Spent 4 hours fixing a light leak I could have solved in 20 minutes

I picked up a used Canon AE-1 Program from a shop in Portland last month. First roll came back with these weird orange streaks on the right side of every frame. Spent 3 evenings checking the shutter curtains, the film door seal, even the lens mount. Turned out the foam light seal strip along the hinge was completely dry and cracked, letting in a thin sliver of light. Cut a new strip of light seal foam from a $5 kit, replaced it in 20 minutes, and the next roll came out clean. Anyone else waste way too much time on a simple fix before finding the real problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_fisher4125d ago

Classic foam rot, happens to every old Canon. Replace it all at once.

wade_hall25d ago

Ngl I've been there with my old AE-1, thought I could just scrape the gunk off and call it a day. Ended up with foam bits glued to my mirror for like six months before I caved and ordered the whole kit. Honestly it's one of those jobs that makes you feel like a real camera surgeon until you realize you just spent an hour picking at a piece of foam the size of a fingernail.