Originally posted by Kmier Greetings! Yesterday my 67 arrived from Japan. Very nice condition, with the TTL finder and a late-model SMC 105mm f2.4 in just beautiful condition. I put a fresh battery in and added my Op/Tech USA wide neoprene strap to left side lugs. So far, just walking around the yard, slung cross-ways over my shoulder, I’m not fearing the weight of the beast - we shall see. One thing is for sure, with the strap, I see no value in the wood grip (dead weight), and I’ll be selling it off soon.
I practiced dry-firing, hand-holding it around the yard, while getting the feel of the mirror lock up process. The shutter sound is intoxicating, and indeed, it’s the first SLR I’ve used with rifle-like recoil 😀.
The only issue I see is that the foam seal at the rear of the camera, upper and lower, is pretty much shot. The seals at the finder look good, as well as those immediately surrounding the right-side take-up spool. I ordered an ebay seal kit last night, but in all my excitement, I went ahead and loaded a roll of Portra 400. I’ve got a family beach trip coming up in two weeks, and I’m not sure I’ll get the new seals in by then. My goal had been to get some decent photos of Mom and Dad, as they are beginning to limit their outings such as this one, due to their age. I don’t plan to be outside with the camera on this trip unless just after sunrise or in the late afternoon hours, but I envision some individual family shots on the porch during the daytime.
So my question is - how concerned should I be about those seals? I’d hate to blow a couple of rolls (and the opportunity) only to find light contamination. Is the temporary work-around of running a strip of black electrical tape around the door a bad idea?
I look forward to learning and sharing here.
Thanks in advance, Ken
Ken,
Congrats on your 6x7. I’ve had several over the years.
Two comments. I would not discount usefulness of the wood grip and get rid of it right away. After using the camera for awhile, I think you’ll see the benefit of it.
Besides seals, the other area to be concerned with is your film advance gears. There’s a lot of pressure on this mechanism due to the size of film. I had Eric Hendrickson CLA my last two 6x7’s including lubricating all the gears. Dramatically improved smoothness of film advance. Something to consider.
Enjoy the camera. The images are stunning!
Cheers,
Ned