Light leak in my film camera

[Wasatch Rebel]

Yes, I still use a film camera. Why? Because I'm basically financially challenged and my Oly digital sucks when it comes to taking pictures of anything that might be moving. The thing is, my old Pentax ME Super has developed a light leak, and I don't know how to go about fixing it. I'm thinking it's the molding around the film loading door that's the culprit. If you have any ideas...help!

[DOSS]

I had a similar problem with my old Pentax.. the door got a little bent on mine and well leaked a little light in.. my solution was to use electrical tape around the door after I loaded it (but before advancing any film).. There were some camera shops in Salt Lake that said they could fix it but I didn't want to fork over the $150+ when a 79 cent roll of electrical tape would work for a long long time :)

[Wasatch Rebel]

I had a similar problem with my old Pentax.. the door got a little bent on mine and well leaked a little light in.. my solution was to use electrical tape around the door after I loaded it (but before advancing any film).. There were some camera shops in Salt Lake that said they could fix it but I didn't want to fork over the $150+ when a 79 cent roll of electrical tape would work for a long long time :)

I think I'll try the tape as well. For $150 (is that really how much they wanted?), I could buy me a used digital that would work better than any camera I currently own.

[DOSS]

I think I'll try the tape as well. For $150 (is that really how much they wanted?), I could buy me a used digital that would work better than any camera I currently own.

yep 150 was what I was quoted back in... 99? you might be able to get away with putting a little (very little) bit of felt along the edge of the door as well but I just taped it and had no problems.. could usually use the same tape for 3-4 rolls of film before changing it.

[R]

Wish you lived nearby, or I might could let you borrow one of these that my wife bought for me the other day, and left for me to find as a surprise...



They don't really work, but it certainly reminds me how many really neat film cameras there were over the years. -R

[Wasatch Rebel]

Wish you lived nearby, or I might could let you borrow one of these that my wife bought for me the other day, and left for me to find as a surprise...



They don't really work, but it certainly reminds me how many really neat film cameras there were over the years. -R

Looks like quite the collection. How many old photographers do you think there are that are still clinging to their film cameras?

[Wasatch Rebel]

yep 150 was what I was quoted back in... 99? you might be able to get away with putting a little (very little) bit of felt along the edge of the door as well but I just taped it and had no problems.. could usually use the same tape for 3-4 rolls of film before changing it.

Like you, I was having trouble with the door. It was just popping open at odd times, ruining some good pics. The first tip someone gave me was to replace the seal by using yarn drenched in glue. That didn't work. I ended up with a mess and a door that wouldn't close at all. The next tip I got said that the door eventually gets sprung because we are either pushing it closed in the middle of the door, or our thumbs press there as we are holding the camera, taking a shot. The solution was to try and apply pressure from the latch side of the door, bulging it back out at the spot where it had been pressed in. This worked to secure the door, but now the light leak. I just got out the electrical tape and tried that fix. I can see that working for the rest of the roll that's in the camera--I had taken several shots already, and I'd be willing to bet that those are overexposed and have signs of light leakage around the edges.

[Pelon1]

Yes, I still use a film camera. Why? Because I'm basically financially challenged and my Oly digital sucks when it comes to taking pictures of anything that might be moving. The thing is, my old Pentax ME Super has developed a light leak, and I don't know how to go about fixing it. I'm thinking it's the molding around the film loading door that's the culprit. If you have any ideas...help!

I still have an old ME super that I bought in 1981, it was my first camera when I left home. Do you have a bunch of lenses for it? I would be willing to part with it, would you be interested? PM me if you are.