I've got this (probably) common problem with my 15 y.o. Nikon F90X.
The back of the camera started to peel off. Actually it's the rubber coating that's peeling off, making a mess.

I'm worried the tiny glue specks can get trapped inside the film guide and caught by the shutter curtains when changing films.

Now, how do you have resolved this issue??

Mine started peeling off a long time ago. Turns out that acetone will dissolve the rubber and leave a shiny black painted back, but removing all the rubber makes a real mess. My N90S (same as your F90X) looks now like it has been through the wars but continues to soldier on. I wouldn't worry about it. How will those little bits get inside the camera anyway?

Mine did that too, but I don't own them anymore.

Almost all relatively-recent Nikons do this -- I was told by a service tech rep. that it's a common thing to see.

Mine did it too, but it never affected film, FWIW...and I used mine in a newspaper job where I put thousands of rolls through in often rushed circumstances.

Mine started peeling off a long time ago. Turns out that acetone will dissolve the rubber and leave a shiny black painted back, but removing all the rubber makes a real mess. My N90S (same as your F90X) looks now like it has been through the wars but continues to soldier on. I wouldn't worry about it. How will those little bits get inside the camera anyway?


I managed to remove all the sticky rubber by using isopropyl alcohol. This way what I've got is the "real" back, is all plastic, shiny.
Acetone can ruin the plastics.

All those glue specks could enter the film plane (thus ruining the shutter) when opening the back door.

Plus I didn't like that "gluey" sensation on my fingers and my nose.

I've got this (probably) common problem with my 15 y.o. Nikon F90X.
The back of the camera started to peel off. Actually it's the rubber coating that's peeling off, making a mess.

I'm worried the tiny glue specks can get trapped inside the film guide and caught by the shutter curtains when changing films.

Now, how do you have resolved this issue??

Hi! Had the same problem with my Nikon N90 a few years ago; took it to my local pro camera repair service and they cleaned it up nicely. I do not know what chemical they used. The Japanese make some of the finest cameras in the world but it is puzzling why the engineers allow the use of some questionable materials. Case in point, those foam light seals that deteriorate into a gooey mess. Regards, Howard Tanger

Hi! Had the same problem with my Nikon N90 a few years ago; took it to my local pro camera repair service and they cleaned it up nicely. I do not know what chemical they used. The Japanese make some of the finest cameras in the world but it is puzzling why the engineers allow the use of some questionable materials. Case in point, those foam light seals that deteriorate into a gooey mess. Regards, Howard Tanger

So you have a F90X like mine, with the back door of shining plastic while the rest of the camera is matte black.
They probably used isopropyl alcohol because it's the only chemical that eliminates rubber glue and doesn't appreciably ruin the plastics.

Foam is foam, I think of polyurethane type.
The same foam is used to suspend loudspeakers' cones and those too turn into a sticky mess after a while, forcing to recone the loudspeaker itself.

It's a perfectly normal thing. The foam is supposed to be replaced periodically.

Aesthetically it is ugly to have a back camera shining while the rest is matte black but it ends here...

Almost all relatively-recent Nikons do this -- I was told by a service tech rep. that it's a common thing to see.

I know it's common but was told that later in the production run it was fixed. I have 2 N90s bodies that do not display this problem.

Allesandro, I'm here to tell you that acetone did not ruin the back of my N90S, but did turn the "rubber" coating into a gooey mess. That was easily cleaned up. As for the glue specs? when you open the back it swings away from the film plane, nothing terrible is getting in there that you can't just blow out. It's not a big deal.

I know it's common but was told that later in the production run it was fixed. I have 2 N90s bodies that do not display this problem.

Mine is probably from one of the last runs bought summer -99. On that one its a matter of wearof rather than peelof. I have a blank spot on the back where I hold my left thump and in addition it has been rubbing on my backpacks waistbelt knuckle on treks. It has a small crack in the plastic right in front of the left strap thing( ehh whats the word?) It hasn't grown over the years( the crack:) ) so Im not concerned. Besides that its only scrathes and thelike so Id say its holding up well :D

Kind regards