bensyverson
Well-known
I don't understand how Cosina and Zeiss let the Ikon leave the factory with such a defective covering material... After walking around with the camera for a week, it was already rubbing smooth.
Here it is with the grip removed. You can actually see the outline of the grip.
The back was beginning to wear away on the right as well:
Luckily the Ikon is very easy to recover. I didn't need to use the "wet" method of application. I decided on Griptac from Cameraleather.com, and Morgan was a pleasure to deal with.
Looks sharp! And it feels quite grippy. Hopefully it'll hold up longer than the factory material!
Here it is with the grip removed. You can actually see the outline of the grip.
The back was beginning to wear away on the right as well:
Luckily the Ikon is very easy to recover. I didn't need to use the "wet" method of application. I decided on Griptac from Cameraleather.com, and Morgan was a pleasure to deal with.
Looks sharp! And it feels quite grippy. Hopefully it'll hold up longer than the factory material!
huntjump
Well-known
griptac is going to hold up for a while. I think it looks great on both your cameras.
I have griptac on an m3. It performs really well, though i do prefer the emboss look
I have griptac on an m3. It performs really well, though i do prefer the emboss look
kshapero
South Florida Man
I have had Griptac on my Nikon F for 4 years. Still looks new. nice lens also.
peter_n
Veteran
Not the prettiest, but by far the grippiest. I've had it on an MP for three years. No wear at all.
swmlon
Established
Looks good. I've recently bought a second hand ZM and am finding the covering material to be getting very slippery and I've only used it for a couple of weeks (the camera was near mint).
Are there any guides online to how to take off the old covering and applying the new?
Are there any guides online to how to take off the old covering and applying the new?
bensyverson
Well-known
Yeah, check out Cameraleather.com's application guide. I used the dry method and didn't go crazy with tape guides or anything. It's pretty easy!
Removing the old covering is a snap—just get a fingernail or wooden tool under one corner and it will pull off.
EdwardKaraa
Well-known
I reverted back to using half cases instead of the side grips after I started noticing a slight hint of wear on the leatherette material. I don't know what Leica uses but it is super durable. Now I am wondering what to do with the side grips 
photony texas
Light Sensitive
I recovered my Zeiss Ikon main working body with Griptac also. Its fantastic, no wear after a lot of use and a nice grippy stick to your finger feel. Very easy to apply, I also cut a custom piece for the accessory grip. The original Zeiss covering wears quickly if you use your camera with any frequency.
45tim
Member
my ikon is suffering from the same wear and im looking for a new covering/leather now. i think the griptac might be a very good choice but i rather want my camera pitch black. are any of the other offerings by cameraleather sweat/humidity proof like the griptac is?
im worried about the real leather skins to go bad when the camera gets wet.
im worried about the real leather skins to go bad when the camera gets wet.