Thinking about replacing the leather on a few of my cameras. Canon AE-1 Program and Olympus Trip 35.
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with doing it and how the finished product looks like.
I've seen some really good examples on a site called cameraleather.com
Still debating if I should order cuts from them or do it myself.
Camera Leather has a good reputation as to the product, but not so good with service. There are numerous accounts here and on other forums about lengthy delays in getting orders.
Especially since you are in Japan, Aki-Asahi may be a better choice. http://aki-asahi.com
If you need to recover a camera and you care about the result, getting a kit from either one is probably much better than a complete do-it-yourself effort.
Aki did not have any kits for the Canon AE 1p so I ordered from Camera Leather. Also did my A1 with MA power winder. Also get the real leather as the other cheap kind is just that and only good for a few years of use. Believe me I know now...
Did not take long at all. He likes dealing without being rushed or games played about a slow order. 3 wks usually but I live in Canada so its a bit longer.
I've received good product and service from cameraleather.com in the past, but lately their website looks abandoned.
Installing the new adhesive-backed leather was fairly simple - easier than scraping the old material off the camera.
I've re-leathered a few cameras myself. When I first started I looked at the offerings online but figured it would be pretty easy and inexpensive to do it myself. I went to my local leather store and picked up a few scraps along with some cement. The total cost was under $20 for enough to do several cameras with. From start to finish it takes less than an hour of time.