There were a few cameras I passed up a few years ago because the light seals were gone. I also spent a lot of time looking for a camera store in my area, and by area, I mean 200 to 300 miles, and no one would do it. This video really is a lot of help, because it never occurred to me to do it myself, or that I might be able to do it myself. Thanks for the video.
@TimFitzwater Жыл бұрын
Awesome - glad it could help. It really is just more about patience then a lot of skill.
@stephencrowfoot2442 жыл бұрын
Tim, great instructional video on a common topic, well done. I've followed the same method with just about every film camera I've owned. May I offer some tips? Firstly I work with a strong light source, in my case a head torch and clean my glasses so I can see! Secondly, it's critical that the shutter on a focal plane type camera is protected, with a piece of stiff card taped in place, also on lens shutter cameras. No glue needed on the long narrow channels, just 'stuff' it in nice and straight. The mirror box needs extra care not to scratch the surface of the mirror nor allow any 'gunk' to adhere to it. I place a folded card over the mirror while I work in that area. Craft shops are the best place to find the items needed. Again, a very clear and concise video, thanks.
@deboz87933 жыл бұрын
Ohio here. Thanks for posting. Now I know what to do with my Canon AE1 and Pentax K1000.
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Awesome! I have both of those cameras too. I’ve used the Pentax extensively.
@MoiraineSedai2 жыл бұрын
Thanks man! Just found my uncle's old Yashica from the 80's, and was kinda worried I wouldn't be able to shoot it if the light seals were busted, so this is really helpful!
@TimFitzwater2 жыл бұрын
Awesome - good luck!!
@pedalstomper784 жыл бұрын
Very cool seeing you restore the dinosaurs.
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
Josh Troche I find the light seek process very satisfying. I believe that thumbnail is from the first one I did - 2012?
@ToniLovesSkateboardingАй бұрын
Sweet! I just picked up a Minolta XE-7 and I want to replace the seals. they charge $90 for that job at a repair shop near by which I'm not sure if its worth it on that camera. So I'll give it a go myself! I have a spare XE-7 for parts so I'll try it on that one first to see how it goes :)
@TimFitzwater29 күн бұрын
I've done it a bunch of times with no issues so I'd say go for it!
@austinchavers20254 жыл бұрын
good stuff. all the other videos on this are way too short and there isn't much knowledge to be gleamed. thanks for the thorough walk through!
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
Thanks - I'm glad it was helpful! I thought there wasn't a really good one either so I decided to try my hand at explaining how I do it.
@michaelfarrell89623 жыл бұрын
Lacquer thinner and a clean brush and toothpicks. The chemical does all the work! Also an inspection mirror from autozone (its on a ball joint on the end of an extending antenna rod) helps to see inside the front of the lens mount. Makes the job much easier.
@zenazen7772 жыл бұрын
Excellent tutorial! I made some testshots with a Zenit ET from 1993 and it turned out it has a light leak. I checked in the back and the lens of the camera and it turns out it needs a light seal cleaning & replacement. I have learned something new today, thank you!
@TimFitzwater2 жыл бұрын
Awesome - glad I could help!
@scottplumer3668 Жыл бұрын
Every once in a while my Canon AE-1 will have a light leak, so it may be worthwhile to replace them. This will be very helpful. Greetings from Parma!
@TimFitzwater Жыл бұрын
Yeah - totally worthwhile for most older cameras! I was born in Parma Heights.
@BillLowenburg2 жыл бұрын
Very helpful, thanks, Tim. I have a Canonet I'm going to re-seal. Also have a couple of Zorki rangefinders. It will be fun to shoot with them. Keep up the fine work!
@TimFitzwater2 жыл бұрын
Awesome - glad it could help!
@612morrison3 жыл бұрын
The STX1 was my very first camera and the reason I bought it was because I was still at school and working on Saturdays so thats all i could afford and was envious of my cousin who had the OM10 but I always wanted a Nikon. Roll on 40 years and I've now got the Nikons that I wanted during the 80's the, FA, FE2, FM2 and F100 and a D850 for any digital work, but I'll gladly take another STX1 it was a great wee camera only let down with the slow top shutter speed.
@GordonHudson Жыл бұрын
These are easy cameras to do. The hard ones are SLR's with the very thin channels. You can't cut the foam thin enough or get it orientated in the channel correctly. Its easier to use 2mm macrame cotton. This is similar to what old camera manufacturers used to use. It does need glued at the ends, but the rest of it hold in on its own.
@davesherrell4473 жыл бұрын
Thank you sir. I now feel confident in trying to fix my old COSINA CT 1G fully manual SLR my favourite camera. Which I've got 24mm 28mm 50mm 135mm and a 70-210mm 1:3.8-4 TAMRON lense all PK fit. prefer it even to my very expensive Nikon digital SLR cameras. Thanks again for a fantastic tutorial
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Very cool! Glad this could help.
@flowermaze___3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Great knowledge and demonstration of doing the things ~ The canon rangefinder is also a very nice rig!
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@bunathan24852 жыл бұрын
so simple, which is nice
@richardsimms251 Жыл бұрын
Very very good video
@TimFitzwater Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@Arcturian1111 Жыл бұрын
Nice. Thanks for this.
@dooleyfan3 жыл бұрын
Great video, Tim. Right now I'm shooting a test roll on a Pentax ME Super that I just got, and the mirror damper is self destructing, so suspect I will need to replace all the light seals too. You've given me the confidence to do it myself!
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Awesome - glad this could help!
@tilica53534 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this intersting video from Spain .
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
You’re welcome! Hope it was helpful!
@swishbuckets87953 жыл бұрын
This was perfect. Just picked up a Ricoh 500, and it looks like the light seals are crumbled
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Yeah - totally worth doing for the cost and effort - no reason to waste good film!
@richardsilva-spokane34363 жыл бұрын
New Sub. Thanks Tim. Great video, very thorough and helpful 👍
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Awesome - so glad it could help! I’m working on more analog photography videos - I tend to just ride my bike in the summer.
@TheRandalljburke2 жыл бұрын
thanks for sharing
@TimFitzwater2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@imjusttoodissgusted56204 жыл бұрын
that was handy,, i just ordered some foam for my AT-1, and i suppose several others need it. , ( several folks have given me there old film cameras)
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
For as simple as it is I figure why take the risk on ruining a roll of film. Plus it is satisfying to fix something myself!
@sursaaaaa3 жыл бұрын
helpful man, thank you!
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Glad it helped!
@artielark425828 күн бұрын
Great video. That GOO GONE doesn’t affect the finish or damage any thing? Thank you 🙏
@TimFitzwater28 күн бұрын
Thanks. I didn't have any issues with it.
@joeycovington46814 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
You're welcome - hope it was useful!
@johnnycee51793 жыл бұрын
This is almost perfect for me, almost so I have a question. I recently purchased a Minolta X-700. I had asked about the condition of the seals prior to bidding but seller was ignorant about them. I got the camera and sure enough all the seals needed to be replaced before I put film in it. My question arises about the dampening seal you spoke of in the front of the camera. As is common in older camera's you get black spots as you look through view finder. After some research I determined that the black spots I was seeing was caused by the decay of the dampening seal. It would be much easier to see in video than in written instruction how to pull out the area that contains the decayed seal I see in view finder, clean it off, replace it then replace the seal. I hope I have been clear enough for you to understand exactly what I'm referring to. I ordered 2mm sticky back foam for seal replacement that should be here soon but need help with the above mentioned if you can, thank you.
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
The thumbnail for this video is actually exactly how I'm holding the camera to remove the dampener. It usually come off with tweezers. The black spots will either be on your mirror or focusing screen - after replacement a can of compressed air might do the trick. FYI, I love my X-700 and I am heading out for a ride today with it onboard.
@johnnycee51793 жыл бұрын
@@TimFitzwater I figure due to the camera's age and the light seals disintegrating it's flaks of the seal right by the mirror.
@haydensalter10983 жыл бұрын
Hi Tim, the foam by the mirror inside the camera on the AE-1 I bought is pretty worn down. If it’s not replaced will it cause light leaks or how will it effect the picture if left alone?
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
In general it shouldn’t effect the photos - it won’t cause light leaks because the shutter and mirror work at the exact same time. The shutter is closed when the mirror is down. The only potential issue is camera shake at very slow shutter speeds.
@haydensalter10983 жыл бұрын
Tim Fitzwater thanks Tim! Really appreciate it :))
@Cristina-dm8ku4 жыл бұрын
Ohio! I learned a lot thanks!
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
Awesome- you are welcome!
@tmsods28746 ай бұрын
I haven't been able to find any adhesive foam, just the regular kind. Do you recon i could use contact cement to glue it on or something?
@TimFitzwater6 ай бұрын
You could try - I’ve never done it. I did just google “craft thin foam adhesive” and a bunch of results came up including Amazon and Walmart - not my favorite companies to support but it’s out there.
@ricardoferreiral Жыл бұрын
Hi! Recently I git my hands on a Yashica Fx-7 and wanted to restore it my self. As an amateur with his first analogue camera, do you think I am capable of replacing the light seals? Because it also needs more cleaning besides the seals and I don't want to mess up xD thank you!
@ricardoferreiral Жыл бұрын
Oh and btw how thin should be the black foam? 😅
@TimFitzwater Жыл бұрын
I’m an amateur- I just made a video about how I do it - so absolutely. On the thickness- you just have to measure- that’s why I advise having the clear ruler. Cameras are all different. Also - you will know if it is too thick as the door won’t close properly. The big thing is to just try - you aren’t going to mess anything serious with the process. The worst result would be losing a roll of film….
@msbrownbeast3 жыл бұрын
Hi, nice video. How do you determine which thickness of foam to use for each location of the camera? And is the foam material the same between the mirror bumper and light seals?
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Having a clear ruler helps but there is no reason not to do a little trial and error. The sheets are so cheap and you can always cut thicker or thinner - also - stuffing it into the gaps is going to work as long as you are close. I use the same material for the mirror damper but it has to have the sticker side. Originally the material looks a little different(from the factory that is) but that really isn't going to affect the operation of the camera. You don't even need the mirror damper - better for the camera and in between exposers lengths though.
@christianpatton1427 ай бұрын
Hmmmm i have a Minolta XG-1 with a line of gunk running through the prism.... Im guessing that's whats left of the mirror foam...
@TimFitzwater7 ай бұрын
Probably.
@squareformat2 жыл бұрын
👍 i never got on with the craft self adhesive foam. I find it can come away easily from the channels after a few uses..what stuff do you use? Perhaps the stuff i get in the UK isn't ideal. Thanks.
@TimFitzwater2 жыл бұрын
The stuff I bought doesn't have a name on it - unfortunately the local craft store I got it from isn't even in business anymore. Sorry!
@squareformat2 жыл бұрын
@@TimFitzwater that's ok. I'll try shopping around for better stuff. Thanks for your reply! 🙂
@idk-cv1oh2 жыл бұрын
Does the canonet need that foam on the lens?
@TimFitzwater2 жыл бұрын
The lens is attached permanently so there isn't anything that needs done to it.
@ernstjan914 жыл бұрын
Thanks for uploading. My Fujica ST801 needs some new light seals. Which thickness do you use? I can't measure, since they are pretty much gone
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
For the width measure by the channels on the door and body. As far as thickness I’ve just used the size that the “foamie” sheets are at the craft store. They compress enough that I haven’t had a problem. But I would experiment a bit if you aren’t sure - if there is no resistance when you close the door it probably isn’t enough - if you really have to force it try something thinner. As a last step run a cheaper roll of film through the camera first - no light leak and you are golden!
@ernstjan914 жыл бұрын
@@TimFitzwater aha, so I should hope my shop sells the same as yours. I bought some on eBay. 1mm and it was also labeled as "camera seal" so let's see.
@danem22154 ай бұрын
I know that a couple cameras used black cord/yarn as light seals in the deep grooves - I wonder if this is worth doing as well on other SLRs?
@TimFitzwater4 ай бұрын
I don't like the idea - but I'm not saying it wouldn't work. Just seems like yarn is the wrong kind of material.
@danem22154 ай бұрын
@@TimFitzwater Probably not yarn; I don't know what the correct word for it is. It's like a braided candle wick.
@TimFitzwater4 ай бұрын
Ah - makes more sense. Depends on the camera - some of those gaps are really tight - I find the foam being cut close and its ability to be stetched or pushed makes it work really well.
@PhotoBug30423 жыл бұрын
How did you like the goo gone? A worthwhile replacement to the alcohol?
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Too be honest every cameras seals are so different so it’s hard to tell - but both seemed to work.
@PhotoBug30423 жыл бұрын
@@TimFitzwater thanks! I’ll try with my Mamiya C220 and report back.
@robertwilson46644 жыл бұрын
What's the best thickness of foam , Regards Robert.
@TimFitzwater4 жыл бұрын
At the craft store I bought the stuff labeled "foamies" but I just put a caliper on it and it is 3mm. That thickness has worked with all the different cameras I have done so far.
@dylanvanderjeught9883 Жыл бұрын
How can you find the original thickness of these seals?
@TimFitzwater Жыл бұрын
Just have to measure the channel - clear rulers work best. But I find a little trial and error will get you there - the foam material is super cheap.
@MrPingaw07903 жыл бұрын
What kind/size of foam sheet did you use? Thank you.
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
I really just grab whatever they have at the craft store. The one I go to only sells in one size put it is easy to cut narrower with a straight edge and a exact-o knife. You can just cut off a thin piece then put it in the light seal channel sideways.
@dflf3 жыл бұрын
would plastic work better than wood tools?
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Plastic will work - the nice thing about wood is it will break before it even scratches anything.
@justnoted29952 жыл бұрын
Close the shutter curtain man
@TimFitzwater2 жыл бұрын
Never had a problem 🤷
@tomallen60733 жыл бұрын
I would be concerned about the quality of anything I bought at a “craft” crap store.
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
Some of my cameras have been going strong for 10 years or more since doing this. Unfortunately my local craft stores closed - I’m sure the Hobby Lobbies put them out of business.
@tomallen60733 жыл бұрын
You might want to try McMaster Carr. I am in industrial manufacturing and they are a prime supplier.
@rchelihaven50273 жыл бұрын
6 to 12 months maximum you will need to do them all again with that type of foam. 🙄
@TimFitzwater3 жыл бұрын
6 years deep on the camera in my bag right now. So you’re totally wrong.
@stephencrowfoot2442 жыл бұрын
Not so, I've many cameras that I have replaced the foam from craft shop foam sheets over several years to no ill effect. It's a dense type foam not 'open' and overly soft.