Can I use light-seal foam for the mirror damper on a Nikon FE?
Asked 5/16/2019
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2 answers
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I'm replacing the light seals on a Nikon FE with self-adhesive 1.5mm foam, which is a commonly recommended thickness for this camera. The mirror damper foam has also deteriorated and needs replacement. Can the same foam be used for the mirror damper, or should the damper use a different material or thickness?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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Although it's usually not the same thickness as the light seals in the rest of the body, the answer is yes.
I've replaced the seals of a number of cameras, and always used the same material for both the light seals and the mirror dampers.
What you do have to bear in mind is that using felt would be a bad idea, as it's much more dense than the foam light seals and thus won't do much damping. You should also preferably steer clear from thinner foams.
Ideally though, you would use the same thickness foam as what the camera originally had installed.
Originally by user83099. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user83099
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — light-seal foam can also be used for the mirror damper. The key point is that the mirror damper should be foam, not a denser material like felt, because felt won’t provide the same cushioning.
If possible, match the thickness of the original mirror damper rather than assuming it should be the same as the door/channel light seals. In many cameras the mirror damper and the other light seals are not exactly the same thickness. Using foam that’s too thin is also not ideal.
So: same type of material, potentially different thickness. If your original damper was close to 1.5mm, that foam should be suitable.
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