In Praise of Cameraleather

[Mark Fisher]

I decided to recover my OM-1 with Cameraleather's GripTac material. The old covering came off incredibly easily. The new covering went on well thanks to Cameraleather's support pages on their website. It looks like a new camera and feels way more "grippy". I have an OM-4T (the champagne color) on the way right now......any opinions on what I should cover the OM-4T with?

 

[Q.G.]

The original covering?
I wouldn't change it, unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Brian Legge]

Blasphemy, but I just replaced a Leica IIIc vulcanite with the gray GripTac. The vuncanite was about 40% chipped off, etc. It took me about a month after ordering it to give it a go, but I'm happy with the result.

It doesn't have the classy feel of the original but I like the lower contrast look. Less of a shelf item, more of a functional tool. Feels good in the hands as well. Fitting for a camera which came engraved and is by no means meant for a shelf.

 

[mablo]

I like to give my cameras a new cover (and light seals too!). I think I've done a dozen or so. Griptac is my favourite cover from Morgan at Cameraleather.

 

[Mark Fisher]

I'm a user kind of a guy. The Griptac covering improves the feel (but not the appearance). My OM1 is from 1978 when I bought it used high school....yes, it looks a bit more used now!

 

[Jeff Kubach]

So far my cameras look good, but one day I might just change.

Jeff

 

[TimmyMac]

When my XD11 leatherette shrank and turned ugly, I just bought some lambskin off ebay and glued it on. Looks and feels great and cost 1/5 of the cameraleather version.

 

[CGW]

I decided to recover my OM-1 with Cameraleather's GripTac material. The old covering came off incredibly easily. The new covering went on well thanks to Cameraleather's support pages on their website. It looks like a new camera and feels way more "grippy". I have an OM-4T (the champagne color) on the way right now......any opinions on what I should cover the OM-4T with?

It's a great product. You can go with a subtle, more-or-less correct replacement but the variety is tempting. I pimped a couple of ratty SRT 101s with reptile coverings and gave 'em away as Xmas gifts a few years ago. The coverings on 60s-70s cameras can shrink, decay, fade, and resist glue, so these replacements are much appreciated. A friend did his Canon S90(otherwise slick as a wet bar of soap) in the grippy stuff and loves it. Too bad there's nothing yet for Mamiya RB bodies and backs!

 

[Blighty]

CameraLeather are great. I decided to re-cover my C330f in moroccan red leatherette. No chance of misplacing it now, not even on a dark night.

 

[lxdude]

So far my cameras look good, but one day I might just change.

Jeff

We like you the way you are, Jeff.

 

[chrism]

I worked with Morgan to recover my Linhof Tech V. It was a weird variant that he didn't have a template for, and sent me some uncut sheets so I could make it myself. Turnaround time can be a little long but the product itself is very nice and they are helpful. I also recovered a Kiev 4A and it went well.

 

[elcabezagrande]

I have re-covered both a Konica Auto S2 and a Yashica FX-D with kits from Morgan. In both cases, the kits were delivered in less than a week, and in both cases, the fit was perfect.

I have tried to cut suitable coverings from "found" items such as old purses, but not being the "crafty" type, every such attempt could have been used as the dictionary definition of a hatchet job. So I appreciate Morgan at cameraleather.com very much.

 

[lbenac]

I have done several of my camera with the cameraleather skins. They are really good but just be aware that lately they must be backlogged because I have been waiting for my latest for more than a month and I have sent 3 emails to get an idea of when they will ship without even the whiff of an acknowledgment. SO my Minolta Autocord has been CLA and repaired for four weeks but is still awaiting its new coat. For $77 I would have liked a little bit better customer service - specially for a multiple repeat customer.

Cheers,

Luc

 

[Q.G.]

Indeed.
Great stuff. But you have to be very patient.