Getting into shooting film. Bought a Nikon FE in great condition but needed the light seals replaced. Local place says $100 and it'll be a few weeks. I found this video and did it myself in about 20 minutes! Thank you so much, David!
@@thijskennis8757 Yeah, brother! What's awesome is that I've replaced my own seals in about 30 other cameras since my original post. I'm a wiz at it now! 😎 Thanks again to David for the lesson.
I had just read this tip on a forum the other day about using yarn instead of the foam in the tracks. I purchased some yarn online the other day to give it a try. I wanted to see if anyone else had tried it "on RUclips" and made a video about it and lo and behold, without realizing it, I had purchased the exact yarn you have (somedays its better to be lucky than good). Thanks for the great videos!
Same here. I bought the exact cotton yarn before seeing this. Wool yarn works well too. This is a great video and repair method. Unless you do these light seal repairs all the time, it can be difficult for first time DIY person trying to get 1.5 mm adhesive backed foam in the channels. It can stick to the sides first instead of squarely going into the channel. Thanks for sharing this method and video!
Great Tutorial on how to fix and replace foam. Pulling my Yashica FR1 out from 1979 and debating whether to fix it or not. Then i talk to my hipster daughter and said that film is coming back and I said what? I guess I won't be chucking that Beseler Enlarger, developing tanks, vintage digital timer any time soon. Thanks for the tips! Good to see that these cameras are not getting dumped into landfills.
Thank you David for this video. You are so ingenious! Replaced the deteriorated old foam with the yarn. Took a while to clean out the old foam using lighter fluid liquid and pushed the yarn in the groove. Now my Old Nikon FA is good to go! Thanks again!
I have done four different SLR cameras using your yarn technique and it works very well. On my most recent camera, a Yashica FX-3, I kept having issues with the yarn not staying in place, especially at the ends. I took a bar of soap and pulled the yarn across it to give it a slight coating and now the yarn is staying in place.
This is perfect. Simple cleanings don’t come cheap, so any way I can save money and still have fun with my older cameras, I’ll certainly take full advantage of it. Thanks for the video!
I just got the light seals changed on my Nikkormat FT N. I wasn't fast but they're done. We'll talk about the success/failure after I get the first roll of prints in my hand. This is the kind of video that is the best of RUclips. Thank you.
Great tutorial, just bought a Minolta XE with knackered light seals, followed this procedure and 30 minutes later job done. I used closed cell neoprene instead of felt but if this fails it's the easy bit to replace, once again thanks. I did put frog tape across the shutter to keep the rubbish out because it has the vertical metal Leitz-Copal shutter.
Such a informative Video!!!!! Thank you so very much. We are going to Gatlinburg in two weeks to get married!!! I pulled out my trusty Ricoh XR 7 and cleaned it. It hadn't been used in several years but I'm old-school and not much on digital. We went to a birthday party Sunday and my old friend failed me ( mirror locked up )?? I had picked up a few Pentax, and Nikon SLR's in the last few months. Though I like the older cameras ( like the Spotmatic, K1000, and KX ) I decided to clean up a MX I bought a couple weeks ago. The felt I'm guessing had never been changed nor the camera cleaned. I first washed the bottom machanics well with isopropyl alcohol. The grime came out in showers!! Next I remover and cleaned the focusing screen ( that video is awesome also!!!! ). I also cleaned the interior, and the mirror which was also covered with grime an felt glue. I re- watched this video. Went to Hobby Lobby and bought cotton yarn, and felt with glue. This was the easiest part of prepping the camera!!!! Everything went kust as you described!!!! We have a friend who used film cameras years ago. She will record out wedding in 35mm which is appropriate for a couple 60 year old kids. Thanks again!!!!! 😊
Great video David. I watched several of these and yours is the best. I just finished up 2 cameras and your method works great. Thank you very much for sharing this.
I don't now much about EVA foam, so here are the properties to look for in mirror bumper foam: soft, compressible, and quick to re-expand. The Mirror bumper both damps the mirror slap action and compresses to make a light-tight seal and prevent light from the viewfinder from sneaking past the mirror and fogging the film. A rigid foam would prevent that seal. Another thing is that some cameras require a certain amount of mirror travel for the shutter gearing to properly complete the shutter action. If the foam is too rigid and the mirror can't go as far into the shutter housing as it needs to, that could pose a shutter jamming risk.
I've been into film for a couple of months now and I've actually got my (very recent) fiance/long distance partner interested in film. While I was able to see her this summer when I went over to Canada, We had a look and she decided she was interested in Nikon specifically as she liked her DSLR from them. Anyway I managed to pick up a Nikon EM body for very cheap, and figured I'd try and redo the light seals using this method. Anyway to get to the point not a single place in my city sounds sticky back felt or cotton wool anymore. I always try and buy local over online but they don't make it easy 🤣🤣🤣 Great video and thank you for all the advice and info I've learned from your channel so far!
Thank you! I agree, buying local is better. If you do buy online, I try to source from the manufacturer as opposed to Big River, when possible. So for the felt, I just buy it straight from Dick Blick.
@@DavidHancock I managed to find a local shop and get the materials. I'm really happy with how it came out. Thank you so much for a fantastic guide!! Couldn't find any sticky back felt and the thread wouldn't stay in the channel so I used a special adhesive tape for electronics repairs and it works perfectly!
To hold the yarn in place, you can use silicone adhesive, or silicone gasket maker. Using this method there is no need to clean out the channels at all, it's just not necessary. I use 100% wool yarn, as it has great compression and rebound properties, makes a fantastic light seal and is very easy to do as you have demonstrated in this video. If you use the silicone, the yarn sits much better in the channel, you need to leave it a day or so to set and don't try to close it until it is set.
@@DinosourousRexx It is the stuff that you put around bathroom sinks and showers, it's also used in car engines to make a gasket between the engine components, e.g. Oil Sump, Rocker Cover etc. It's widely available and cheap.
I believe you just saved me some money . I can buy the foam seals from Amazon but I like this better … the yarn I can get cheap as with the felt … for the cost of getting the 1.5 and 2.00 mm foam .
Hi David. I am going to try to fix the light seals by myself for first time. It looks that both materials you used for the seals works very well and easy to set up, my only concern it is if these materials leaves some traces, these seems could leave some threads that may go to the film. Would not better using foam? Thanks
Great video, David. Glad I stumbled across it before using foam for a light seal replacement on my Canonet GIII QL17. How thick is the adhesive backed felt you use? I don't want to have it too thin to adequately seal the back from light, but also not so thick that it might impede closing the back. Do you find the thickness of the felt matters all that much?
I'll have to try this on my Yashica FX-D. My friend gave it to me last year and I love using it, as it's a little more compact than any other SLR I have, and I like the metering system, but that light leak is slightly annoying sometimes.
This should work A-Okay for that. I think I've installed these in about 5,000 cameras now and zero have had recurring light leaks. Also, zero have had issues with the back bowing or anything that could damage the camera. It's a good system and the camera repairman who turned me on to this approach did me a huge favor.
You're a legend, thanks for this! Much more affordable than buying the foam too as I have found. I am also having trouble removing the winding lever cap screw on my Canon AE-1. It seems to be stuck no matter how hard I try and twist and I keep scratching it. Any recommendations on how to loosen it? I am using two screwdrivers as I don't have thin tipped plyers.
Thank you! For the AE-1, make sure you're unscrewing it in the right direction. They unscrew against the arrow on the handle. I use a screwdriver or similar tool in the forks of the post (with the camera back open) to prevent the post from spinning. If it continues to be an issue, the Fix Old Cameras channel may have ideas that I don't.
@@DavidHancock thanks, but I think I've called it the wrong thing. I'm talking about the cap on the right side of the camera, above the film advance lever and the shutter speed dials. Any tips on getting that off?
To clean the channels, I make a Bambo Scraper from a pair of Chop sticks. I carve it with an exacto knife to a flat and narrow but squared edge. You don't mar the internal finish and it make old seal removal easy.
Hi David - The mirror bumper wasn't included in the replacements demonstrated in this video. The black yarn is unlikely to stay in place there. Would a felt strip also work, or should I use dedicated light seal foam for that location? Thanks!
Felt strips work as mirror bumpers, yes. That's what I use. You should be able to use a felt strips in the channels. I've only run into the yarn not staying in place once, on a Mamiya RB 67 back with a rough spot on the door. So felt will work instead, but is likely to be a pain to cut thin enough to fit.
David, I have just recently started collecting SLRs of the 70s and 80s. As a result I have many that need light seals replaced. I am in a rather small city Canada and have limited locations to find cotton yarn. So far no luck. I do not mind mail order/online ordering. Do you have any recommendations for companies that sell the cotton yarn? Thanks for a great video!! I've been spending lots of hours watching your older videos!! Well Done!!!!
Thank you! I might simply buy direct from the manufacturer. Other options would be craft store websites. I son't know if Michael's is in Canada, but they sell it. Also, Dick Blick would sell the Stick-It acrylic (they're out of stock on their website until November, last I checked a few weeks ago.)
Thank you! I forget the size. I use four-ply, about as thick around as a standard pencil's graphite. And yes, as long as the film back is clean of sticky foam residue, glue isn't needed. the cotton yarn has good friction and a bit of residual foam or adhesive in the actual channels can also help keep the yarn in place.
I went to a Sewing Shop here in Brentwood Essex ENGLAND asking about 'yarn' and the lady searched but did not have any like that also here in Brentwood I was told " you need a LICENCE to get Isopropyl Alcohol' that all you Americans use -- I told them " I''m not intending to DRINK it "
A license for isopropyl alcohol? What do you do for cuts and scrapes over there? Over here we put alcohol on it and then open a GoFundMe hoping strangers will pay for our guaranteed emergency room visit when it gets infected anyway.
Thanks for a great tutorial! You use 100% cotton, 4-ply yarn. Do you think 100% wool would work just as well or is there a reason you prefer the cotton yarn?
Thank you! I prefer felt because acrylic, to the best of my knowledge, had a longer stable life then open-cell polyurethane foam (PUF). I've not seen felt turn to goo, but PUF always will in time.
Great video, very clear and easy to follow, one question though. When using this method to replace perished light seals in an OM10 do you need to reduce the yarn strands to two from four or should it be okay as is?
Thank you! I think the OM10 can handle the four-ply yarn without issue. If you put it in and feel like you have to really jam the back down to close it, try again with two plies.
David, thanks for the informative video. I have 2 film cameras that I need to replace the seals on. In the video, you refer to using "adhesive-backed felt". Is there a particular thickness to the felt?
Love the video David. I'm going to attempt this with my Nikkormat FTN. It appears that no foam was used in the small upper and lower tracks? Also the only foam used is in the area on the hinge on the back door and no foam where the door opening is?. Does this sound correct? Thanks for the great video..
Thank you, Phil, and mostly correct. Yarn only in the tracks, adhesive-backed felt where there had been foam. Replacing foam with foam is fine; I prefer the felt because it's easy to work with, sturdier, and won't degrade with time.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but I seem to remember that some cameras, M42 Prakticas come to mind used yarn as light seals, which explains why they rarely show any light leaks. Also I'm curious as to why more recent cameras ditched the light seals completely, for example my EOS 300.
TDL Play's For recent cameras, better machining and engineering reduced the manufacturing tolerances. Older cameras used them to cover minor errors or variances in design and engineering. Some of the 90s cameras kept the foam seals, such and the Maxxum 5, but only in a few small places.
Nice video, as always. Thanks. What kind of thickness might you suggest for the foam for a point and shoot. A Pentax PC35AF in this case. It looks like 1.5-2mm, roughly.
Thank you! I've not replaced the foam in a PnS before, so I'm not certain what to use. My best advice is that PnS cameras tend to be made of plastic and will be less-resilient to the wrong material being used (the old plastic is more likely to break than would be metal.) So I'd stick with foam and probably find something in the 1.5mm range if possible.
Unfortunately I came across your video after I replaced the seals on my Mamiya C330f with foam! If there's a next time I'll do it this way. I bought a Holga 120N last week and stuffed yarn into the channels on the back. Don't know if it made a difference or not but I had no light leaks on the first roll of film.
Thank you! I've done this on OM10 cameras yes. Those have a TON of foam in them and the foam often degrades into goo on those. The hardest part of the OM10 is cleaning the foam behind the cassette spring (the good thing is that the foam behind the cassette doesn't have to be replaced.) There's also a really thin strip of foam where the film door meets the camera (opposite side of the hinge.) That needs to be replaced and cutting the felt thin enough takes some practice.
David Hancock thank you SOOO MUCH! I’m slightly new to film photography kinda, I’ve been shooting with my minolta 300si & I found the om 10 @ the thrift store for $20 & it’s in beautiful condition but after watching your video on the om 10 I noticed that the foam on mine was gooey & I’m glad I caught it before shooting a roll because now I can avoid light leaks 😭
Does the yarn ever come out? I feel like I would need something sticky on one side of the yarn - especially for some of the light seals on my mamiya RB67... any tips? The one that comes to mind is the light seal between the film back and the camera body.
Hasn't in any of my cameras. Once it's jammed into the channel the friction of the yarn against the channel is enough to keep it there. If there is leftover sticky foam on the door, however, that will pull the yarn out.
David Hancock thanks! Also in your experience of replacing light seals can felt replace all the foam areas or only specific ones? If specific ones which ones?
Great video! Quick question about Nikon f3 mirror seals if you know. Wondering if there's a way to access the second mirror foam that lies on top of the mirror but at the back? It's a bit difficult to get to and not sure if I should even bother. If anyone knows, please let me know.
I can't recall what camera it was, but there was cotton cording in the channels, sort of like candle wick. Using it isn't nearly as popular as it should be - I would never have done any replacements if it meant having to make thin strips of aggravatingly adhesive foam!
Hello! I just did this to a Minolta XG-1 and everything worked exactly as you said! The only thing is the back was initially quite tight to close, and still is. If you raise the door opener (not pull up to open just lift it up) it is enough to pop open. Also a good firm tap (not recommended in day-to-day obviously but could happen accidentally!) causes it to pop open. It's been about 24hrs with the back closed the whole time. I've also tried artificially presing down on the wear areas in the yarn and foam with a spudger. Should I wait a little longer for it to settle in or did I do something wrong? I don't want to accidentally expose film! :D
You likely have too thick a yarn in there. Some Minotlas don't like the full four plies and need two of the plies removed, the two remaining plies re-twisted, and inserted. So try it without yarn and if it works correctly you know that the issue is just that the yarn is too thick.
@@DavidHancock so I actually pulled one piece at a time and tested. I started with the top left piece, the long yarn on the top of the door. I took it out and the camera closed just fine. So I removed two piles from that and now it works perfectly. I noticed a little positive divot in the track and a corresponding cutout in the top of the door. I'm betting that was a location for this particular camera that would have needed to be cut away, as it was probably a tight fit even with the foam and too tight with the yarn. So now I have 4x on the right past the door catch, 4x on the bottom, and 2x on the top and it closes fine. I wonder if this will cause inconsistency or warping of the door though I don't feel any pressing on the edge with it closed. Thanks for the advice :D
Given a few more materials you could build the, " Hancock Medium format." Fun stuff David! It bothers me that they are no major American Camera manufacture.
I have a Nikon FE2 with some light leak causing a vertical beam over some frames. I suppose that means the leak is at one of the short sides of the rear door. I see there is a light seal by the hinge, but no traces of any at the opposite side where the closing mechanism is. Should it be a seal there too?
I think that the FE2 only needs one piece of sealant, on the door itself. Nikon typically did not put two pieces down, like Canon did. It's possible that either your light seals have degraded in a spot and need to be replaced or they've been worn away in a point on the door. Both would lead to a light leak.
Question: I have a Nikon F, the deteriorated adhesive on the original back light seal made removal of the camera back extremely difficult, almost impossible. After a lot of effort I got the camera back off and removed the camera back light seal which is made of cotton yarn. My wife found the exact same size cotton yarn also dyed black which I intend to replace the original cotton yarn with. Because of the way the Nikon F back is removable, I am concerned that the replacement cotton yarn will pull out when the back is removed if, as shown in your video, no adhesive is used to keep the cotton yarn in the channel it sits in. What is your recommendation for this? Should adhesive be used and, if it should be, what kind? I have been thinking of superglue. Thanks
The only times that I've had yarn pull out is if the door (or in your case removable back) have sticky residue on them. The yarn ought to stick in place in the channels because there's more contact area there and clean metal won't pull on it. So the best thing to do is to ensure that the removal back is very clean of residue. If you do find issues with the yarn then pick up some Pliobond and some toothpicks and put a bead of Pliobond into the channels that will work well to hold the glue in place and it doesn't off-gas adhesive that fogs lens elements like superglue will.
Hey David! Awesome video, just curious, would 3 ply 100% cotton yarn work aswell? Replacing the seals on a PENTAX 645. Also, can I use nail polish remover to take off the original seals? Thanks.
Thank you and it should. Pentaxes have pretty shallow channels as a general rule. As for nail polish remover, I would not I think it would potentially damage the finish. Goo Gone would work, but you'll want to clean the area well afterward lest your camera smell like citrus forever.
David Hancock Yeah, I’ll give goo gone a try! What should I clean it off with? I would just get alcohol but its far n few right now considering the state of things. Thanks for the speedy response! Cheers.
Thank you! The felt is pretty compressible so as long as you don't get shag carpeting for it, you should be okay. I'm not an affiliate, but here is the felt that I use: www.amazon.com/dp/B0026HR0U8
With that camera and 4-ply, you'll likely want to break it into two 2-ply lengths. But check first how well the door closes (because not all yarn is equally thick.) If it puts up resistance, it needs thinner yarn.
Wish you'd made this 6 months ago. Unfortunately I used a foam kit for my TLR. The material is very fragile was hard to position without twisting and sticking the adhesive to the sides of the channels. Beside cotton yarn, have you thought about using soft neoprene rubber (not foam). It is very compressible and strong and should not rot either.
I have, and I've seen camera with Neoprene. Neoprene is another good material because it lasts a long time and works very well. I go with yarn simply because it's super easy and it's also compressible. So if the Neoprene is damaged or not placed correctly, light could make it past. That's just a non-issue with yarn.
I tried to replace my light seals with foam what a nightmare! Did it in the end and now the camera back sticks closed Grrr so I'm going to try the cotton yarn method. What keeps the yarn stuck in the channel?
So far, touch wood, I’ve been very lucky with light seals, but I know my time will come and this tutorial was so good even I could follow it. Thank you David, the video is now saved to a playlist.
Hi, Yasmin, you may need to remove a ply. Minolta cameras have shallow channels. If you try to close it and it resists, take it down to two ply and try again.
i know i'm a bit late on this but how can i recognize if my mirror bumper needs replacement or not because i am getting light leaks on my pentax mx but i think the mirror works fine so i dont know if i wanna risk my focusing screen for something i dont "really need" or something that is fine in this condition
If the mirror bumper foam doesn't bounce back when you push on it or if it's dry, broken, or brittle then it's failed. It's good to replace it if it's failed because the mirror bumper also protects your mirror from damage when hitting the top of the reflex mirror housing.
Use a piece of tape a bit bigger than the shutter curtain, stuck to a larger piece of tape that will do the covering. Paper tape worked well for me, easy to cut accurately with scissors.
Hmm, well "ruined" or not I've got to attempt to clean the focusing screen on this AV-1 that just arrived. I neglected to ask the seller about that, and the mirror foam disintegrated all over inside ... might need to begin with a vacuum cleaner. Lesson learned (or, just stick to models with user-replaceable screens).
Start with a rocket blaster or similar. That might get rid of the largest pieces. A dry cotton swab could be used to dab off (not smear) the remaining pieces.
You can, yes. I use cotton because it holds better and will never degrade. Acrylic, at least the sheet plastic (I've never used the yarn) isn't UV-intolerant, meaning that light that it stops from entering the camera could affect it over time. Also, I think that cotton has better friction and will hold in the channels more effectively. That said, will acrylic yarn last five or ten years, possibly or maybe probably. Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work like you'd like and within a roll or two you'll know.
I see some people protect the film curtain during these cleanings by placing a piece of flat cardboard over the shutter and rest it on the film guides. taping it to camera.
That's a good idea and I did that for a while when I started doing this. I would definitely suggest that as a good practice whenever a repair is done inside the camera.
Yes, you can do that, my concern would be the tape getting stuck on the shutter. Something like a Frog tape may be safer, or even better maybe a business card taped in place with the tape off to the sides of the film chamber area.
@@LyudmilaRGVK the one I repaired? No. I had to have a mirror custom made (it was a very rare camera) and then I replaced the mirror. If you're asking about your camera, probably not. If the mirror is still shiny, it's fine. Modern mirrors are more resilient to rubbing alcohol, but with time they can be damaged by it.
@@DavidHancock I just had to do this tutorial on my GW690iii and it was a challenge getting all the old seal residue off :/ i didn't get 100% of it off
@@julioespana79 You should be fine. I replace the light seals in something like 800 cameras a year and in some makes, like Pentax and Canon, it's almost impossible to remove the residue 100%. As long as you get most of it you'll be fine. What will happen is that over time the foam goo will be trapped (encapsulated in the environmental remediation term and is a bit more accurate) in the cotton yarn. From there it won't be an issue for your camera. As long as there weren't large clumps left that could make the batting material (the yarn) in the channels too thick for the film back to close and as long as the yarn fills in the same spaces as the original foam, everything will be okay.
@@DavidHancock I was suprised as I opened my first Praktika camera (mtl 3 (some of the simpler ones)) and saw that kind of sealing. But these cameras were meant to last (quite easy construction with a good metal shutter etc.).
Acetone will destroy a lot of finish materials (especially plastic) and some paints will wash clean off with it. I ruined a grip on a camera not too long ago using acetone, and so I don't use it for much of anything except cleaning metal components that don't have finishes.
David Hancock yeah don’t get it on plastic. Never had problems with paint though. It’s just incredibly efficient at getting glue off. A very good alternative is turpentine, not nearly as dangerous to plastic as benzine yet easier to handle and almost as effective. Wool is more springy and compressible. Be careful not to deform hinges and metal backs with by using too much force in closing them with newly installed seals. Even slight deformations of the back is far worse and much harder to fix than faulty seals.
Hmmm…. Sounds like a great idea but it isn’t. Cotton leaves fibers everywhere. They will get into the negative and ruin pictures. Some tiny strands could even get into the camera mechanisms and jam it. The yarn used in older cameras as light seals was very different, still was replaced with foam exactly for the reasons I mentioned.
I'm curious to know where you learned that because it's not something I had heard. I am happy to provide some added details on why I recommend this approach. For a good number of years I fixed and resold cameras -- up to a couple thousand a year, so not low volume. I had a network of five or six repairmen that I sent broken cameras that needed more work than I could perform. I kept them VERY busy and because of that had good relationships with them and learned a lot from them. I studied the cameras they sent back and asked them questions. I specifically asked three of them why they used cotton yarn light seals. Obviously, ease and speed were good reasons, so was the repair's longevity. Now, yes, old cotton was not as refined as modern cotton. Modern cotton has longer fibers than cotton used to have because cotton has been bread to have longer fibers (longer fibers make cotton fabric last longer.) So the fibers that are spun into cotton yarn don't untangle easily and because the yarn is jammed into the seals it isn't moving and flexing, which means that the fibers aren't breaking. Acrylic yarn, yes, I would see that breaking down with time and periodic exposure to UV when the film doors are opened, which could lead to acrylic yarn being an issue. But as I think I noted in this video, cotton is preferred. As for foam, it has its own problems. Foam turns to dust, breaks, and becomes gummy with age and the pressure of the film door being pressed into and released from it. Foam, especially when it gets sticky, can land in shutter curtains or leaves and jam those mechanisms. Shutters are not going to be damaged by the incidental stray cotton fiber, but they will be ruined by a small piece of sticky foam getting into the leaves or channels of a vertical-travel focal-plane curtain. Every repairman I talked to about light seals agreed that foam is only the solution that was used because 1- machining at the time was not good enough to eliminate the need for light seals (90s cameras, for instance, don't have light seals in general) and 2- petroleum industry tax breaks and government-provided financing to oil companies and refiners allowed petroleum to be artificially cheaper than cotton yarn, which prompted the move to open-cell polyurethane (this is what the foam actually is) and away from cotton yarn. Making a million cameras, if the foam is a dime less expensive than cotton per camera (and it was certainly even cheaper) then the profits from using the foam would be significant. That was the real motive for the change. When foam breaks down, it is far more damaging to camera mechanisms than is cotton.
@@DavidHancockWill not get into discussion about it, my opinion about it stands. Even if you do want to use yarn as a seal, the type you are using is the wort one possible. It is so loosely wound and irregular in thickness and visibly sheds fibers. You would not even glue it in place…
This makes me real suspicious.. you start off saying if you want to never have to replace your light seals again.. then you use a knife to scrape the seals off.. then you compare it to the cuts you already made.. ufda. I just ordered the pre-cut seals and all of the work is in the prep. Highly recommend you never use metal to clean paint. Should definitely be using some wood toothpicks.
Getting into shooting film. Bought a Nikon FE in great condition but needed the light seals replaced. Local place says $100 and it'll be a few weeks. I found this video and did it myself in about 20 minutes! Thank you so much, David!
Thank you!
100 USD, that is plain criminal!
@@thijskennis8757 Yeah, brother! What's awesome is that I've replaced my own seals in about 30 other cameras since my original post. I'm a wiz at it now! 😎 Thanks again to David for the lesson.
Another advantage with the Yarn solution is for the beginners (like me), if it doesn't work so well, you can easily take it out and start again.
100$ is what I payed for my FE, no way some seals should be that much
I had just read this tip on a forum the other day about using yarn instead of the foam in the tracks. I purchased some yarn online the other day to give it a try. I wanted to see if anyone else had tried it "on RUclips" and made a video about it and lo and behold, without realizing it, I had purchased the exact yarn you have (somedays its better to be lucky than good). Thanks for the great videos!
Thank you!
Same here. I bought the exact cotton yarn before seeing this. Wool yarn works well too. This is a great video and repair method. Unless you do these light seal repairs all the time, it can be difficult for first time DIY person trying to get 1.5 mm adhesive backed foam in the channels. It can stick to the sides first instead of squarely going into the channel. Thanks for sharing this method and video!
Happy to announce that the seal replacement was a success, both in applying and the results from my photos!
Nice! This is a really great way to do it.
Great Tutorial on how to fix and replace foam. Pulling my Yashica FR1 out from 1979 and debating whether to fix it or not. Then i talk to my hipster daughter and said that film is coming back and I said what? I guess I won't be chucking that Beseler Enlarger, developing tanks, vintage digital timer any time soon. Thanks for the tips! Good to see that these cameras are not getting dumped into landfills.
Thank you!
Thank you David for this video. You are so ingenious! Replaced the deteriorated old foam with the yarn. Took a while to clean out the old foam using lighter fluid liquid and pushed the yarn in the groove. Now my Old Nikon FA is good to go! Thanks again!
Nice! That's a great camera, too!
Thank You David. Absolutely brilliant solution to the sticky foam problem!
Thank you!
I have done four different SLR cameras using your yarn technique and it works very well. On my most recent camera, a Yashica FX-3, I kept having issues with the yarn not staying in place, especially at the ends. I took a bar of soap and pulled the yarn across it to give it a slight coating and now the yarn is staying in place.
Nice! That's awesome to hear and thank you for the tip on the soap!
This is perfect. Simple cleanings don’t come cheap, so any way I can save money and still have fun with my older cameras, I’ll certainly take full advantage of it. Thanks for the video!
Thank you!
I just got the light seals changed on my Nikkormat FT N. I wasn't fast but they're done. We'll talk about the success/failure after I get the first roll of prints in my hand. This is the kind of video that is the best of RUclips. Thank you.
Very nice and thank you!
@markgoostree6334 how did it work out?
Great tutorial, just bought a Minolta XE with knackered light seals, followed this procedure and 30 minutes later job done. I used closed cell neoprene instead of felt but if this fails it's the easy bit to replace, once again thanks. I did put frog tape across the shutter to keep the rubbish out because it has the vertical metal Leitz-Copal shutter.
Thank you!
Such a informative Video!!!!! Thank you so very much.
We are going to Gatlinburg in two weeks to get married!!! I pulled out my trusty Ricoh XR 7 and cleaned it. It hadn't been used in several years but I'm old-school and not much on digital.
We went to a birthday party Sunday and my old friend failed me ( mirror locked up )??
I had picked up a few Pentax, and Nikon SLR's in the last few months. Though I like the older cameras ( like the Spotmatic, K1000, and KX ) I decided to clean up a MX I bought a couple weeks ago.
The felt I'm guessing had never been changed nor the camera cleaned. I first washed the bottom machanics well with isopropyl alcohol. The grime came out in showers!! Next I remover and cleaned the focusing screen ( that video is awesome also!!!! ). I also cleaned the interior, and the mirror which was also covered with grime an felt glue.
I re- watched this video. Went to Hobby Lobby and bought cotton yarn, and felt with glue.
This was the easiest part of prepping the camera!!!! Everything went kust as you described!!!!
We have a friend who used film cameras years ago. She will record out wedding in 35mm which is appropriate for a couple 60 year old kids.
Thanks again!!!!! 😊
Thank you! Congratulations on getting married, too! That's fantastic.
Great video David. I watched several of these and yours is the best. I just finished up 2 cameras and your method works great. Thank you very much for sharing this.
Thank you, Dave!
Thank you for this video. GOD bless you and your family and your country .
Thank you!
I've now done this for many cameras. Great video.
Thank you!
It’s hard to find light seal foam in my place, is it okay if i replace it with eva foam? Or any suggestions? (For the mirror bumper)
I don't now much about EVA foam, so here are the properties to look for in mirror bumper foam: soft, compressible, and quick to re-expand. The Mirror bumper both damps the mirror slap action and compresses to make a light-tight seal and prevent light from the viewfinder from sneaking past the mirror and fogging the film. A rigid foam would prevent that seal. Another thing is that some cameras require a certain amount of mirror travel for the shutter gearing to properly complete the shutter action. If the foam is too rigid and the mirror can't go as far into the shutter housing as it needs to, that could pose a shutter jamming risk.
I've been into film for a couple of months now and I've actually got my (very recent) fiance/long distance partner interested in film.
While I was able to see her this summer when I went over to Canada, We had a look and she decided she was interested in Nikon specifically as she liked her DSLR from them.
Anyway I managed to pick up a Nikon EM body for very cheap, and figured I'd try and redo the light seals using this method.
Anyway to get to the point not a single place in my city sounds sticky back felt or cotton wool anymore.
I always try and buy local over online but they don't make it easy 🤣🤣🤣
Great video and thank you for all the advice and info I've learned from your channel so far!
Thank you! I agree, buying local is better. If you do buy online, I try to source from the manufacturer as opposed to Big River, when possible. So for the felt, I just buy it straight from Dick Blick.
@@DavidHancock I managed to find a local shop and get the materials. I'm really happy with how it came out. Thank you so much for a fantastic guide!! Couldn't find any sticky back felt and the thread wouldn't stay in the channel so I used a special adhesive tape for electronics repairs and it works perfectly!
To hold the yarn in place, you can use silicone adhesive, or silicone gasket maker. Using this method there is no need to clean out the channels at all, it's just not necessary. I use 100% wool yarn, as it has great compression and rebound properties, makes a fantastic light seal and is very easy to do as you have demonstrated in this video. If you use the silicone, the yarn sits much better in the channel, you need to leave it a day or so to set and don't try to close it until it is set.
Thank you!
Is silicone adhesive like rubber cement glue, or something completely different?
@@DinosourousRexx It is the stuff that you put around bathroom sinks and showers, it's also used in car engines to make a gasket between the engine components, e.g. Oil Sump, Rocker Cover etc. It's widely available and cheap.
@@davidstorm4015 Ahh, got it, thanks!
I believe you just saved me some money . I can buy the foam seals from Amazon but I like this better … the yarn I can get cheap as with the felt … for the cost of getting the 1.5 and 2.00 mm foam .
Nice!
Hi David. I am going to try to fix the light seals by myself for first time. It looks that both materials you used for the seals works very well and easy to set up, my only concern it is if these materials leaves some traces, these seems could leave some threads that may go to the film. Would not better using foam? Thanks
The light seals are far enough away from the film that even if the yarn is really ragged it won't be in front of the film.
This was a big help, I cant seem to find replacement seals for my 67 Minolta Al-F. I will use this method.
Fantastic! I use this for light seals often and it's easy and reliable.
Great video, David. Glad I stumbled across it before using foam for a light seal replacement on my Canonet GIII QL17. How thick is the adhesive backed felt you use? I don't want to have it too thin to adequately seal the back from light, but also not so thick that it might impede closing the back. Do you find the thickness of the felt matters all that much?
Thank you! I'd say that the felt is around 1.5mm. As long as you only use one layer, I've never had an issue with it in any camera model.
@@DavidHancock Gotcha, thanks for the response!
I'll have to try this on my Yashica FX-D. My friend gave it to me last year and I love using it, as it's a little more compact than any other SLR I have, and I like the metering system, but that light leak is slightly annoying sometimes.
This should work A-Okay for that. I think I've installed these in about 5,000 cameras now and zero have had recurring light leaks. Also, zero have had issues with the back bowing or anything that could damage the camera. It's a good system and the camera repairman who turned me on to this approach did me a huge favor.
Great job and info. Do you have any links to the materials used? I found the yarn at Joanne's but not too sure of the felt I bought there.
Thank you!
I don't have any links, but the felt can be bought at Amazon for something like $5 or $8 per six sheets.
I didn’t realize that was so easy!
You're a legend, thanks for this! Much more affordable than buying the foam too as I have found. I am also having trouble removing the winding lever cap screw on my Canon AE-1. It seems to be stuck no matter how hard I try and twist and I keep scratching it. Any recommendations on how to loosen it? I am using two screwdrivers as I don't have thin tipped plyers.
Thank you!
For the AE-1, make sure you're unscrewing it in the right direction. They unscrew against the arrow on the handle. I use a screwdriver or similar tool in the forks of the post (with the camera back open) to prevent the post from spinning. If it continues to be an issue, the Fix Old Cameras channel may have ideas that I don't.
@@DavidHancock thanks, but I think I've called it the wrong thing. I'm talking about the cap on the right side of the camera, above the film advance lever and the shutter speed dials. Any tips on getting that off?
@@scruffykl oh got it. You need a spanner wrench. I think those are reverse-threaded, too.
I've done about half-a-dozen seal jobs so far, quite easy once you get the hang of it.
Thank you! Definitely yes. It usually takes me around ten minutes including a full camera cleaning.
To clean the channels, I make a Bambo Scraper from a pair of Chop sticks. I carve it with an exacto knife to a flat and narrow but squared edge. You don't mar the internal finish and it make old seal removal easy.
That's a great solution.
This is a very helpful video!
Thank you!
Hi David -
The mirror bumper wasn't included in the replacements demonstrated in this video. The black yarn is unlikely to stay in place there. Would a felt strip also work, or should I use dedicated light seal foam for that location?
Thanks!
Felt strips work as mirror bumpers, yes. That's what I use. You should be able to use a felt strips in the channels. I've only run into the yarn not staying in place once, on a Mamiya RB 67 back with a rough spot on the door. So felt will work instead, but is likely to be a pain to cut thin enough to fit.
David, I have just recently started collecting SLRs of the 70s and 80s. As a result I have many that need light seals replaced. I am in a rather small city Canada and have limited locations to find cotton yarn. So far no luck. I do not mind mail order/online ordering. Do you have any recommendations for companies that sell the cotton yarn? Thanks for a great video!! I've been spending lots of hours watching your older videos!! Well Done!!!!
Thank you! I might simply buy direct from the manufacturer. Other options would be craft store websites. I son't know if Michael's is in Canada, but they sell it. Also, Dick Blick would sell the Stick-It acrylic (they're out of stock on their website until November, last I checked a few weeks ago.)
Hey for every dingus that does not have cotton yarn on hand; you can also roll a thin piece of felt with your hands. That does the job as well
Nice. Thank you!
Thanks for this video David. What yarn size is best and if using also foam what is the best size. And is yarn by itself without glueing enough? Thanks
Thank you! I forget the size. I use four-ply, about as thick around as a standard pencil's graphite. And yes, as long as the film back is clean of sticky foam residue, glue isn't needed. the cotton yarn has good friction and a bit of residual foam or adhesive in the actual channels can also help keep the yarn in place.
I went to a Sewing Shop here in Brentwood Essex ENGLAND asking about 'yarn' and the lady searched but did not have any like that also here in Brentwood I was told " you need a LICENCE to get Isopropyl Alcohol' that all you Americans use -- I told them " I''m not intending to DRINK it "
A license for isopropyl alcohol? What do you do for cuts and scrapes over there? Over here we put alcohol on it and then open a GoFundMe hoping strangers will pay for our guaranteed emergency room visit when it gets infected anyway.
Can you get those eyeglass wipes what are saturated isopropyl alcohol without a license?
You don't need a license for isopropyl alcohol in UK!!😅
You definitely do not need a license to buy IPA. In the UK, you can buy at the chemist, as "rubbing alcohol".
Thanks form that INFO @@jakereich
Thanks for a great tutorial!
You use 100% cotton, 4-ply yarn. Do you think 100% wool would work just as well or is there a reason you prefer the cotton yarn?
Thank you! Wool would work fine, but it's more expensive (out here anyway.) But if it's available or cheaper, go for it.
@@DavidHancock I only had 100% synthetic I hope it works
Awesome video!! I’m about to change my first light seals. In your opinion why is felt better than foam for light seals?
Thank you! I prefer felt because acrylic, to the best of my knowledge, had a longer stable life then open-cell polyurethane foam (PUF). I've not seen felt turn to goo, but PUF always will in time.
Great video, very clear and easy to follow, one question though. When using this method to replace perished light seals in an OM10 do you need to reduce the yarn strands to two from four or should it be okay as is?
Thank you! I think the OM10 can handle the four-ply yarn without issue. If you put it in and feel like you have to really jam the back down to close it, try again with two plies.
David, thanks for the informative video. I have 2 film cameras that I need to replace the seals on. In the video, you refer to using "adhesive-backed felt". Is there a particular thickness to the felt?
Thank you! I use Dick Blick Stick-it! felt. It's perfect and doesn't stretch when you place it.
Love the video David. I'm going to attempt this with my Nikkormat FTN. It appears that no foam was used in the small upper and lower tracks? Also the only foam used is in the area on the hinge on the back door and no foam where the door opening is?. Does this sound correct? Thanks for the great video..
Thank you, Phil, and mostly correct. Yarn only in the tracks, adhesive-backed felt where there had been foam. Replacing foam with foam is fine; I prefer the felt because it's easy to work with, sturdier, and won't degrade with time.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but I seem to remember that some cameras, M42 Prakticas come to mind used yarn as light seals, which explains why they rarely show any light leaks. Also I'm curious as to why more recent cameras ditched the light seals completely, for example my EOS 300.
TDL Play's For recent cameras, better machining and engineering reduced the manufacturing tolerances. Older cameras used them to cover minor errors or variances in design and engineering. Some of the 90s cameras kept the foam seals, such and the Maxxum 5, but only in a few small places.
Rolleiflex cameras used yarn for light seals back in they day.
Nice video, as always. Thanks. What kind of thickness might you suggest for the foam for a point and shoot. A Pentax PC35AF in this case. It looks like 1.5-2mm, roughly.
Felt, rather
Thank you! I've not replaced the foam in a PnS before, so I'm not certain what to use. My best advice is that PnS cameras tend to be made of plastic and will be less-resilient to the wrong material being used (the old plastic is more likely to break than would be metal.) So I'd stick with foam and probably find something in the 1.5mm range if possible.
@@DavidHancock Sounds good. Thanks David
Unfortunately I came across your video after I replaced the seals on my Mamiya C330f with foam! If there's a next time I'll do it this way.
I bought a Holga 120N last week and stuffed yarn into the channels on the back. Don't know if it made a difference or not but I had no light leaks on the first roll of film.
Nice! Holgas are notoriously hard to prevent light leaks in.
I thought light leaks were a selling point of holgas.
@@Cadwaladr That's true for many but not everyone. I was curious about the other "features" of the camera:)
Amazing video!!! I have a question though... if I used this method for my Olympus OM10, will it work well??
Thank you! I've done this on OM10 cameras yes. Those have a TON of foam in them and the foam often degrades into goo on those. The hardest part of the OM10 is cleaning the foam behind the cassette spring (the good thing is that the foam behind the cassette doesn't have to be replaced.) There's also a really thin strip of foam where the film door meets the camera (opposite side of the hinge.) That needs to be replaced and cutting the felt thin enough takes some practice.
David Hancock thank you SOOO MUCH! I’m slightly new to film photography kinda, I’ve been shooting with my minolta 300si & I found the om 10 @ the thrift store for $20 & it’s in beautiful condition but after watching your video on the om 10 I noticed that the foam on mine was gooey & I’m glad I caught it before shooting a roll because now I can avoid light leaks 😭
:D
Does the yarn ever come out? I feel like I would need something sticky on one side of the yarn - especially for some of the light seals on my mamiya RB67... any tips? The one that comes to mind is the light seal between the film back and the camera body.
Hasn't in any of my cameras. Once it's jammed into the channel the friction of the yarn against the channel is enough to keep it there. If there is leftover sticky foam on the door, however, that will pull the yarn out.
David Hancock thanks! Also in your experience of replacing light seals can felt replace all the foam areas or only specific ones? If specific ones which ones?
Thanks for the tip/tutorial! :)
Thank you!
Great video!
Quick question about Nikon f3 mirror seals if you know. Wondering if there's a way to access the second mirror foam that lies on top of the mirror but at the back? It's a bit difficult to get to and not sure if I should even bother. If anyone knows, please let me know.
I think that can be accessed with the prism removed.
Excellent tutorial, David. Thank you!
Thank yo, Paul!
I can't recall what camera it was, but there was cotton cording in the channels, sort of like candle wick. Using it isn't nearly as popular as it should be - I would never have done any replacements if it meant having to make thin strips of aggravatingly adhesive foam!
Some of the German cameras were made like that.
Thank you! Excellent information!!
Thank you!
Hello! I just did this to a Minolta XG-1 and everything worked exactly as you said! The only thing is the back was initially quite tight to close, and still is. If you raise the door opener (not pull up to open just lift it up) it is enough to pop open. Also a good firm tap (not recommended in day-to-day obviously but could happen accidentally!) causes it to pop open. It's been about 24hrs with the back closed the whole time. I've also tried artificially presing down on the wear areas in the yarn and foam with a spudger. Should I wait a little longer for it to settle in or did I do something wrong? I don't want to accidentally expose film! :D
You likely have too thick a yarn in there. Some Minotlas don't like the full four plies and need two of the plies removed, the two remaining plies re-twisted, and inserted. So try it without yarn and if it works correctly you know that the issue is just that the yarn is too thick.
@@DavidHancock so I actually pulled one piece at a time and tested. I started with the top left piece, the long yarn on the top of the door. I took it out and the camera closed just fine. So I removed two piles from that and now it works perfectly. I noticed a little positive divot in the track and a corresponding cutout in the top of the door. I'm betting that was a location for this particular camera that would have needed to be cut away, as it was probably a tight fit even with the foam and too tight with the yarn. So now I have 4x on the right past the door catch, 4x on the bottom, and 2x on the top and it closes fine. I wonder if this will cause inconsistency or warping of the door though I don't feel any pressing on the edge with it closed.
Thanks for the advice :D
@@DavidHancock Have you ever done this on a XD5/XD7?
@@Matzgier Nope, but the process ought to be the same.
Thanks for the amazing video
Thank you!
Given a few more materials you could build the, " Hancock Medium format." Fun stuff David! It bothers me that they are no major American Camera manufacture.
Yeah, I think Calumet was the last, and I don't know that I could call them major. Kodak isn't really major any more, either.
I have a Nikon FE2 with some light leak causing a vertical beam over some frames. I suppose that means the leak is at one of the short sides of the rear door. I see there is a light seal by the hinge, but no traces of any at the opposite side where the closing mechanism is. Should it be a seal there too?
I think that the FE2 only needs one piece of sealant, on the door itself. Nikon typically did not put two pieces down, like Canon did. It's possible that either your light seals have degraded in a spot and need to be replaced or they've been worn away in a point on the door. Both would lead to a light leak.
Question: I have a Nikon F, the deteriorated adhesive on the original back light seal made removal of the camera back extremely difficult, almost impossible. After a lot of effort I got the camera back off and removed the camera back light seal which is made of cotton yarn. My wife found the exact same size cotton yarn also dyed black which I intend to replace the original cotton yarn with. Because of the way the Nikon F back is removable, I am concerned that the replacement cotton yarn will pull out when the back is removed if, as shown in your video, no adhesive is used to keep the cotton yarn in the channel it sits in. What is your recommendation for this? Should adhesive be used and, if it should be, what kind? I have been thinking of superglue. Thanks
The only times that I've had yarn pull out is if the door (or in your case removable back) have sticky residue on them. The yarn ought to stick in place in the channels because there's more contact area there and clean metal won't pull on it. So the best thing to do is to ensure that the removal back is very clean of residue. If you do find issues with the yarn then pick up some Pliobond and some toothpicks and put a bead of Pliobond into the channels that will work well to hold the glue in place and it doesn't off-gas adhesive that fogs lens elements like superglue will.
Hey David! Awesome video, just curious, would 3 ply 100% cotton yarn work aswell? Replacing the seals on a PENTAX 645. Also, can I use nail polish remover to take off the original seals? Thanks.
Thank you and it should. Pentaxes have pretty shallow channels as a general rule. As for nail polish remover, I would not I think it would potentially damage the finish. Goo Gone would work, but you'll want to clean the area well afterward lest your camera smell like citrus forever.
David Hancock Yeah, I’ll give goo gone a try! What should I clean it off with? I would just get alcohol but its far n few right now considering the state of things. Thanks for the speedy response! Cheers.
David Hancock Would ethyl alcohol work the same?
ETHAN Rubbing alcohol works very well to remove the old seals and clean the channels where the new seals will go in.
@@ethbell fucking covid
Hi David, great video. I have a Minolta XD-7 that needs new seals. What was the thickness of the
sticky felt product you used on the hinge seal?
Thank you!
The felt is pretty compressible so as long as you don't get shag carpeting for it, you should be okay. I'm not an affiliate, but here is the felt that I use:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0026HR0U8
Many thanks mate! This will be my 2nd attempt! The foam I used on the 1st attempt was not dense enough.
mmm do you suggest that 3 ply cotton yard would still work? thanks
Definitely yes
Thanks!
Thank you!
Do you know if 4 ply will fit in the Olympus OM-1 channels or will I have to 2 ply it?
With that camera and 4-ply, you'll likely want to break it into two 2-ply lengths. But check first how well the door closes (because not all yarn is equally thick.) If it puts up resistance, it needs thinner yarn.
Wish you'd made this 6 months ago. Unfortunately I used a foam kit for my TLR. The material is very fragile was hard to position without twisting and sticking the adhesive to the sides of the channels.
Beside cotton yarn, have you thought about using soft neoprene rubber (not foam). It is very compressible and strong and should not rot either.
I have, and I've seen camera with Neoprene. Neoprene is another good material because it lasts a long time and works very well. I go with yarn simply because it's super easy and it's also compressible. So if the Neoprene is damaged or not placed correctly, light could make it past. That's just a non-issue with yarn.
Thanks. Do you have links to the yarn and felt? If the yarn does not fit easily is there an adhesive to help stick it into place?
Excellent, thanks!
Thank you!
I tried to replace my light seals with foam what a nightmare! Did it in the end and now the camera back sticks closed Grrr so I'm going to try the cotton yarn method. What keeps the yarn stuck in the channel?
Friction and inertia keep it in place
So far, touch wood, I’ve been very lucky with light seals, but I know my time will come and this tutorial was so good even I could follow it. Thank you David, the video is now saved to a playlist.
Thank you, Mark!
great video. thanks for sharing
Thank you!
hi david! i was wondering if a 3-ply yarn work for minolta x570 repair?
Hi, Yasmin, you may need to remove a ply. Minolta cameras have shallow channels. If you try to close it and it resists, take it down to two ply and try again.
@@DavidHancock okay thank you very much!
Those bamboo sticks you get at the grocery store would probably work well for cleaning out the channels.
Oh, good idea. I used to use wood-stick cotton swabs for some cleaning so I'd have those to use, too. The bamboo sticks are a great idea.
Also, which I use, are wooden cuticle pusher sticks. They have a tapered end and a pointed end. Really quite handy.
Nice. Thank you! I hadn't thought of those.
I use toothpicks. Works good as any
Do you think this will work with Pentax 6x7? Thanks
It will. Mine has them.
What is the thickness of the felt that you used?
It's just Dick Blick Stick It. I think it's 1.5-2mm.
Buying it from his no-good brother in law! LMAO!
:D
i know i'm a bit late on this but how can i recognize if my mirror bumper needs replacement or not because i am getting light leaks on my pentax mx but i think the mirror works fine so i dont know if i wanna risk my focusing screen for something i dont "really need" or something that is fine in this condition
If the mirror bumper foam doesn't bounce back when you push on it or if it's dry, broken, or brittle then it's failed. It's good to replace it if it's failed because the mirror bumper also protects your mirror from damage when hitting the top of the reflex mirror housing.
@@DavidHancock thank you very much, i am surely going to use this tutorial on my pentax and great video as always : )
Probably could put some painters tape and maybe paper to cover the shutter cloth while cleaning.
That could work. I might put something between the tape and leaves or curtain so that the tape doesn't stick to them. That could end badly.
Use a piece of tape a bit bigger than the shutter curtain, stuck to a larger piece of tape that will do the covering. Paper tape worked well for me, easy to cut accurately with scissors.
Do you think I can apply this method to a yashica electro 35 GSN?
Definitely yes. I've done this on multiple GSN bodies.
Thank you for this! Got my first real film camera, a Pentax Spotmatic SP. this is soooooo helpful.
Thank you!
Hmm, well "ruined" or not I've got to attempt to clean the focusing screen on this AV-1 that just arrived. I neglected to ask the seller about that, and the mirror foam disintegrated all over inside ... might need to begin with a vacuum cleaner. Lesson learned (or, just stick to models with user-replaceable screens).
Start with a rocket blaster or similar. That might get rid of the largest pieces. A dry cotton swab could be used to dab off (not smear) the remaining pieces.
@@DavidHancock Thanks David. So ... any application of alcohol will smear the old adhesive and foam bits, never remove/dissolve it?
@@thenexthobby Yes, but if you get it on the focusing screen you won't be able to focus on the parts of the image where the alcohol touches.
Can I use acrylic yarn instead? Is there any drawbacks?
You can, yes. I use cotton because it holds better and will never degrade. Acrylic, at least the sheet plastic (I've never used the yarn) isn't UV-intolerant, meaning that light that it stops from entering the camera could affect it over time. Also, I think that cotton has better friction and will hold in the channels more effectively.
That said, will acrylic yarn last five or ten years, possibly or maybe probably. Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work like you'd like and within a roll or two you'll know.
What glue I got to use for those cotton seals?
I don't use any. If the doors are clean friction holds it in place.
@@DavidHancock I will try, thanks a lot
does this work with acrylic yarn?
It will. I suggest cotton only because I know it lasts a hundred years or so. Acrylic will still last long enough. 😃
I've cut q-tips in half, at an angle to give a 'sharper' edge, instead of using the tiny screwdriver, for those tough bits.
That's definitely a more gentle method.
I see some people protect the film curtain during these cleanings by placing a piece of flat cardboard over the shutter and rest it on the film guides. taping it to camera.
That's a good idea and I did that for a while when I started doing this. I would definitely suggest that as a good practice whenever a repair is done inside the camera.
You could protect the shutter with painters tape I think
Yes, you can do that, my concern would be the tape getting stuck on the shutter. Something like a Frog tape may be safer, or even better maybe a business card taped in place with the tape off to the sides of the film chamber area.
Can you use wool yarn?
Definitely
@@DavidHancock I'll most definitely try it on my cameras soon! Thanks for the tutorial
Can it hurt the mirror to be cleaned with alcohol????
Yup. I took the silver off a mirror that way once.
So is the Camera Toast now? @@DavidHancock
@@DavidHancock So is the Camera Toast now?
@@LyudmilaRGVK the one I repaired? No. I had to have a mirror custom made (it was a very rare camera) and then I replaced the mirror. If you're asking about your camera, probably not. If the mirror is still shiny, it's fine. Modern mirrors are more resilient to rubbing alcohol, but with time they can be damaged by it.
An even better solution for loosening the glue on the film door felt/foam strip is Zippo lighter fluid, it takes it all away!
That does work better, I just don't like the smell.
Nikon f3 work ?
Yes
@@DavidHancock sample results, pleas look ?
I did not make a video installing light seals in my F3. I have and I have used it since I replaced the light seals with cotton yarn.
hmm, so no glue is used to keep the yarn in place?
I never do and the only time I've had them come out is if I fail yo clean some sticky foam seal material off the door.
@@DavidHancock I just had to do this tutorial on my GW690iii and it was a challenge getting all the old seal residue off :/ i didn't get 100% of it off
@@julioespana79 You should be fine. I replace the light seals in something like 800 cameras a year and in some makes, like Pentax and Canon, it's almost impossible to remove the residue 100%. As long as you get most of it you'll be fine. What will happen is that over time the foam goo will be trapped (encapsulated in the environmental remediation term and is a bit more accurate) in the cotton yarn. From there it won't be an issue for your camera. As long as there weren't large clumps left that could make the batting material (the yarn) in the channels too thick for the film back to close and as long as the yarn fills in the same spaces as the original foam, everything will be okay.
I always tape over the shutter opening (not touching the curtain)
That's definitely a good idea to keep foam out of the shutter. Thank you!
PROTIP: If you're worried about getting sticky foam in the shutter when you're scraping it off, just tape a business card over it to protect it.
Good idea! Thank you!
It would have saved me $100 if I knew this a few years ago.
Well, in the coming years this could help. :D
I had the light seals replaced on my X-700 and it cost me about 30€, including mirror dampener, oh well.
Hopefully this can help you if you get another camera. :D
Thats the way some of GDR cameras were sealed off.
Oh nice! Once again, German engineering does it the right way.
@@DavidHancock I was suprised as I opened my first Praktika camera (mtl 3 (some of the simpler ones)) and saw that kind of sealing. But these cameras were meant to last (quite easy construction with a good metal shutter etc.).
Wool yarn and felt and acetone would seem better choices.
Acetone will destroy a lot of finish materials (especially plastic) and some paints will wash clean off with it. I ruined a grip on a camera not too long ago using acetone, and so I don't use it for much of anything except cleaning metal components that don't have finishes.
David Hancock yeah don’t get it on plastic. Never had problems with paint though. It’s just incredibly efficient at getting glue off.
A very good alternative is turpentine, not nearly as dangerous to plastic as benzine yet easier to handle and almost as effective.
Wool is more springy and compressible.
Be careful not to deform hinges and metal backs with by using too much force in closing them with newly installed seals.
Even slight deformations of the back is far worse and much harder to fix than faulty seals.
Hmmm…. Sounds like a great idea but it isn’t. Cotton leaves fibers everywhere. They will get into the negative and ruin pictures. Some tiny strands could even get into the camera mechanisms and jam it. The yarn used in older cameras as light seals was very different, still was replaced with foam exactly for the reasons I mentioned.
I'm curious to know where you learned that because it's not something I had heard. I am happy to provide some added details on why I recommend this approach. For a good number of years I fixed and resold cameras -- up to a couple thousand a year, so not low volume. I had a network of five or six repairmen that I sent broken cameras that needed more work than I could perform. I kept them VERY busy and because of that had good relationships with them and learned a lot from them. I studied the cameras they sent back and asked them questions. I specifically asked three of them why they used cotton yarn light seals. Obviously, ease and speed were good reasons, so was the repair's longevity. Now, yes, old cotton was not as refined as modern cotton. Modern cotton has longer fibers than cotton used to have because cotton has been bread to have longer fibers (longer fibers make cotton fabric last longer.) So the fibers that are spun into cotton yarn don't untangle easily and because the yarn is jammed into the seals it isn't moving and flexing, which means that the fibers aren't breaking.
Acrylic yarn, yes, I would see that breaking down with time and periodic exposure to UV when the film doors are opened, which could lead to acrylic yarn being an issue. But as I think I noted in this video, cotton is preferred.
As for foam, it has its own problems. Foam turns to dust, breaks, and becomes gummy with age and the pressure of the film door being pressed into and released from it. Foam, especially when it gets sticky, can land in shutter curtains or leaves and jam those mechanisms. Shutters are not going to be damaged by the incidental stray cotton fiber, but they will be ruined by a small piece of sticky foam getting into the leaves or channels of a vertical-travel focal-plane curtain. Every repairman I talked to about light seals agreed that foam is only the solution that was used because 1- machining at the time was not good enough to eliminate the need for light seals (90s cameras, for instance, don't have light seals in general) and 2- petroleum industry tax breaks and government-provided financing to oil companies and refiners allowed petroleum to be artificially cheaper than cotton yarn, which prompted the move to open-cell polyurethane (this is what the foam actually is) and away from cotton yarn. Making a million cameras, if the foam is a dime less expensive than cotton per camera (and it was certainly even cheaper) then the profits from using the foam would be significant. That was the real motive for the change. When foam breaks down, it is far more damaging to camera mechanisms than is cotton.
@@DavidHancockWill not get into discussion about it, my opinion about it stands. Even if you do want to use yarn as a seal, the type you are using is the wort one possible. It is so loosely wound and irregular in thickness and visibly sheds fibers. You would not even glue it in place…
This makes me real suspicious.. you start off saying if you want to never have to replace your light seals again.. then you use a knife to scrape the seals off.. then you compare it to the cuts you already made.. ufda. I just ordered the pre-cut seals and all of the work is in the prep. Highly recommend you never use metal to clean paint. Should definitely be using some wood toothpicks.
I'm glad to hear you have a solution that works for you.