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I HATE LIGHT LEAKS! They bother me like an unscratchable itch. And if you are reading this you probably had the same problem. That horrible bright spot in your photos. You just know that there is a lightleak in the camera. If you read my guide to repairing the lightleaks in a Zenit then you know that it means finding the right foam and cutting it to size. There is offcourse an easier way. Several people are offering sealing kits for cameras. Basicly these are a few overpaid strips of foam. So I usually cut my own but finding the right foam, well.... it isn't easy. There are times that I spent more time on finding foam than on repairing the camera. Through the Zenit Camera Group I came into contact with Jon Goodman who sells sealing kits on ebay (ebay alias interslice). He said he had a good kit and sent me one. I'm basicly sceptical about kits like these but I'll try anything once. The sealing kit arrived fast and was well packaged. At first glance, impressive... Here is a kit someone put some serious time and thought in. So, here is a shot of it. Yes, that is a manual in there. An exceptional good one. 
So... lets look at all the pieces. There is some nice sturdy foam in here (different thickness). A small wooden tool for the allready cut camera backseals (Correct thickness!). The velvet like seals. And ALL are selfadhesive. That is a whole lot better than messing with glue. Esspecially if you use the glue that just has to leave threads... and you don't want messy threads of glue in your camera. You cut the foam and stick it in the right place. I love the small seals, the ones you put at the camera back (door seals). They are so hard to come by. So difficult to make. My own solution was a black thick yarn. But this is simply so much better and easier. Now, this is new to sealing kits I've seen. A manual... a GOOD manual. Well written, to the point and with good examples. If you have never tried to repair a lightleak then this manual will see you through. Advantages
Disadvantagesnone.... no really... I can't find anyUpdate 27 march 2005 Yes. I really do update articles every now and again. I got a mail from Jon Goodman a while back, he improved his kit and send me one to check it out. And about a week ago the kit came in. So what has he done.... Well... His sealing kit just got even better. New foam, more denser than the old foam yet easier to handle. Okay this is what he says. So I checked it, which is what most people expect me to do :-). And he is right, the old foam was good, could be a bit stiff to handle in compressed spaces. The new foam is easier to place in compressed corners. Also it has new adhesive (rated for automotive/aircraft use. It also has true 1mm thickness as well as 1.5mm, 2.5mm and 3mm (I checked). Conclusion,Jon Goodman, who is a repairman himself, has outdone himself on this one. This kit is professional, well put together, has an excellent manual and comes in several flavours. A small set which cost 6 dollars (US) and a big set which cost 9.99 dollars (US), the set I've got is the big one. The smaller set has less items and a smaller manual but with it you can still restore a lot of cameras. Sofar I've done several Zenit's with the old kit (three E's) two Zorki 4's with missing foam in the sides. Frankly, you can not get any better sets than these. It puts all other sets on the market that I've seen to shame.It is an indispensable piece of kit to have for camerarepairs. If you have lightleaks, do yourself a favour and get a Jon Goodman Sealing kit. It is worth it and your camera (esspecially if it is a Zenit) deserves it. |