Replacing the light seals on an old rangefinder

The first sign was a faint orange streak along the edge of every third frame. Old foam seals turn to sticky crumbs after a few decades, and light finds its way in.

The job itself is simple: lift out the old foam with a wooden toothpick, clean the channels with a little lighter fluid on a cotton bud, then lay in new strips cut from a seal kit. Patience matters more than skill.

The test roll came back clean. The camera is now back in the bag where it belongs.