Can I fix a light leak on my own or send it out?

I shot a roll of Fuji C200 last weekend at Golden Gate Park and half the frames have this orange streak along the right edge. It's definitely a light leak around the back hinge of my Canon AE-1. I watched a few YouTube guides about replacing the foam seals but I've never done anything like that before. A local shop quoted me $60 to do the job which feels steep for a camera I got for $40 at a flea market. Has anyone here tried the DIY seal kits from Amazon and had them actually work?

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the_miles4mo ago

Totally feel your pain on that, I mangled my first seal replacement pretty bad.

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janaf914mo ago

The real secret nobody mentions is that most seal failures come from not checking the mating surface first. Everyone focuses on the seal itself but if that surface has any nicks or burrs you're fighting a losing battle from the start. I learned that the hard way after three replacements on the same spot before I finally got a magnifying glass and found a tiny scratch. A little fine grit sandpaper and some careful work made the next seal stick perfect. Its the prep work that saves you every time, not the brand or the technique.

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