Replacing the light seals on an OM-1

2 February 2026
An evening, a toothpick and a sheet of foam

The first sign was a faint orange streak along the top of a few frames, always in the same place. On a camera this age that almost always means the foam light seals have turned to sticky black crumbs. A quick look at the door channel confirmed it.

Removing the old foam

This is the slow part. I used a wooden toothpick and cotton buds with a little lighter fluid to soften the residue. Wood is important here: a metal tool will scratch the channels, and the channels are what actually keep the light out. Keep the door open and the camera tilted so that nothing drips into the shutter. Expect it to take an hour, and expect to find crumbs in places you did not know existed.

The new seals

I bought a pre-cut kit for the OM-1, which saves a lot of measuring. The door channel takes thin strips that you press in with the toothpick, and the hinge side takes a thicker rectangle. While you are there, check the mirror damper above the focusing screen. It is the same kind of foam, and when it rots it leaves dust on the screen and makes the mirror slap louder.

Testing

I loaded a cheap roll, left the camera in full sun with the back facing the light for an hour, and shot a few frames of a blank wall. The streaks were gone. The whole job cost less than a roll of colour film, and the camera feels like it might easily outlive me.