I finally fixed a light leak on my Yashica Mat only to find another one 2 weeks later

I spent about 4 weeks tearing apart my Yashica Mat 124G to replace all the foam seals. Thought I nailed it until I got my test roll back from the lab and saw a new streak of light across the same 4 frames. Turns out I missed a tiny gap near the hinge on the back plate. Has anyone else chased a ghost leak like this after hours of work?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamieburns12d ago

Used to think light leaks were always obvious and easy to spot, but after chasing one around my own Yashica for way too long I've totally changed my tune on that. A tiny crack or gap can hide like a needle in a haystack behind those old seals.

paige_harris12d ago

Used a bright LED flashlight inside the camera in a dark room to find mine. Shone it around every corner and watched for light sneaking through from the outside. That's how I spotted a hairline crack near the film spool slot I never would have seen otherwise. Covered it with a tiny strip of electrical tape and it's been perfect ever since. The foam was fine, just that one stupid crack.