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AndrewNYC

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I just received a Nikon 5000 that I won on Ebay. It was a very complete outfit for which I paid a fair amount from a store. Everything is fine with the exception of it reeking of smoke. It obviously was used in a smoking environment and my concern is about resale value. Do you think I should return it? Would you view that there is a risk associated with the smoke?

Thanks!
 
An obvious issue with anything (and especially electronics) in a smoke filled environment is the fact that that smoke over time can form a nice film of tar (be it in your lungs, your ceiling, or the mirror/CCD of an LS 5000).

Depending on how competent you are in terms of taking fine electronics apart, I would strongly suggest at least cleaning your mirror in order to get the best out of the scanner.

That being said, you make it sound like you bought the scanner for a project, and are planning to offload it once you're done. A potential buyer should at least be informed that they may need to clean the scanner, which, in turn, may decrease interest/resale price.
 
I'm not sure if cigarette smoke will necessarily invade the innards of the unit. I own a V ED, and that unit does not contain a fan with forced-air circulation. If the 5000 doesn't contain a fan either, that would be good news.

I suggest you submit the scanner to a thorough functional test. If the unit works ok, it may very well be that the smoke stains are predominantly on the scanner's outer housing.

If that is so, you are free to decide if you can live with any potential depreciation (if you bought it at a favorable price). You might then try to clean the unit's outer housing using a paper towel slightly moistened with ethyl alcohol. That should take care of the tobacco stench. Submit all the other inserts (those with plastic housing) to the same treatment. Caution: Don't do this on any exposed electronical components or contacts - just wipe them with a lint-free cotton cloth.

After wiping, make sure that any remaining alcohol has enough time to evaporate before you power up the scanner again (plan for a 30min wait).
 
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If you can smell the smoke, there has to be at least some amount of film on the lens. I would open it up to clean it. There are how-to instructions if you just Google. I would also wipe down the inside and outside of the case (not the internal electronics) with a mild cleaner to help with the smoke smell, I would put the opened up case and components into a closed big box or a closed very small room with a saucer of white vinegar next to it (obviously not touching any part of the scanner) for 24 hours to kill the rest of the smell where you can't wipe (e.g. electronics).

Doug
 
AndrewNYC said:
Once I am done with it I have no use for this scanner.
Click to expand...

Ah. Ok- I guess that makes sense. Still, if the seller didn't misrepresent the condition and you didn't ask about it, I'm not sure you have a case for return, though if you are worried about you, you could always ask- they might take it back.

You also might try deodorizing it, either actively (put it in a small unventilated space like a box or cooler with a dish of baking soda next to it for a couple of days; Doug's vinegar trick will work too. You might even try a combination of the two...) or passively (set it near an open window with a fan blowing on it. I've used both of these techniques with some success to deodorize all sorts of strange things. Whatever you do, good luck.
 
LOL we had one of these come into the camera shop I worked at in Santa Fe about 3 yrs ago! There was this old guy who shopped there a lot and he smoked 500000000000000000000000000000 packs a day! I'm not exaggerating. He smelled like a gigantic cigarette and his voice was all messed up from years of smoking the aforementioned 500000000000000000000000000000 packs a day.

One day he brought in his Coolscan 5000ED to sell on consignment and it was COATED with a THICK layer of tobacco tar! Two of my co-workers spent 3 days cleaning this thing. They did not clean inside, we didn't have the skill to take it apart and it was on consignment, so the store didn't own it and didn't want us messing it up. They got the outside clean but I bet it is full of tar inside.

I wonder if you have that old man's scanner? Someone out there bought it but he may have sold it on ebay later...you never know!
 
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