Metal or Polycarbonate?

[unohuu]

Or how about both. Polycarbonate over a nice metal like the F5 and I think the F-100...I think the Maxxum 9 was also like this. I do not know anything about Canon cameras.

 

[reub2000]

Yes, foam seals fail. Take a look in many of the German made cameras and you will find a cotton cord. Replacement foam materials these days is of a material that is unlikely to ever turn into goo, so longevity issues there become moot.

It was very disappointing borrowing an AE-1 for my grandfather, and then getting back 2 rolls of film with stripes down the middle of the pictures. On the other hand, the ELAN 7 that I bought used hasn't had any problems that I know of and has worked flawlessly.

Auto focus on the other hand is something that is prone to failure. I was testing a camera, and found that it was front focusing. With manual focus, you have only one thing to blame when your pictures are out of focus.

 

[naturephoto1]

It was very disappointing borrowing an AE-1 for my grandfather, and then getting back 2 rolls of film with stripes down the middle of the pictures. On the other hand, the ELAN 7 that I bought used hasn't had any problems that I know of and has worked flawlessly.

Auto focus on the other hand is something that is prone to failure. I was testing a camera, and found that it was front focusing. With manual focus, you have only one thing to blame when your pictures are out of focus.

Actually, that is not always the case. A manual camera can be out of focus because the focus of the SLR camera is off; that is it could be the camera and not that you were off when you focused the lens.

Rich

 

[snegron]

And this is why both of my 35s are black A-1s, and my MF is an RB Pro with a custom green kidskin covering on the body, WLF, and backs, and all trim redone in black krinkle finish...

P.S. Enjoy Florida. I lived there for 33 years, and was done medium well when I left...

My RB needs new skin as well. Problem is that the wife put her foot down and refuses to let me get the red leather! It's easier to hide a recently purchased F or two, but a red RB is too easy to spot!

 

[Papa Tango]

It was very disappointing borrowing an AE-1 for my grandfather, and then getting back 2 rolls of film with stripes down the middle of the pictures. On the other hand, the ELAN 7 that I bought used hasn't had any problems that I know of and has worked flawlessly.

Auto focus on the other hand is something that is prone to failure. I was testing a camera, and found that it was front focusing. With manual focus, you have only one thing to blame when your pictures are out of focus.

Yes, this is one of the risks of an older camera that is borrowed and has not likely been used in a number of years. Just in the past year, I have had to replace the foam on both of my A-1s. But this is not unique to SLR's. I buy and sell accessories for Mamiya RB's, and I have yet to come by a Pro or Pro S back that did not require new seals.

Likewise, many SLRs that I have repaired for others have had damper foam go bad in the mirror box. For the most part, if any camera that used a foam seal OEM and is 25 years old it is best to replace them as a matter of course.