Does your Nicca smell?

[Dawid]

I have recently purchased a Nicca 3-S. It’s my second 3-S one and both smell exactly the same. It’s not mold neither the cigarette smoke, but it’s bad. The smell is intense enough to be irritating while holding the camera next to my face, and it’s even more intense inside of the body. Lubes are replaced, and I guess it’s not the covering, as, as I said, it smells more inside of the camera. Any idea what else could cause the smell?

 

[p.giannakis]

Back in the 50s with the cold war on the doorstep and different embargo being posed, lubricants were spared for parts of the industry where they were vital. Very often organic fats would be used in the production of lubricants as a way of cutting down cost. That is why many cameras from the 50s (especially FSU) will have a specific smell.
Now, if your camera has been properly serviced and all lubricants being replaced, I have no idea what can cause the smell. Leave it in the open air for a few months and maybe it will clear out.

 

[Dawid]

Well, maybe it was not properly cleaned and some lubes have left. Right now it sits in a sealed bag with a teabag filled with baking soda and I’m going to replace the covering anyway. Will see. My never serviced Zorki-4 from the 60s smells minty fresh compared to the Nicca.