nice feature summary. Also worth looking out for: the L1, which was the economy version of the VL in the same sense that the P was the economy version of the VI-L. It has everything the VL has except the self-timer. There was also an L2 which had shutter speeds only to 1/500, bulb flash sync only, and rewind via a knob instead of a crank, and an L3 which was like the L2 but with no flash sync at all, AND another economy model, the VL2, which was exactly like the L1 except that it had shutter speeds to 1/500, full flash sync, and rewind knob instead of crank, plus metal shutter curtains like the P. (Sometimes I get the feeling that the Canon guys just showed up for work each day, decided what parts they were going to put together, and called it a new model!) A lot of these weird variants are hard to find, but sometimes you can get a good deal on one because it's less “full featured” than the better known models but is basically the same camera...
I have a l2 and a vl, and the l2 was substancially cheaper and in much better condition. It also has a cloth shutter which some people like. I use a lot of daytime fill flash myself so it's great for me, but get yourself and nd filter and you won't miss the 1/1000 shutter speed, making it a really good model for most people shooting film. Likewise with the vl2 I imagine, which seems to flood auction sites, though I also see them overpriced in comparison
The L1 is my go to street shooter. A superb camera, excellent handling.
Awesome cameras I wanted a canon P or a 7 for so long but everyone I bid on went for stupid money I finally bid on an L3 for a decent price just deved the film from first shoot absolutely chuffed to bits love this thing📷❤️ great vid mate cheers
The Trigger wind Canons had their roots in Leica. Leica had an optional baseplate called the Leicavit. Which was a trigger wind for the Barnack Leicas. There also was an option for Leicavit for the M series cameras. And Canon had a similar option for pre V model Canon rangefinders.
Right. With Canon's traditional lack of flare in naming their products, it was labelled "Canon Rapid Winder". I bought one many years ago in the spur of the moment, just because it was an oddity I had not previously seen. It looks and functions exactly like the Leica unit, replacing the bottom plate on the IV and some earlier models.
They are both fantastic machines. I love both.
After seeing the brief appearance of the Canon VL in one of your previous videos (and subsequently watching every other video on youtube featuring it), I got one. Well, technically, I got a L1, which is basically the VL without the self timer (an improvement, I think). I couldn't believe I could get a working one for < $50, while Canon Ps seem to start at over $200. For an excellent but budget lens, I started with the Jupiter 8, but later decided to get the Canon 50mm 1.8 as well (which was cheaper to buy on a second L1 than standalone. Interestingly my first L1 has a cloth shutter but the second has a metal shutter despite being otherwise identical).
Absolutely love it - I agree the looks are the best of any of this style rangefinder. Another bonus? No light seals to worry about. Anyways, thanks for putting me on these - I've had so much fun with with it!
I read years ago on one of the older forums that when cloth-shutter V-series Canons were sent in for any shutter-related issue, they just replaced it with a metal shutter. I'm not sure if that's true, but it's certainly plausible.
@@BriansPhotoShow Interesting - I've never taken it apart so no idea. Personally, I think the cloth sounds much better.
Really interesting. I am also thinking of getting a VL. How gib is the viewfinder and what are the frimelines like?. I am concerned that getting a Canon 7 might be better for its larger screen. Would love to hear your thoughts, all the best
@@jfs_films Long term Canon collector here. If you are buying a Canon RF for use regularly, then I'd avoid the late models, being the P, 7 and 7s. The 7 models are a bit large, quite heavy, and the modernization they represent isn't all that useful these days. The light meters they added are probably nonfunctional now, and the battery required for the 7 hasn't been made for years. The biggest reason to avoid is the shutter. It was a major redesign at the time, more complex and operating under higher spring tensions. At the time, no problem, however when Canon discontinued support and parts dried up, they became practical irreparable. Speed above /125 are likely to be out of spec, with the fastest being more than a full stop slow, and beyond any adjustment. So, keep a user simple: a V series, or if your stars align, a nice VI series for its shutter improvements over the V. The complex optical system for the rangefinders on these models can fade as the semi-silvered mirrors degrade, so that's a possible issue you need to watch. Owning a nioe example of all of these series of Canon's, IMO the VIT is the winner.
@@randallstewart175 thanks a bunch! appreciate the time!
I fully agree that the VI series was the prettiest looking Canon rangefinder series. It may also be the most successful, retaining the advanced viewfinder system of the V and 7 series, and the fairly simple and repairable shutter abandoned for the 7 series. I bought a Canon IV model with a large selection of the then-best Canon lenses at an estate sale, the one-owner having purchased the whole system while in the Navy upon end of his tour in Japan in 1954. This launched my status as a semi-collector. A VIT was added a bit later, then several others. The bottom trigger relates back to an accessory trigger bottom plate made for the IV models. It makes the camera frame photo rate nearly as fast as a slower motorized modern camera. You adapt to it quickly and do not miss the lever advance.
Great review! I was considering switching my P for the VL based on the viewfinder options, but in the end I agree with that less bells and whistles is what makes the P great. Just a solid and sturdy machine that does its job. The VL seems like a great machine as well though!
The late Canon rangefinder cameras (with appropriate lenses) are in every way equivalent to the Leica M2 and M3 for real picture taking. (perhaps not for pixel peeping, depending on the lens) but significantly undervalued.
Don't tell anybody.
I've never owned a Leica so I'll take your word for it.
@@BriansPhotoShow Well I have my first 35mm LTM RF is the Yashica YF, and then later the Canon 7, and then later I started thinking of my Dad's 35mm RF a Contax IIa that he pickup in Germany, Well I too also pickup 2 Zeiss Jena Contax II & III on Ebay, as their not Ugly, but lovely models...
Canons first TLR, the Canonflex, had a botton trigger for winding and advancing film. Dropped in second edition.
Some other cameras used the bottom trigger like mech during this time.
One that i know of was the Ricoh 500.
Hello. I would like some advice. I can't decide between VL and P which one should I choose. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each one? And the 50mm chrome lens, which one should I choose, 1.2 or 1.4?
Between these items, I would choose the VL and the 50mm 1.4. Reasons:
Body. The VL uses a fairly simple, repairable copy of the classic Leica shutter. Any repair shop can service it. The P shares a shutter with the 7 and 7S. It was new for these models. It operates under much higher spring pressures and is much more complex. It''s problem is that over time, the springs weaken and the high speeds slow to the point where they cannot be adjusted into acceptable speed standards. No parts for 40 years. No one will work on them. The shutter was a bad idea that failed to work out.
Lens. From the 50mm 1.8 up to the 0,95, these are all variations on a Planar lens design. The 1.8 is superb, and the 1.4 is a faster version, very well regarded. The 1.2 is a faster, version yet, but the design was abused to get there, and its overall performance is quite inferior to the other two. This is largely because of uncontrolled curvature of field and chromatic aberration. The 0.95 is just a wider, further abused extension of the 1.2 design. The 1/3 stop faster aperture of the 1.2 over the 1.4 doesn't offset its lesser performance optically at all stops.
Cost. The P is currently enjoying a price range far above its traditional valuations, whereas the VL being a lower production and harder to find in good condition may cost as much, but is better built When I was collecting Canon RF, I never bothered picking up a P because they were common as dirt and sold for less than $125 in mint condition. The 1.4 is not cheap, but it costs half the price of an average 1.2, mainly just for the novelty of the 1.2.
@@randallstewart1224 Thanks for the advice, now I have a Vi (6) in new condition, no scratches, and a silver 50 f1.5 lens in very good condition as well. And I got a Leica M3 at a good price, no scratches. I am having a lot of fun taking photos.
@@randallstewart1224would you say the same applies in terms of getting a canon VL2 comparative to a p?
@@treywilliams3124 Yes. Apart from its cluttered viewfinder, the P is considered to be not as well-built as the earlier models. That is not saying that it is defective or poorly built. The later models just do not have the finish and "fine mechanical feel" of the earlier units, IMO. The VL2 is a relatively hard to find item, as not that many were made compared to other models. Frankly, the only attraction of the P was its low price, both when new and on the used market for many years. It's current high price Is a product of social media hype. If you have a line on a good deal for a nice condition VL2, snatch it up. If you later fall out of love, it is always going to maintain or increase its price in the collectibles market.
Thank you very much! Some say the P is way better but I did not get why. Now I see that the 7 is what I'm buying :) I love my FED-5B, but it's viewfinder is a pain and I'd like to have 35 mm so this is why I want to get the Canon 7 :) Hope to do it in a week or less.
Loved the video it was very informative. I was just curious though. I recently just purchased a Canon P and I was confused by6 the small red dot that rotates between the advance lever and shutter button. I noticed it was on your Canon VL as well, I'm just curious to know what it supposed to indicate?
to confirm that film is transporting through the camera i think. on many cameras the rewind dial rotates as you wind on to the next frame but this doesn’t occur on the P.. no dot rotation means the film hasn’t loaded properly..
Thank you! It's very educative.
Hey man!
I’m currently using the VIT, the trigger is quirky and I never use it, I guess it’s good for loading the next frame with the camera still up to your eye but I’ve never came a cross a situation I have had to do that yet, I just use the advance knob on the top of the camera to advance frame.
For years I shot theater productions with a VI-T and 50mm and 100mm lenses. The trigger wind was great for that -- you could be ready for the next shot almost immediately, which was important in case a better moment happened onstage.
To get the most out of the trigger wind, you really needed to add the cylindrical grip that threaded into the tripod socket on the left end of the camera -- it gave you a place to stabilize your palm so that operating the trigger didn't unbalance your grip on the camera. The downside of that was that you'd need to remove the grip before changing film, so you could turn the locking key on the camera bottom -- but I got around that by removing the locking key (easy, just take out one setscrew and lift it out) so I could open the back with the grip still in place. No, I never had the back pop open by accident -- the key was really just for opening and closing Canon reloadable film magazines and wasn't needed when using conventional film rolls.
Another nice feature of the VI models for stage photography was the 1:1 viewfinder, which let me keep both eyes open so I could be aware of everything happening onstage, even outside the finder area.
The biggest downfall of the VI-T (and VI-L, plus the P to some extent) is that on many of them, the silvered viewfinder framelines have eroded over the years, making them hard or impossible to see. (Canon said in period literature that silvered framelines had not been usable before because the silver attacked optical glass, but that Canon had found a solution to that problem... unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have been a PERMANENT solution! Do-it-yourself "cleaning" probably didn't help either.) If not for the frameline problem, they would still be highly viable cameras for serious photography.
It's too bad there's no way to find one with a finder as clean and framelines as bright as they were in 1959, and compare it to, say, a Leica IIIg and a Nikon S3... am guessing it would trump both of them easily...
It was meant for professionals in the field. Expirienced users could shoot up to 3 photo's each second! It was very handy for sports and combat correspondents, you have no blackout because of the rangefinder, and you can shoot in rapid succession.
Thanks for posting this! May I ask which viewfinder is easier to use? And to be more specific, which has a brighter viewfinder? :)
Also, do they have the same body size? Would a leather case for one fit the other?
Thanks!
The size of the body is about the same, though they are not identical. I'm not sure if a case made for one would fit the other. Personally, I think the P has the brighter viewfinder.
@@BriansPhotoShow I see! Thank you!
@@BriansPhotoShow Something I don't care for are obtrusive bright lines that don't apply to the lens focal length you are using. The only thing I can find showing this is an online manual for the VL, in Japanese. Does the VL have any brightlines at all, only the magnification in the viewfinder changes? Is the P viewfinder full of brightlines all the time?
@@bigpardner Hello. The Canon V series (in rough chronological order : VT, model L2, model L3, model L1, VL, VT de luxe) all have basic plain viewfinders. As many people who began photography on a 35mm reflex, I feel theses cameras provide a viewing image that resembles the most to the plain image of a reflex. They have no framelines, you just use the totality of the viewfinder to compose your image. It is for me absolutey not disturbing.
@@bigpardner The V and VI change magnifications, but do not project "bright lines" to frame viewed subjects like on a Leica. On the other hand, you opnly get a "35", a "50" and a high magnification for precision focusing which doubles as a "135" . Therefore you do not get a viewfinder with lines for multiple frame lines showing at the same time. As a matter of economy, the P shows a fixed complex of frame lines for several lines, all at the same time, which many folks dislike as cluttering up the viewfinder
Great review. Thankyou.
Interesting video, thanks for the information. How do the focus patches hold up on those models?
It varies. The patch on my P is faded but usable. The VL has held up better, though I wouldn't conclude much from that. I suspect it has more to do with how the cameras were stored and maintained.
Hey I recently bought a konica autoreflex T2 from KEH (largely on your recommendation), and I think it needs some attention. Is there a camera service tech you can recommend? Specifically the light meter and EE functionality don't seem to work. The viewfinder is also pretty dirty. I also wouldn't mind having it converted to use modern batteries. It's my first camera so I don't really want to do it myself, even if I am a mechanic.
Back when I had a T2 and T3, I used a local tech for repairs but those days are long gone. I'm not sure who overhauls Autoreflexes in the States. I know KEH does some repair work, so you might give them a call for starters.
Thank you for the explain Brian. This weekend I bought for myself the Canon P body. Now I have to find M39 lens. :-)
That's the real disadvantage of these cameras. The good lenses aren't cheap.
@@BriansPhotoShow i just got the body right now. will look for the lenses now.
i realize it is pretty randomly asking but do anyone know a good site to watch newly released tv shows online ?
@Nova Adrian flixportal :)
@Zechariah Kenneth Thank you, I went there and it seems to work :) Appreciate it !!
the vi-l and vi-t have a 1:1 viewfinder at 50 ，and around 0.7 at 35 compared to the somewhat smaller magnification of the v-l，which is a great improvement
I did not realize there was a difference in magnification between the V and VI series viewfinders. That's good to know.
Brian are you an industrial designer or mechanical engineer? Just curious.
Thanks for the videos.
Neither. By professional training, I'm an attorney though I'm not currently practicing.
When you would compare the rangefinder to the one found on the Canon Cannonet 1.7, do you think its much brighter especially the patch, cause when its darker i have trouble finding focus... Thanks for all the Info
I don't know. I've never used a Canonet 1.7, though the brightness of rangefinder patches on fifty year old cameras is today more influenced by the overall condition of the camera than differentiation between models.
Hello, Just to let you know that I am watching this video, and also watching the DECADES Binge Timeline program today is the series from 1966 The Time Tunnel all weekend, since that when I was 10 that a person came to my school of Saint Peter's School in San Francisco that the photographer from the SF Chronicle was photographing the school for a feature story, as HIS Camera was a Canon 7 with a 50mm F/1.4 LTM lens as he photograph without flash and I asked hm in what way how you can take photos with no flash, as he told me that he was using TX 400 pushed to ONE Stop. Well understanding him I did not knew was he talking about One Stop push until when I started taking photo classes in High School (Mission High Class of 1974 - GO BEARS!!) Well as my teacher explained to me of exposure, and pushing, as he ask me to photograph the basketball game as I had a Praktica with a 50mm 1.18. and had 2 rolls of TX as I push one roll, as the other I did it at 400 speed, as we processed it both rolls one in a different tank as one was push to 800, as the other at 400. Well both rolls came out fine, and wound up in the yearbook. So in future years that I remember the camera of the Canon 7 from 1966 that I GOT one with a Canon 50mm 1.18 lens. And then later got myself the Canon VT as with that I also have the 35mm Komura 2.8 as I both took those to Japan as I was very fond, and was please in using both models, and for the Record, that I did not find your experience that the Canon 7 is Big, and Ugly, UN-contarty as I find the Leica M7 the most uglest camera OK.... Be happy in what you have, and please to take images....
Best thing about the 5 is that it already has my monogram on to. E P
The "EP" seen on many Canon RF models stands for "Exchange Post". These units were so marked because they were sold through military exchange posts (think department store on US bases in Japan after the War, accessed only by military personnel). Canon units sold domestically and generally exported do not bear this mark.
The Canon 7 is big and ugly because it had to make room to mount the monstrous 50mm f0.95 dream lens on the outer lens mount bayonet. Unlike Canon's older smaller and prettier LTM cameras, the design of the 7 included taller and wider positioned viewfinder/rangefinder windows to clear the dream lens which also widen the rangefinder base length which improves overall focusing precision compared to older cameras. The Canon 7 is the most advanced Canon LTM camera and arguably the most practical.
That makes sense. I've never used a 7, though I've heard they're not built quite as solidly as the V and VI series.
@@BriansPhotoShow You can "hear" a lot of weird stuff on the Internet, but that doesn't mean you have to believe it. There are some commenters who think the 7 series were less well-built simply because they don't like their metal finish ("whiter" chrome rather than the deeper-looking "silvery" chrome of the VI/P) but I think that was just Canon trying to make the RF cameras match the appearance of their newer SLR models. I use a VI-T, a P, and a 7s, and they all feel equally solid to me.
What type of lens would I buy for the VL? Are all L39 lenses compatible?
I recommend avoiding collapsible lenses and the Soviet Jupiter 12. Also, I've found that the Jupiter 9 has focus compatibility issues on Japanese cameras.
@@BriansPhotoShow The Jupiter 12 (35mm f/2.8) mounts quite fine on V / VI series cameras. You just have to be careful when introducing the huge protruding rear elements inside the camera. There is very tiny leeway, but it works. By comparison, on Bessa cameras range from Cosina Voiglander, a Jupiter 12 will crash when mounted.
"Barnack style bottom loader" sounds like an insult a 10 year old would use. Ha.
Zorki 4K 👍