JCII PASSED Golden Sticker - How to re-glue?

Turnipfarmer · Jun 16, 2015

Hey guys

I am just cleaning up my Olympus FTL that I got but the Golden PASSED sticker is half on and half off. I have been in two minds and thinking of removing it however now thought this is part of the camera and doesn't interfere with the function of the camera.

What glue is best to reattach the sticker safely without marking the body or should I just get rid and get done with it?

Sirius Glass · Jun 16, 2015

Rubber cement is removable and will not mar the finish.

Gerald C Koch · Jun 16, 2015

Just get rid of it. It adds no value to the camera. These stickers are the equivalent of those little slips of paper that one finds in shirt and pants pockets, "Passed by Inspector 11." They tend to accumulate crud around the edges. There is a possibility that these stickers can damage the finish of camera bodies and lenses. Trying to re-glue it might even be worse.

baachitraka · Jun 16, 2015

They are ugly. I rather removed the cleaned the rest.

480sparky · Jun 16, 2015

Remove it, and use a mild cleaning agent to get rid of the residual adhesive. They have no value today. If it is valuable to a collector, let the collector purchase a fist-full of readily-available modern counterfeit stickers and put it back on.

I've occasionally purchased used gear with this type of sticker. The first thing I do is remove the stupid thing.

railwayman3 · Jun 16, 2015

I can understand the OP keeping the stickers on....I confess that I left mine on the cameras and lenses until they fell off. (Perhaps I'm a sad individual ).

OTOH, I wouldn't bother to stick them on again, for fear of damaging the finish on the equipment.

(In passing, I'm sure that I read once that these stickers don't indicate that the individual item has been inspected, just that one or two random samples from the batch has been approved ?)

480sparky · Jun 16, 2015

http://www.savazzi.net/photography/jcii.html

railwayman3 · Jun 16, 2015

480sparky said:
http://www.savazzi.net/photography/jcii.html

Interesting article, and not a bad resume of what happened with the various brands over the years ?

Sirius Glass · Jun 16, 2015

I let them fall off.

Turnipfarmer · Jun 17, 2015

Decided to take it off in the end, was doing my head in flapping around like that and also like you say can always get some replicas if I wanted to put it on.

However I did notice that these old stickers do leave a lot of off coloured residue on the camera body but a bit of IPA sorted that out and came up a treat.

AgX · Jun 17, 2015

See this thread too
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Yes, depending on the surface the sticker leaves a discoloration, even after removing all glue residues. But still I myself consider this as lesser evil.

To reattach the sticker:

remove the residual glue from the paper with gasoline-like solvent

apply either thin double-sided adhesive paper/foil (likely still too thick) or spray-on contact cement

(I have not yet tried to reattach it, thus take it with a grain of salt.)

Those sticker had got at least two different glues over time, thus the appropriate solvent varies

dynachrome · Jun 19, 2015

Yesterday a 28/3.5 'K' NIkkor arrived. The sticker must have fallen off on its way to me. I have it but I don't know whether I'll bother putting it back on. If I had an Olympus FTL I think I would glue the sticker back on. It's a somewhat rare "in-between" camera for Olympus and it would be fun finding all of the lenses and accessories.

Turnipfarmer · Jun 19, 2015

Do you think I should keep the FTL? I'm planning on selling it with the 50mm and the 135mm (both ftl screw mount) is already on eBay.

Reason why I'm selling is to fund my medium format cameras which I prefer to 35mm.

Arggggg now you got me thinking. I'm not really a collector as I've only just started out in the world of film.

AgX · Jun 20, 2015

The sticker spoils the visual impression of the camera as intended by the designer.
With cameras I otherwise cannot relate to Japan I leave it on. And if I would like to present a camera in its original box complete with all accessories.

Xmas · Jun 20, 2015

Turnipfarmer said:
Decided to take it off in the end, was doing my head in flapping around like that and also like you say can always get some replicas if I wanted to put it on.

However I did notice that these old stickers do leave a lot of off coloured residue on the camera body but a bit of IPA sorted that out and came up a treat.

They can discolour even silver chrome.
Can be worse with black finishes, but too late to remove now for those.

Noel

removed account4 · Jun 20, 2015

if you NEED the sticker on , i'd use a tiny bit of rubber cement ... barely any.
if you decide afterwards you don't want the sticker
you just remove it and rub the cement off into a little ball.

NB23 · Jun 20, 2015

"It's a part of the camera"

Really?

Laugh of the day

railwayman3 · Jun 20, 2015

NB23 said:
"It's a part of the camera"

Really?

Laugh of the day

Why SO funny? Serious collectors of many items like everything to be as original as possible, condition, packing, instructions, receipt from the shop, whatever could be regarded as relevant. Might seem a bit odd or OTT if you're not interested in the particular items, but the collector will undoubtedly have the last laugh when he comes to sell them.........

fotch · Jun 20, 2015

If leaving sticker on, why not also carry it around in the original box?

railwayman3 · Jun 20, 2015

fotch said:
If leaving sticker on, why not also carry it around in the original box?

Simple, if you carry your camera around, I assume that you are a photographer rather than a camera collector ? The sticker or its absence doesn't affect the usability....but you'd look a bit of an idiot if you carried your camera around in its original box.

railwayman3 · Jun 20, 2015

I have an early pocket calculator bought in 1977for the UK equivalent of $6. Pretty useless by present computer standards.

But I'm told that I could now ask and get at least $300 to $400 for it from a collector. How come? It's never been used, still in its original box, instruction leaflets, dated shop receipt, even its little "Made in Japan" silver sticker.......

Sirius Glass · Jun 20, 2015

I never saw one of these JCII stickers on Hasselblads, Zeiss lenses not Rodenstock lenses. The quality must be so much better that the JCII stickers are not needed.

Theo Sulphate · Jun 20, 2015

NB23 said:
"It's a part of the camera"

Really?

Laugh of the day

Some photographers are a sentimental lot. They hate to remove something that's been with the camera for decades.

I had to go and check what my own behaviour has been on this. Apparently, when I buy new, I remove the stickers and put them in the box. For used stuff, I leave it alone.

I wish they had adopted a standard location for placing these stickers on cameras and lenses; sometimes they're placed in annoying spots.

Also, not only was I disappointed to learn JCII does *not* mean Japan Camera Inspection Institute, I was disappointed that the sticker means nothing in regard to inspection of an individual camera.

Alan Gales · Jun 20, 2015

I heard about a guy who removed the passed sticker and his camera just disintegrated to dust right before his very eyes. Of course this is probably an urban legend but why take the chance?

Alan Klein · Jun 20, 2015

Reminds me of those labels on mattresses and pillows that state you cannot remove it under penalty of the law. I understand that if you remove the JCII label, some samurai will come and stick you with his sword.

JCII PASSED Golden Sticker - How to re-glue?

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