My new canon ae-1 is poorly help please

Messages
335
Edit My Images
Yes
Can someone recomend a company to replace the lightseals on my canon ae-1 that arrived this morning. Cheap as possible please because a i'm a student and b it just cost me £35 for the body :wacky: as it was described as mint minus, and came with both manuals, the box, body cap, eye cup and hotshoe protector thing.

Now all I need is a lens of some sort and to get the seals done and I can actually use it.
 
If it was described as mint - and the light seals are shagged, I would be sending it back.
 
mint minus

unmarked but sticky light seals was mentioned as a it's only problem.

I am debating it though as base is slightly marked

But still original question remains and I don't want to do it myself
 
Interslice on ebay. Unfortunately light seals turn to jelly on old cameras that are otherwise in excellent condition. I replace mine as a matter of course as the gummy residue gets everywhere and could knacker the shutter.
 
I dont know of a company that does it but labour wise I would think your looking at £40+.

It isn't that hard, even old sausage fingers here did the light seals on my late brothers ricoh 500 without to much trouble, and yes I got a kit from interslice, the main thing I found was making sure you thoroughly cleaned off any residue before sticking the new seals on.
 
What tends to happen is someone digs their/parents/grandparent old camera out the loft, presses the shutter a dozen times and opens the back before sticking the thing on ebay. So long as the shutter wasn't cocked before it was put away not much damage can occur but the foam that was gently turning to a liquid state gets chewed by the mirror flapping and the camera back opening and throws itself round the focussing screen and shutter blades.

Best to treat with kid gloves till you get replacement foam for your camera, get some white spirit, lighter fuel or solvent of your choice and pick away at the gunk with the little wooden stick that comes with kit. It's not difficult, it is laborious. Your first attempt shouldn't take more than an hour.
 
I haven't tried the shutter for that very reason but the seller assured me it was perfect with no canon cough.

I however knocked the foam with my blower I was using on the mirror and a sizable chunk came off.

I'll send it off on Monday to someone to be done as the mirror now has gunk on it where the foam landed. :shake:
so all in it will have cost me around £70 for a body only, :puke: :help: but it's near perfect with a good box and a load of other goodies.
 
Just my AE1 today and the mirror damping foam has degraded. Haven't checked the light seals yet as it was sent loaded with a roll of film. I'd already done a search on replacing the light seals in advance, and it doesn't look to bad for a DIY job.

I assume your AE1 doesn't have the shutter squeal at least Jared?
 
Pictures of todays new beast

001.jpg


003.jpg


And I'm assured the shutter is perfect but I will let you know next week after I've had the light seals done.
 
Last edited:
I kind of presumed that the seals would need doing on any ae-1 by now so went for the best I could find ignoring the seals.
 
The kit is about six quid. I would buy one just to see if you fancy doing the job, there are written instructions and photos. I did an AV-1 foam replacement last Saturday afternoon and have no particular skills.
 
Thing is the mirror needs cleaning as well and that I don't fancy at all.
 
hi
two companies listed in my thread .."here" who clean/repair Canon A series

my A1 is being mailed to Miles
clean and lube to cure 'cough'
replace mirror buffer
new light seals
about £38
 
Another place Newton Ellis I have had 2 cameras fixed with them and found them to be great.

Not sure how much it would cost to replace the light seals but you can always drop them a line.
 
so all in it will have cost me around £70 for a body only, :puke: :help: .

:eek: send it back, or do the seals yourself.....you can get a T90 or a couple of T70's with lenses, for that sort of money.
 
Like others have said, get the kit and do it yourself, it's not that bad, go on be brave.
 
Like others have said, get the kit and do it yourself, it's not that bad, go on be brave.

Yep, piece of cake. Make sure you get some good cleaning fluid (I use Isopropyl alcohol) and a kit with the relevant 'poky tools'. Make sure you don't leave any gunk in the camera, I once left a lump in an XA and couldn't understand why I was intermittantly getting black blobs on my negs ! A quick blow out solved the problem.
 
Back
Top