Nikon F2 back light seals.

Marco Gilardetti · Oct 31, 2023

I have lately purchased a Nikon F2, and I seem to see that it features quite well made double light traps all around, which perhaps would be sufficiently light-tight even "dry", with no light seals at all like Voigtlanders. However, I see traces of what remains of possibly foam light seals on the top and bottom sides of the rear window (that is the two long sides). The left and right sides (the two short sides of the window) are perfectly clean, as if they never had any light seal glued to them. Was it so? Thank you very much!

Marco Gilardetti · Nov 7, 2023

Seriously, nobody except myself owns a Nikon F2 over the entire board?

beemermark · Nov 7, 2023

Can’t tell on my F2. Do you have a light leak?

Nitroplait · Nov 7, 2023

What rear window?

Marco Gilardetti · Nov 7, 2023

Thanks for your answer!

I don't know, I just purchased it. But unless anyone has deliberately tried it without light seals and can confirm than the "dry" light traps are sufficient, I'm going to re-install light seals anyway.

This said, I still have to understand if light seals have to be placed only on the "long" sides of the rear window, while "short" sides rely only on the efficiency of the light traps.

Marco Gilardetti · Nov 7, 2023

Rear window is that thing that opens on the back, where you put film in.

Nitroplait · Nov 7, 2023

Marco Gilardetti said:
Rear window is that thing that opens on the back, where you put film in.

Maybe this is the reason for the lack of answers. I skim quickly over posts and if I don’t understand I move on.
What you’re describing is called a camera back. A window is something you can see through.

Chan Tran · Nov 7, 2023

Marco Gilardetti said:
Seriously, nobody except myself owns a Nikon F2 over the entire board?

The last time I saw my F2AS was back in 1984 before someone stole it.

Nitroplait · Nov 7, 2023

I have 3 F2’s and have removed the old sticky foam from the ridges along all the camera backs without replacing it. I have not experienced light leaks.

Marco Gilardetti · Nov 7, 2023

Nitroplait said:
I have 3 F2’s and have removed the old sticky foam from the ridges along all the camera backs without replacing it. I have not experienced light leaks.

Thank you very much!

Tel · Nov 7, 2023

I have several F2s and have done light seal replacement on a couple of them, largely because the old seals had turned into a sticky mess and I wanted to clean it out and everything I read on the subject suggested that the camera needs light seals. However, I have one camera that has light seals made of black string rahter than foam rubber, which suggests to me that perhaps light seals were not part of the factory's standard issue. That said, if the camera works without them you don't need them. These cameras were professional cameras and many of them got beaten around when they were used--I suspect that some may have had their "back door" bent or otherwise misaligned from being used and required aftermarket light seals, while others that may have been more gently used might not.

If you don't need them, you'll be spared the frustration of trying to fit a sticky strip of foam rubber about 1mm wide into a tiny channel.

To answer your second question, I have never seen an F2 that had foam attached at either end of the back door (ie, the short side).

gorbas · Nov 7, 2023

The best place to ask anything Nikon F2 related is https://www.facebook.com/groups/286168275667508 group run by Sover Wong from UK.
He also sells foam replacement kits for F2.
For narrow channels along long side of the camera back, my late camera tech Horst Wenzel used black strings of wool.
Recently I tried to replace seals on Canon A series body with narrow self adhesive foam and it was very tricky. With wool, it took me a few seconds.
Leaving some foam behind helps with securing strings in the channels. I cleaned foam first for application of new foam so I added a few microdots of rubber cement to held strings in the place.
For F2 and all other SLRs replacing "bumper" sponge strip above mirror box is also very important.

Marco Gilardetti · Nov 9, 2023

Thanks again. Yes, I also use black wool since dacades. It was a trick passed to me by an excellent camera repairer here in town, who unfortunately died at a quite young age.

Nitroplait · Nov 9, 2023

gorbas said:
narrow self adhesive foam and it was very tricky.

Absolutely. Not recommended.

If foam or other material must be adhered to stay, my experience is that one is better off adding one's own adhesive in as small amounts as necessary for whatever chosen material.

chuckroast · Nov 9, 2023

Tel said:
I have several F2s and have done light seal replacement on a couple of them, largely because the old seals had turned into a sticky mess and I wanted to clean it out and everything I read on the subject suggested that the camera needs light seals. However, I have one camera that has light seals made of black string rahter than foam rubber, which suggests to me that perhaps light seals were not part of the factory's standard issue. That said, if the camera works without them you don't need them. These cameras were professional cameras and many of them got beaten around when they were used--I suspect that some may have had their "back door" bent or otherwise misaligned from being used and required aftermarket light seals, while others that may have been more gently used might not.

If you don't need them, you'll be spared the frustration of trying to fit a sticky strip of foam rubber about 1mm wide into a tiny channel.

To answer your second question, I have never seen an F2 that had foam attached at either end of the back door (ie, the short side).

Original Fs and possibly F2s did not use foam in the back cover channels, they used string as you noted. The real purpose isn't strictly as a "light trap" - the channels themselves would actually do that just fine. The purpose of the string/foam is as a dust trap as I understand it.

N.B. The mirror bumper and prism landings are definitely foam and should be properly replaced if/as needed.

P.S. MicroTools sells sheets of foam in various thickness. If you have a good metal ruler and patience you can save a lot of money cutting your own foam replacements.

250swb · Nov 10, 2023

I agree, as soon as you think of the seals as dust or water traps replacing them isn't such a big deal. I wouldn't use wool, as in knitting wool, the photographic variety doesn't give off fibres, but get a kit of foam sheets and sealing materials from eBay and you'll be set to do your F2 plus any other cameras.

Alex Varas · Nov 11, 2023

250swb said:
I agree, as soon as you think of the seals as dust or water traps replacing them isn't such a big deal. I wouldn't use wool, as in knitting wool, the photographic variety doesn't give off fibres, but get a kit of foam sheets and sealing materials from eBay and you'll be set to do your F2 plus any other cameras.

I'm curious where from this variety of photographic wool can be bought.

BrianShaw · Nov 11, 2023

Alex Varas said:
I'm curious where from this variety of photographic wool can be bought.

It might be worth investigating “tapestry yarn”.

chuckroast · Nov 11, 2023

Alex Varas said:
I'm curious where from this variety of photographic wool can be bought.

Photographic sheep?

https://www.micro-tools.com may have it

See also:

HOW TO REPLACE LIGHT SEALS WITHOUT USING FOAM STRIPS, MOVIE CAMERA STYLE

<p><p >Disintegrating light seals are a fact of life with most cameras manufactured from the 1960's onwards. Here is a method I have used on hundreds of still cameras which is derived from my time repairing cine camera equipment. Arriflex, Mitchell and other film magazines use light s...

www.photo.net

chuckroast · Nov 11, 2023

This looks promising but it is only 1mm and I don't know if that's wide enough for a camera channel:

www.amazon.com/Vivifying-Leather-Needles-Bookbinding-Projects/dp/B08BZV7XFS

rulnacco · Nov 11, 2023

If I were you, I'd do as recommended above and get a set of seals from Sover Wong. For a *very* reasonable price, he sells a complete kit, where everything is cut to the proper dimensions and made of suitable material. And it's not *just* the light seals.

I bought a second-had F2AS in very good condition, but found that occasionally the mirror stuck in the up position, because the foam pads that cushioned the mirror when it flipped up had turned to crud. Those come with Sover's kit, and now my camera works great after replacing them. Also, and they're maybe not as crucial, there is a felt light trap at the back of the camera body under the finder, and a couple of tiny pads that go on the underside of the finder itself.

All that comes in Sover's kit as well. He's the expert on the F2, and I don't mind supporting his business by buying small bits like that from him, particularly when, at the price, you get *just* what you need.

mfagan · Nov 11, 2023

I just opened my Sover-ized F2; and there are strips of not very thick something (foam?) in the two long-edge channels—and nothing for the two short channels.

chuckroast · Nov 11, 2023

rulnacco said:
If I were you, I'd do as recommended above and get a set of seals from Sover Wong. For a *very* reasonable price, he sells a complete kit, where everything is cut to the proper dimensions and made of suitable material. And it's not *just* the light seals.

I bought a second-had F2AS in very good condition, but found that occasionally the mirror stuck in the up position, because the foam pads that cushioned the mirror when it flipped up had turned to crud. Those come with Sover's kit, and now my camera works great after replacing them. Also, and they're maybe not as crucial, there is a felt light trap at the back of the camera body under the finder, and a couple of tiny pads that go on the underside of the finder itself.

All that comes in Sover's kit as well. He's the expert on the F2, and I don't mind supporting his business by buying small bits like that from him, particularly when, at the price, you get *just* what you need.

Having replaced seals on approaching a couple dozen cameras of various flavors, I can speak with some experience what a pain this is. For some things - SLR mirror bumpers, Hasselblad back light traps, etc, you have to use foam.

But for SLR dust trap channels, I am planning to switch to a waxed polyester string if I can find the right diameter. These channels are a real pain to get clean and there is no particular reason to use foam ... which is why Nikon didn't. Once installed, that poly string should never breakdown in the remaining lifetime of the camera.

If you have the mechanical ability to clean and replace the foam using kit parts, you probably are also perfectly capable of cutting your own pieces from foam sheets ... which is also something I switched to years ago,

Disconnekt · Nov 11, 2023

uscamera.com has replacement light seals, a 5 piece & 9 piece (here: https://uscamera.com/product/nikon-f2-light-seals/). They even have a guide on the sight where they go, at least for the 5 piece light seals (here: https://uscamera.com/nikon-f2-f2s-placement-guide/)

Overrank · Nov 11, 2023

My F2 doesn’t have seals on the back and works fine, my F and F3 don’t either with no problems (my F3 looks like it might have done a long time ago but Ive had it for over 20 yrs with no seals)

Nikon F2 back light seals.

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