I replaced the light seals on my Nikon FE and FM2.
I’ve been shooting digital for 15 years and just like the revival of vinyl records, it’s time for me to revisit film. Eight years ago today, I was given a Nikon FM2 body by a colleague who’s wife was an art teacher at a local high school as they transitioned from chemistry and negatives to digital photography. He said “hey, you take photos with a Nikon don’t you? Would you like an old Nikon film camera body?”. Of course, I said yes!
For 8 years, that camera sat on a shelf waiting for some attention – then last weekend I took it down, dusted it off and thought I should take a long look at what I had. I haven’t been shooting any images lately. Up until 2 years ago, I coached my kids through all the seasons of the year, relegating the camera to the bag. I took sports pix and made some youtube vids but all my serious photography ideas stayed in the camera. That old Nikon had been a consistent visitor to my photographic imagination and when I finally took it down and wiped it down, it released the genie.
Since I shoot Nikon digitally, I had lenses that fit the old Nikon but when I put the new lenses on the old camera, something just seemed off. I figured that this nice old camera needed an appropriately retro lens to go with it. A 50mm AI or AI-S would be a good stat. First step, Craigslist, and started scanning the offerings of all sorts, both new and old. There were a couple lenses that caught my eye, a 50mm f2.8 and there was a 28mm f3.5 that looked very interesting. I changed up the search a bit and used the search term “Nikkor”, only 9 listings. The fifth listing down, there it was, a Nikon FE body with a 50mm f1.8 and a 28mm f2.8, at a stunning price! I jumped at the chance to pick up both the camera body and both lenses and met up with with owner to make the exchange.
Now I found myself with 2 Nikon film bodies, in very good condition and 2 nice lenses and was time to give these beauties the once over. The 50mm looks like is has been dropped and is a bit stiff to turn the focusing ring, but no fungus or other defects. It turns out it is a 50mm pancake E lens! Sweet! And 28mm is awesome! Next was the examination of the the light seals. The FE’s light seals had definitely seen better days and the FM2 “needed” a new light seal on the film back. Off to the craft store I went for some supplies.
With adhesive felt, art project foam sheet and some new Xacto blades, along with 99% alcohol, Q-tips, toothpicks, and scissors and I was ready to get to work. After cleaning the film back door edge with an alcohol soaked Q-tip, cleaning the grooves in the body that the door closes into proved the most difficult get cleaned up. I have 3 Pentax bodies that need new light seals as well so I’ll video those and post it down below to show you how I did it. After cleaning out the grooves and replacing the old light proofing with new gasket material, the old Nikons are ready to get some film and start shooting.
I have 2 rolls of Ilford XP2, a black and white film that can be developed using the C41 process that I am going to run through the FE and FM2, but that’s another story.
