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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
| Are the covering kits pre-cut to fit my particular camera, or do I need to cut them to shape myself? | ||
| All kits are pre-cut to
fit your exact camera type and version. No cutting is required. |
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| What type
of glue should I use to apply the new covering? |
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| No glue is needed.
All our kits are self-adhesive with an exceptionally strong synthetic
film on the back of every piece. The
use of additional glue can only weaken the adhesion of your new
covering. |
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| How
are the kits made, and how do they differ from the original covers?
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| All cameraleather kits are made by
us. We don't sell factory
original or "new-old-stock" covers, although some of our kits are
intended to closely match the originals. We use exact steel rule
dies and/or templates to produce replacement covers from various
materials . . . everything from plain black leatherette to many
different colors and types of fine leather. Our kits cover all
parts (and only those parts) of your camera or accessory originally
covered at the factory. Some of our kits are cut slightly different than factory covers. These differences are generally not visible, and are incorporated into our designs to prevent the camera owner from having to remove a part that should be left alone. The most common example is the larger hole we cut for each foot on a 6X6 TLR, which is riveted in place and should never be pulled out! |
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| Are all the kits shown in stock and ready to ship? | ||
| All
kits
are cut to
order. Cameraleather.com is NOT
an e-commerce site or an
e-Store! Most of the things you (and I ) order online are "pulled
from stock" and shipped the same day. When you order from us, you
are commissioning a custom piece
made just for your camera. So when we get asked a
question like "is the Cobalt Kid skin in stock for the Canon P
rangefinder?", the answer is nothing
is in stock! Commonly ordered kits, like
Contax/Yashica or Konica, in basic black will ship quicker than exotic
leather kits, or more complex kits such as for Leica M or TLR's. For more common cameras it takes
from
3 to 10 working days to
produce your kit before we can ship it, and more complex kits such as
Leica or Hasselblad can
take longer. Medium/large format kits in exotic or special order
leathers can take more than 30 days to produce. We try to accommodate
special needs, so if you
really need your kit for a vacation or gift, let us know and we'll
try to expedite it. |
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| Can I order a leather kit that isn't shown on my camera? | ||
| Generally, you can cover
your camera in most materials
you see on the site. For example, if you see a nice color
in the Olympus section, you can have that leather cut for your Leica,
Pentax, or any other supported camera. There are some exceptions, such as
certain lizard skins, some of which may be too small to cover larger
sections on Leica thread and larger format cameras. To see the full
palette of
coverings, you should browse the color
chart. |
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| I am not a camera repair technician. Can I re-cover my camera myself? | ||
| Yes. The kits are engineered
to be applied by just about anyone
with basic hobby skills. If you don't feel up to the job, we can
install any cover on any camera you send in. Ask for details. You
will find our support pages
helpful, and they are a must-read before you apply your new covering. |
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| Do I have to remove the old cover? | ||
| Yes!
The new cover will not stick
or fit properly if applied over an
old covering, even if the original is in good condition.
In fact,
you'll
spend
more time removing the old cover and cleaning up the camera than you
will
putting on the new cover. The ease of stripping the old cover
varies,
but in general the older the cover, the more effort needed to remove
it.
Most cameras made since the mid-70's can be stripped off quickly;
almost as if you were removing tape. Contax
and
Yashica SLR owners often
are able to peel off the outer black film, and assume that the new
cover will go nicely over the "grey felt" underneath. Well, the
felt has to go . . . the new covering can
only go over bare, clean metal! |
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| Do I have to completely clean
off any remaining residue? |
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| The camera body should
be as clean as you can get it, but that doesn't mean you need to remove
every last bit of old adhesive. A stubborn, hard or sticky
residue
will not affect the bond of the new kit, but anything that is greasy or
can be smeared, almost certainly will. Keep in mind that any residue
that you can feel with your finger may show up as a bump or dimple once
the new cover is applied. It's best to remove it first. We get many inquiries on the best way to remove adhesive residue. The best advice is to get as much of it off by mechanical means before chemical means. So scrape off all, or as much of it as you can, before using a solvent. Then use a piece of cotton rag, dampened sparingly with some solvent, to clean up. Never pour solvent directly on the camera! We suggest that if you use one of the newer citrus-based solvents (such as "Goo-Gone") that you still give a final wipe-down with a traditional solvent such as denatured alcohol or lighter fluid. The citrus solvents leave a greasy film that can impair adhesion of the new cover. |
| Do I have to dis-assemble anything on the camera? | ||
| Generally, no. The procedure is cosmetic only. Some photographers needlessly fiddle with self-timer or preview levers. Most kits are applied without removing these appendages, using the over/under method shown in Fig. 1 at the Leica help page. It's also unnecessary to mess with film memo slots on camera backs, which should never be removed. The new cover always goes around the slot, never under it--even if the original does. The only supported cameras that present the owner with self-timer issues are the Olympus OM-1and OM-2. The procedure is covered fully here. | ||
| What's the most important thing to remember about applying my new cover? | ||
| Pay more attention to your own safety than your camera.
Most
injuries occur when you aren't expecting them. Never use a sharp
tool pointing towards any part of your body. Always wear
approved eye protection. Be smart and don't
take chances. |
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| How are the covers packaged and sent? | ||
| Take a look. . . |
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All the kits, like the YashicaMat snake skin at left, are sent on a carrier sheet, and wrapped in a paper liner. The new cover sections stick lightly to the carrier sheet. |
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Each section can be lifted easily and placed on the camera. The carrier sheets are now made from a clear non-stick plastic instead of the white paper shown. The carrier sheets are useful in applying your kit, and you can see why on the support page. |
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All the kits are self-adhering. No glue is required. The face is bonded to a sticky adhesive layer on the back. The adhesive will stick aggressively, but it can be removed and repositioned as necessary until precisely set, by using the "wet method." What's the wet method? Find the answer to this and other questions at the suport page. |
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| Can I send my camera in for the work? | ||
| Yes. We offer a
removal/cleaning/install serivice. The service charge is from $25 to
$80 depending on the camera. More
than half our service work is recovering
Leicas. Please inquire by email
to
arrange for service work. |