Light seals

[HuubL]

I just noticed that there are velvet light seals where the film loading door closes on the back of one of my M4s. My other M4, a very late chrome one from Wetzlar, doesn't have them and neither does my MDa. I haven't noticed any light leakage in the M4 that lacks them, but I hardly use that one. The one with the seals I use most and that one definitely doesn't leak. Are these light seals necessary? If so, how can I replace them on the other bodies.

 

[laptoprob]

My M2 has two stripes of felt at both sides of the back door. My M4-2 didn't until I added them. I also added a strip at the long bottom of the back door. I can't remember adding the stripes to the M2 myself. I have done it to lots of cameras now and use simple self-adhesive felt. Be careful for small hairy bits coming out of the felt though...

 

[HuubL]

Bedankt Rob,
Does that mean that the light seals are standard on early Ms but were deemed unnecessary later and skipped?

 

[laptoprob]

... or the other way around? My first M2 did not have any felt. Maybe the felt was added later due to leakage? Who knows... Tom A may know!
My M4-2 showed weird light leakages that can only come from the back door. Or so I hope. That can be easily fixed...

Still have to do some rechecking.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Hi,
As far as I remember I never have seen light seals on any leica M. I always was under the impression they weren't needed.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema

 

[waileong]

I have 4 M's and none of them have felt.

 

[richard_l]

I have an M6, an M2, and an early M3. There's no felt on any of them.

Richard

 

[Blank288]

Just noticed this thread.
My recently acquired M2 indeed has felt strips on the back of the body, in both vertical grooves in which the door rim fits. It looks like they've ever been there, so I didn't notice them at all.
The repairman who serviced it, didn't mention them either. He told me that my example was original.

 

[HuubL]

I just received my new🙂 M2 from a seller in Germany. The camera has never been serviced (in any case the L-seal is intact) and it too has two vertical felt strips in the groove where the backdoor closes. Same as in my M4