Canonet 28 First Look

On first look, it's not too much unlike my Canonet QL25, except it's smaller, and uses a 40mm ƒ/2.8 lens instead of the 45mm ƒ/2.5 lens on the QL25.  The same silver/black body, and big bright viewfinder and nice contrasty rangefinder.
The most noticeable difference between the QL28 and QL25 on first look is size.  The QL28 is more compact, and lacks a Flash Sync Port, where as the QL25 has a PC-Port beside the lens, but no Hot-Shoe,  where the QL28 has the Hot-Shoe for a dedicated flash.

The next noticeable difference is the lack of shutter speed select.  The Ql25 is loaded with a Prontor-SV shutter with speeds of 1/15s to 1/500s, while the 28 does not have a shutter speed select dial at all.

In defence of the 28 though, it has a very sophisticated shutter system.  The camera, essentially, is a Program Automatic Rangefinder.  You literally just have to compose, focus, and shoot, and the camera does the rest.  From setting the aperture to selecting the appropriate shutter speed.  The other interesting thing is that if the shutter speed required is above 1/125s and below 1/250s, say 1/175s, the camera will actually fire the shutter at 1/175s, while the base minimum shutter speed is 1/30s, and the absolute fastest shutter speed is 1/600s.
If taken off automatic mode, you are limited to 1/30s and whatever aperture size you select.

Opening the 28 is a little different than the QL25, where you lift the rewind know fully and it pulls the release up to open the back so you can load/unload the film.
The last thing to note is the loading system.  The QL (Quickload) system is not utilized on this camera, which is very unfortunate, as it does make the camera a little more difficult to load in comparison to the other rangefinder models of similar design.

The meter & automatic mode is powered by a PX625 1.35v Mercury cell, but I have used a newer 1.5v Silver Oxide battery with no noticeable effects against the meter.


Specifications; from Camera Wiki

Type: rangefinder camera
Manufacturer: Canon
Year of launch: 1971
Film: 35mm with speeds 25 to 400 ASA (Frame size of 24x36mm)
Lens: 1:2.8/40mm (5 elements in 4 groups)
Shutter: programmed shutter with speed/aperture combination 1/30 sec./1:2.8 to 1/620 sec./1:14.5
Aperture: automatically or manually, 1:2.8 to 1:16
Viewfinder: bright frame finder with 0.6× magnification, superimposed coupled rangefinder, shutter speed control meter scale and parallax marks
Metering: CdS photo cell above the lens within the filter ring (EV 8 to 17 at film speed ASA 100). The shutter is locked when the meter indicates over- or under-exposure
Battery: 1.35 V battery type PX625
Film advance: Lever, exposure counter, rewind unlock button, and rewind crank
Flash: hot shoe with second contact allows usage of Canolite D flash in automatic exposure mode. Other types of flashes may need an adapter and can be used only with 1/30 sec. shutter speed with manual aperture setting
Dimensions 125×75×61mm


Weight: 550g