Olympus Camera Seals

[daaris]

My Olympus Ace appears to have a fabric(maybe wool?) in place of foam for its light seals. Does this sound correct? I have not come across any cameras with seal material other than foam, however the Ace is the oldest camera I own. The material above and below the film area is in tact and not gummy, rare for a camera of this age. The material on the door is very dry and flakey, but not gummy. I did run a test roll through and posted the pics earlier this summer, no light leaks. Do pre 1958-1959 cameras use something else?

 

[jesse1dog]

Funny you should raise this issue.
Just been looking at an old PEN and this seems to have a combination of seal types. The side slots on the body have a very thin seal made of fabric whilst the rest are foam. As Jon Goodman's kit has both materials you shouldn't have too much of a problem doing some sort of match if you want to do a replacement. I suspect that the thickness isn't too critical IN SOME PLACES!
However if your camera is light proof now my feeling is don't try fixing it!

 

[ZeissFan]

Some early cameras (Japanese and German) use yarn to help block light.

The Zeiss Ikon Contax II, for example, uses yard between the top deck and main assembly. I've also used black yarn in the channels, and it seems to do an adequate job of blocking light.

 

[daaris]

I agree, the strips above and below the film won't get changed until it is necessary! They are kind of a pain. The film door I replaced with the cloth from Jons' kit. Thanks for the reassurance!
The woolish fabric does seem to hold together better than foam, and does't make such a mess either. My guess would be the fabric is more costly than foam, hence it is used no more?

 

[gb hill]

I just resealed my little Olympus Pen 1/2 frame and the seal at the door hinge felt like it was a type of fabric. I replaced it with the fabric type anyhow and used foam for the top & bottom of the camera. I believe this camera was made in the 60s and it looked like is hasn't been sealed in 40 years. But i'm quite pleased with the results. For 10 bucks you cant beat it.