Canon 7S QL — Broken Camera . Club

This may look like the Canon 7s, because it is, but at the same time it is not a standard 7s. This one has a surprise. When you open it to load the film it has a Quick Load system similar to the Cannon FTb or the Canon Canonet QL17. Still part to the Canon 7S run of 16,000 unit in 1965 to 1967, but with a twist.

The best reference I have found for the Canon Range Finder is by Peter Dechert, “Canon Rangefinder Cameras 1933-68”, published by Hove Books Ltd. Dechert notes the sometime small changes for all the models and differentiates between the early 7s and the latter 7sZ. Noting that there was a transition where the standard 7s used some of the 7sZ parts, such as larger rewind crank. However there is no mention of a quick load system on the 7s (or any Canon Rangefinder).

Is this a prototype? Custom order? Aftermarket? Note sure. It does not look like an aftermarket.

Lined up front to back is the standard 7s, the 7sQL and the 7sZ. Bellow they are top to bottom in the same order. Note that the QL has the larger rewind of the 7sZ. Also, the 7sZ is easy to pick out because of the viewfinder adjustment over the n in Canon on the top plate.

Center is the undocumented QL system in a Canon 7S

Viewed from the back, the QL is in the center. It looks normal but with the addition of the quick load feature. Was this a test for the latter FTb style system? The FTb arrived in 1971. A more likely overlap was the QL17 that arrived in 1969. Even looks like the loading instruction sticker from the latter QL models.

If anyone know about this QL 7s model, please let me know.

Lens: Canon 35mm f1.5

Film: Fuji 200