The Truth About Camera Light Seal Foam - Please Read

~Tiny Bubbles!~
To make a more perfect camera sealing foam, you need three things: Tiny Bubbles, Ease of Compression, and Good Recovery after Compression. And my new foam has it all! Take a very close look:

Would you like to see this foam installed in a camera? Here is a sequence involving a Minolta Hi-Matic F:

Left frame-camera is cleaned. Middle frame, I add the small strip which wraps around the inside curve of the film door.  Final frame-a new hinge end seal is added, and the camera looks just like the day it was brand new, and ready to go!  Having the proper thickness of foam is very important if you want to do a professional-like job. In the instructions, I will teach you how to safely and easily know what thickness of foam your camera needs. You can do professional work just like you see on this page...I can show you how.

Before I tell you about the materials in the kit, let’s solve some mysteries and answer some common questions people seem to have about replacing light seal, mirror damper, light trap, light baffle, or whatever you wish to call it.

~My Light Seal Products~

All my products are designed for long life and ease of use, they are all made by well known, established and respected foam and fabric companies to my specifications, and all are low and high temperature rated. My products are known and respected by camera repairmen throughout the entire world.

~Original Foam vs My Seal Products~

I believe three pictures can answer this question. On the left, a camera with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) material. You can see the goop everywhere--stuck to the bottom of the body, the top part of the body...in this condition, the camera can not be used. In the middle, my work area after I cleaned the gooey mess out of this camera. On the right, the camera re-sealed with material which will NOT turn to goo over time. The original material can ruin your camera as it breaks down into a tar-like gooey mess. Which material do you want to put back in your camera?

~What Makes My Kits So Special?~

I think there are several reasons. All of my kits give you several styles of thin seal material in foam and fabric. Many cameras were designed to use thin seal material, and you will need this special thin material to correctly re-seal some cameras made by Nikon, Konica, Chinon, Pentax, Olympus, Yashica, Ricoh and others. I know you want to do a good job, I know you want seal material that will work well in your camera, and I know you want the best deal possible, so I provide the right seals to allow you to professionally re-seal your camera...even in my small kit! In the kit’s instructions, I will teach you a little trick of mine to easily and safely determine the proper thickness of seal material your camera needs. Also, I give you five thicknesses of open-celled foam (1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm). Is that important to you? Well, I think it depends on what kind of a job you want to do...how much pride you take in your work, plus not all cameras used the same thickness of mirror damper, as I'll show you later on this auction page.You will be using the same professional grade material camera repairers and restorers use!

Please keep reading...I'll show you some more special stuff.

~The Film Door~

Clearly, this is the area most prone to light leaks. A product I introduced many years ago and began mass producing in 2002 will make your work easier. I call these “Seal Strips.” They are made with a specialty foam that is lighter, longer lasting, more resilient, easier to use and more uniform. Nobody else has these, and nobody else has the unique machine I engineered, designed and built to produce them.

These 2mm non-adhesive strips seal the long thin slots. Here is what you will be doing soon:

First, I clean out the black goo the old OEM seal material has turned into using the free tool I provide in this kit. Next, I use a bit of paper towel and solvent to remove the remainder of the old residue. When all is clean, I use the thin end of the tool to press the special pre-cut “Seal Strip” into the slot, trimming at the end and avoiding the frame counter reset pin. This is easy and quick, and as you can see, the slot is sealed perfectly from edge to edge so there will be no light leak! Will the seal stay in place without adhesive? Yes, I promise you it will, and the fact it has no adhesive made installing it easier and also means the seal can “flex” slightly. This lets it resist fatigue from the lateral motion caused by the opening and closing of the door. ”Engineered Solutions”. Camera repairmen all over the world use these, and I receive compliments about them constantly. Over 50,000 have been sold. Innovative? Well, I think so...with "Seal Strips" and some brainpower we just solved several light seal problems at once, didn't we? Answers to your camera's Most Common Problem.

~The Hinge End Seal~

The hinge end is usually a simple strip of foam or fabric. I believe it is important to replace it with the proper thickness and type of material, so as not to put undue stress on your door's hinge. Make notes about how the original seal looked and fit, measure and cut the new piece. Clean off the old seal and install the new. Here's an example of a Yashica TL-Super. This model Yashica used 1/16” fabric seal. It really looks nice when you do a professional-like job using the right materials, doesn't it?

Did you know restoring your camera is good clean fun? It is something you and the rest of your family could do some evening for a pleasant change and an educational diversion. Get started with this kit! You might even find yourself interested in camera repair as a hobby.

~The Latch End~

Here is the other end of the Yashica TL-Super. Left-remnants of the old seal…no wonder this poor little camera leaked light! Middle-I’ve cleaned it with solvent and the tool I provide free. Right-now this camera will enjoy the finest 1.5mm seal foam for years of trouble-free use, and it will look like original!

Let’s make your camera clean, pretty and light-tight again! Don’t compromise quality…you and your camera deserve the best!

~The Mirror Damper~

Here’s a photo sequence of a Chinon. Left-old foam is almost totally gone. Next, I clean the area carefully with a sharp knife. Then I set the new foam lightly in place with tweezers. Right-I will re-check the pad’s placement before pressing it down.~IMPORTANT: NEVER USE SOLVENT NEAR YOUR FOCUS SCREEN!~

~The Free Tool~
There are two working ends to this simple but handy little tool, designed from input and suggestions of customers. It allows you to clean and work on your camera with less danger of damaging paint.

What Comes With The Kit?
(As numbered in the picture at the top of auction page)