camera from a smoking household?

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northeast16th

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I bought a used Leica dirt cheap and only noticed after I got it home that it smelled like smoke, as if it had been in a smoking household for a long time. The smell just sticks to the thing.

I don't really care what it smells like, but I'm just wondering if this will in any way affect the film that I run through it. Like if some film sat in there for a week, would it degrade the quality of the film. Also, is there any technique that anyone knows of to try to just deaden that smell, or is it going to be there forever.

Like I said, I don't really mind shooting with it, but I want to know if anyone knows if it's going to screw with the quality of the film. Funny thing is I would say it was in mint minus condition except for this smoke smell issue. Not a damn scratch or ding on the thing.

Thanks for any words of wisdom,

NE16TH
 
northeast16th said:
I bought a used Leica dirt cheap and only noticed after I got it home that it smelled like smoke, as if it had been in a smoking household for a long time. The smell just sticks to the thing.

I don't really care what it smells like, but I'm just wondering if this will in any way affect the film that I run through it. Like if some film sat in there for a week, would it degrade the quality of the film. Also, is there any technique that anyone knows of to try to just deaden that smell, or is it going to be there forever.

Like I said, I don't really mind shooting with it, but I want to know if anyone knows if it's going to screw with the quality of the film. Funny thing is I would say it was in mint minus condition except for this smoke smell issue. Not a damn scratch or ding on the thing.

Thanks for any words of wisdom,

NE16TH
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Well, folks like myself and Tom A. love to smoke our pipes while out shooting, and the sepia toned black and whites are lovely! 😀
 
you could try putting the camera in a box with some crumpled up newspaper . if your shoes stink newspaper is supposed to help absorb the smell . might help but i don't know how long you would have to leave it in .
 
depends what kinda smoke - film may transport real slow if it was a certain type of `smoke'😀

ps. this will be just the start of many😀😀

regards
 
I wash windows for a living. And the film left on the glass does has a smell to it. It comes off with a vinegar added to the water,. I'm guessing a strip down CLA would solve the problem. It may have a film on the inside of the VF lenses too. If the guy/gal keep a cig in their mouth as they took pictures. you know, the smoke stream encompassing the body as they used it., you could use a light vinegar water on a damp to dry rag to wipe down the outer body..mostly the skin I'd guess, again. at your own risk.....
Let's see who has done this....seems reasonable to me, with caution used of course.

Edit:
But, then again, it does add some character to the camera
 
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Dave said: "Well, folks like myself and Tom A. love to smoke our pipes while out shooting, and the sepia toned black and whites are lovely!"

Perhaps we can have a "pipe and camera" pic match? Your favorite combination. I have not tried that yet, shooting and smoking my pipe at the same time. I've reserved mine for the back porch.
 
I had this problem with a camera I bought a while back... here's what you do: Go buy a box of the Arm and Hammer pet deodorizer, the kind you sprinkle on carpets then vacuum up (or regular baking soda will work too... but it takes longer). Now you need some kind of air tight container... I used an old aquarium.. but tupperware or even a plastic bag will work. put a bunch of the powder in the bottom of the container, as much as you can fit, then place the camera on the pile of powder gently... you don't want it to get all over the camera, it just needs to be near it. Then seal it all up and let it sit for a couple days to a week.. depending on the level of smell. When you're done just brush the camera off well to make sure no powder remains and you're good to go.

I've found this works wonders with all types of smells... you can put the camera on a piece of cardboard if you're not comfortable placing it right on the powder. If the camera is really smoke filled, inside and out.. open the back or disassemble it as much as possible before putting it in with the powder.
 
Sweet, thanks for the advice. I suppose in a tupperware container with the deodorizer with the camera on a little rack so it is close to the powder but not touching would be ideal. That's a brilliant idea. I'll give it a whirl. The damn nice thing is the camera is so cherry except for that damn smell. Will report back on success or failure.

NE16TH
 
northeast16th said:
Like if some film sat in there for a week, would it degrade the quality of the film.
Click to expand...

Nope.


northeast16th said:
Also, is there any technique that anyone knows of to try to just deaden that smell, or is it going to be there forever.
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Forget it. I´ve dealt with this issue a several times, tried everything people recommended on the forums. The only way to get rid of the smell is to wait. Takes year or longer. (Unless you´re a smoker yourself...)
 
We do picture framing for a living. Often we get oil paintings from the 40s, 50s and 60s. (when smoking was healthy:bang🙂 The paintings are often covered with a layer of cigarette smoke that discolors the white areas of the painting. Nicotine is a big part of it.

Nicotine will dissolve in alcohol, I use isopropyl alcohol from the druggist that contains no lubricants like rubbing alcohol. Vodka is perhaps a little better!! (really)

I do this with a camera that stinks like a old ashtray:
-Clean the camera with a clean cloth and Q tips using something like Windex. Spray the cleaner on the cloth, not the camera.

-Then use a cloth dampened with the alcohol or I will scrub the leather using a toothbrush and alcohol. My Leicas have a synthetic covering not leather so the nicotine would be on the surface.

-When dry, place the camera in a sock, or wrap it in a cotton tea towel then stuff it into a bag with a 1/2 cup of coffee grounds for a few days.

Seems to work
 
I bought an M2 in Prague a while ago and it smelled like pee. (My girlfriend said that someone wasn't using it as a urinal and it was just a typical East European aroma.) It wasn't especially strong -- I only noticed it when it was held close to my nose to take a photo.

After a few months the smell faded a lot. Now it is almost completely gone, a year-and-a-half later.
 
I'd be more concerned about tar residue mucking up the glass or moving parts rather than any potential film degradation. If someone smoked enough to make a mostly metal object in their home smell like smoke, the camera has had extensive, long term exposure to air permeated with smoke. Smoke leaves a sticky tar behind when it settles. I recall having to clean it off of the inside of my car windshield regularly when I was a smoker.
 
I'm plus one for DisasterArea's baking soda in a box solution. Worked on mine just fine. Make sure to take the baseplate off and leave the back door open to allow for better circulation.
 
I encountered this situation when I bought a camera bag on Ebay that was a Domke knock off. When it arrived the smell of cigarette smoke made it quite obnoxious to be around. I researched for ways to get rid of the smell and found that the product Febreeze has ingredients in it that get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke. I sprayed it on the bag quite heavily and left it out in the sun to dry. In a few days, the smell seemed to be almost all gone.

Don't know if using this would work with your camera, but thought I'd share my experience with the camera bag and how Febreeze got rid of the smell in it.

Good luck.

Ellen
 
venchka said:
Kitty litter.
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New or used?
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Super high proof liquor, preferably something distilled many times so that the spirit is neutral in odor and flavor (think vodka or "white lightning"). Isopropyl alcohol also works.

Fill a bottle cap with a bit of the liquor then dip a q-tip and swab down the camera, all over. You never want to put enough where it's dripping. Also, be sure get it into the viewfinder or the rangefinder window.

I've cleaned several really dirty yard sale cameras and lenses this way to great result. Smoke Odors were never a problem but the cameras smelled of must and mildew for sure. In some cases I had to swab the camera down 3 or 4 times but eventually they got clean.
 
Put inside a plastic container with lid, open the bottom plate and back take out the lens then put in charcoal let it stay for a week or two replacing the charcoal every 2 days. Charcoal will absorb the foul odor. Btw, you need to use real charcoal.
 
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