Tigersight
06-16-2007, 22:09
Hi everybody. I have a Olympus Trip 35 (fixed lens but not technically a rangefinder) and it has had all the foam light seal material stipped out cleanly from the filmdoor . There is absolutely none left and it's clean as a whistle. I really wanted to use the camera this weekend and test it out but, not having any light seals, was a bit leery about whether I'd ruin a roll of film or not. Also I live in SoCal and it's very bright and sunny here increasing the liklihood of a light leak.
I looked at the door and camera body and it has a kind of "tongue in groove" fit. This caused me to think that maybe, just maybe, I could get away with it. I used a roll of Fuji color Press 400 and shot the whole thing. I just got the proof sheet back today and there is not the slightest hint of any light leak at all. The pictures were absolutley perfect. For those who just hate the darned foam and all the mess they cause as well as the attendant work involved in replacing them I'd say that maybe it would be worth a test of your camera on a bright sunny day to see if you can just go seal-less. I'm only doing this, however, until I can find a seal kit for an Olympus Trip 35, which is no easy chore, because I think that, regarding moisture, seals are a good idea.
Let me know about your experiences with light leaks, seals vs. no seals etc. I'd like to know if this is just a strange fluke or if other people have also done this.
I looked at the door and camera body and it has a kind of "tongue in groove" fit. This caused me to think that maybe, just maybe, I could get away with it. I used a roll of Fuji color Press 400 and shot the whole thing. I just got the proof sheet back today and there is not the slightest hint of any light leak at all. The pictures were absolutley perfect. For those who just hate the darned foam and all the mess they cause as well as the attendant work involved in replacing them I'd say that maybe it would be worth a test of your camera on a bright sunny day to see if you can just go seal-less. I'm only doing this, however, until I can find a seal kit for an Olympus Trip 35, which is no easy chore, because I think that, regarding moisture, seals are a good idea.
Let me know about your experiences with light leaks, seals vs. no seals etc. I'd like to know if this is just a strange fluke or if other people have also done this.