Light leak in a gorgeous Nikon F.

fotoobscura · May 15, 2009

I have a Nikon F, circa 1970-1972 which except for the light leak is a fantastic camera. The F doesn't have a door but the whole back slides off to load the film- The leak appears to be coming from the bottom based on the streaked negatives.

I am wondering if there is some goo, foam, or tape I can use to seal the back back better. It *appears* to seal nicely but clearly it isn't..

I suppose in worst case I can tape up the seam with electrical tape but would prefer to stop the leak entirely if possible.

Thanks!

robat · May 15, 2009

He doesnt list the F on his site, but maybe you can ask at http://aki-asahi.com/store/ . I got the seals for my Contax 137MA there and they work *great*.

Bob-D659 · May 15, 2009

Just looked, there are two seals on the F, one is on the body along the top of the back, the other is around the tripod socket. Both appear to be a fabric cord type seal, not foam. check to make sure the three rivets along the bottom of the back aren't loose.

Jayd · May 16, 2009

Seal installation instructions

A great resource for seals and how to install them is Jon Goodman he actualy has online information on how to replace the seals and has been responsive to my questions.
Check his list of instructions here http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/sealreplacement.html if it's not on this list his email is there.
Jay

Dennis S · May 17, 2009

Yes Jon Goodman is a great source for light seals. It is listed in eBay as "interslice" He will supply you with more than enought to light seal your camera WITH instructions !! I redid 2 or my 35 's and still have enough for 3 or 4 more

kram · May 17, 2009

Look at the seal around the tripod bush. I had to replace mine (with Jon's kit).

elekm · May 17, 2009

Some of the older cameras use yarn or something that resembles it. I would expect this with the Nikon F.

The reason is that you can't use foam when two parts are sliding back and forth -- that would tear up the foam rather quickly.

I think you'll find that there is yarn to seal the top deck from the film chamber. And as kram points out, check out the area around the tripod bushing.

archphoto · May 17, 2009

At times I have been using black knitting yarn for those seals.
That type comes in several thickness to suit your need.
One package will last you a life time !

Peter

John Koehrer · May 17, 2009

I too, use a yarn for light seals on older cameras. Actually it's more of a heavy thread used for embroidery and doesn't have all the fuzz that most yarns do. If you spend a few minutes at the local fabric shop browsing their hundreds of different threads, you'll find something.

resummerfield · May 17, 2009

John Koehrer said:
I too, use a yarn for light seals on older cameras. Actually it's more of a heavy thread used for embroidery and doesn't have all the fuzz that most yarns do. If you spend a few minutes at the local fabric shop browsing their hundreds of different threads, you'll find something.

+1

kram · May 24, 2009

I have some rubber/foam seals for an F2, would any one recommend taking the old yarn out and putting the foam strips in (film still in camera testing for current light tightness). Or stick to yarn (if I can find suitable stuff).

Light leak in a gorgeous Nikon F.

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