the ultimate canon rf

back alley · 08-20-2004

ebay

very pretty!

taffer · 08-20-2004

VERY nice !

But I'm already pleased with the familiar wrinkles on my 7 curtains. I've even put names to them

Afaik, the 7sZ had a slightly wider rewind crank and differed also in the position of the RF adjustment screws.

Brian Sweeney · 08-20-2004

The 7sZ is rare, and nice, but remember: A Good Selenium Lasts Forever. I have had more problems with my CDS cells going "Non-Linear" than my selenium meters. Supposedly the finder is slightly improved, but after getting "The Canonator 7" working for a second time, its hard to see how it can get much better. O yeah... The Canon 7 worked for two shots, then the film advance jammed. I tore it way-down, figuring it would be a learning experience. I found the piece of metal debris, a very small retaining ring, that was jamming the gears. ITTT'SS BAAACKKK!
I learned that you had to make sure that the frame-line selector dial was engaged to the cam below it to get the AR ring mounted back on properly... The plate looks like its in place, but misses by "Thhhaaattt Much..."

back alley · 08-20-2004

so brian, what do you do with all your spare time?

joe

Brian Sweeney · 08-20-2004

Spare Time? That would be about 2 hours a week under normal circumstances. However, This week Nikki and Nina went to DisneyWorld with Nikki's Aunt, Uncle, and cousin.

Day: Work; Afternoon: Pool; evening camera work. The Score: Canon 7 up, 4 Nikon RF Helicals cleaned, 3 Nikon VF's cleaned, 1 Canonet with new seals and VF cleaned; two more waiting. I have the house laid out in early RF. And its suppose to rain tomorrow! What to do, what to do.

jlw · 08-27-2004

Hello, I'm new and have been looking for a good spot for my first post -- guess this is it! Anyway...

...It looks as if the Australian 7sz went for about US$620 -- actually a pretty good price, I think, if its condition is really as nice as it appeared. I was considering placing a last-minute bid, but then decided that since I've already got a nice 7s, I shouldn't be a 'Canon hog'!

About the viewfinder: A friend in Japan who bought a 7sz there took it to a repair shop for a CLA, and the technician was nice enough to let him snap a few digital pix of it while apart. He sent me the pix so I could compare the finder optics to those of the regular 7/7s; I've always wondered what the difference was.

Turns out that the main difference seems to be the method of adjusting the vertical position of the rangefinder image. If you've ever done this on a 7/7s, you know that it's VERY touchy!... the mirror is mounted on a stainless-steel spring, and you have to turn a tiny jackscrew to raise or lower it. The image jiggles madly as you adjust, making it hard to tell when you've hit the right spot. Once it's put, it tends to STAY put, but it's pretty tricky to get it there!

The 7sz, on the other hand, appears to have a cylindrical rotary prism between the RF mirror and the main RF body. I'm guessing you adjust the vertical position by turning the body of the cylinder, via its toothed outside edge. The Nikon S2, of which I used to own one, used a similar adjustment, and it's very smooth and easy to adjust. I'd guess this is the biggest improvement on the 7sz -- worthwhile, certainly, but (to me) not a big enough deal that I'd give up my 7s and pay extra money to get one! In other words, it's the kind of improvement that made sense for Canon to make as a running change (to improve serviceability) but not one that obsoleted the previous design -- probably why they didn't give it a new official model designation!

Incidentally, just so y'all will know that I'm (at least occasionally) a Canon RF user and not just a pedant, here's a link to something I shot a couple of years ago with my 7s and 50/0.95:

Midnight drags essay

Will look forward to hearing lots of Canon RF gossip! Regards to all...

taffer · 08-27-2004

Welcome fellow Canon 7 user !

That's a GREAT and also very fun article, did you ever go back there with the tricked-out Sonett ?

PS: Sure the gossip will continue... Joe you know that it's now turn to start thinking about getting a 7/7s on your near future no ?

back alley · 08-27-2004

sorry oscar, i want another canon p already, and then a 100/3.5 or maybe the 4.
then i will be a happy man.

and jim, welcome to the forum, always nice to have another canon user around.

joe

ZeissFan · 08-27-2004

I'm turned off by sellers who order you to "bid high" or "bid often." Also, it looks as if it was bought by a dealer, who probably will get significantly more than the selling price.

Brian Sweeney · 08-27-2004

Well I shot the first roll from the revived Canon 7, will drop it off Monday. The alignment of the RF is tricky, but not as bad as the Vitessa and a few others. Everything left in it seems to work; I pulled out the meter. This was a "parts" camera that took such a severe blow that the solid-glass frame-line prism sheared off near the base. At least the fracture point helped line it up. You can't get much more of a "beater" than that.

I love my "regular" Canon 7; the selenium meter is accurate and speeds are right on. Had it CLA'd at Essex. I also have to 50mm F0.95 lens; it is impressive.