Hasselblad - SMOKE ODOR

Bromo33333 · Sep 5, 2006

Just got a new (to us) Hasselblad kit (501CM+A12+80mm lens c.2001) and it is in awesome shape, however, the body has a cigar/cigarette odor that is pretty strong.

My wife thinks it is the cloth shutter - and given the strength of the smell, we'd want to let it air out a bit, but does anyone know what to do about such an odor?

Thanks in advance!
Bromo

f/stopblues · Sep 5, 2006

I had a Canonet come like that. I took alcohol pads to all the metal surfaces I could. I aired it out of course, and it eventually went away. Nothing fancy, just time. Someone suggested enclosing it in a plastic bag with a couple dryer sheets for about two days. I tried that and what came out was a sickly blend of "fresh scent" and cigarette smoke.. yuck. You realize that bringing the camera to your eye 36 times in a roll is a LOT of time for a camera to spend near your nose. On a similar vein though, maybe some time in a platic bag with some baking soda would do it good.

Good luck!

glbeas · Sep 5, 2006

The cigarette smell is held by the tar that deposits from the smoke, so the wiping would be very effective at reducing the odor. Theres also some good odor killers you can wipe with that will help.

copake_ham · Sep 5, 2006

There was also a recent thread about a product know as "Frebreeze".

You might want to do a search.

The smell is nasty. I used to trade old ham equipment on eBay of stuff used by old hams who - you got it - smoked like a chimney. I wish then I'd known about this Frebreeze stuff.

Yecch!

Kilgallb · Sep 5, 2006

I had a small fire in a microwave oven (fan failed) that caused the cupboard above the oven to smell of smoke. We cured the smell by placing a dish of baking soda (Bicarbonate of soda) in the cupboard. Maybe placing the camera in a plastic bag with an open box of baking soda will get rid of the smell.

phfitz · Sep 5, 2006

If wiping it down doesn't kill the odor, try a hair dryer.

Drastic: odor absorbing 'kitty litter' in a nylon stocking in the plastic bag for a few days.

Insane: try an auto detailing shop with an 'ozone generator', that will kill the smell of anything. They do sell 'ozone generators' for home use several places.

Good luck with it.

removed account4 · Sep 5, 2006

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

John Koehrer · Sep 5, 2006

I would think the baking soda should do it. You could put the body & BS in a cake dish for a few days.
There is no cloth shutter in a 501. There may be a small piece of rubberized silk at the pivot of the mirror. There is a light trap but it's a textured aluminum & shouldn't retain any odor.
Most likely is the leatherette on the body or as mentioned earlier, the tar deposits on the body surface. You might try some 409 cleaner sprited onto a paper towel & wiping the body down with that. Externals Only!

blaze-on · Sep 6, 2006

Vinegar...wipe it down (very damp) or place it in a box with a glass of vinegar
next to it...let it sit a day..

Then let it air out so it doesn't smell like vinegar!
Seriously...

Vinegar exterminates other odors..

Philippe-Georges · Sep 6, 2006

Try BALISTOL (gunoil), it' s an old trick (1904) and it is also good for the lether body covering.
Good luck,
Philippe

Roger Hicks · Sep 6, 2006

copake_ham said:
I used to trade old ham equipment on eBay of stuff used by old hams who - you got it - smoked like a chimney.

Dear George,

Sorry, can't resist.

Smoked hams?

Cheers,

R.

Soeren · Sep 6, 2006

Ay sorry this is a bad one.

Isn't it because of the chimney finder. :rolleyes:

I know I know
Sorry
Søren

Steve Smith · Sep 6, 2006

If it still smells after all of the above, put a couple of drops of vanilla essence on it to hide the smell.

This is also a good trick if you are decorating and don't like the smell of paint - stir some vanilla essence into the paint and the smell is masked.

Steve.

copake_ham · Sep 6, 2006

Roger Hicks said:
Dear George,

Sorry, can't resist.

Smoked hams?

Cheers,

R.

Roger,

Touche! Very good one. It brings a smile to my morning!

DWThomas · Sep 6, 2006

Vinegar...wipe it down (very damp) or place it in a box with a glass of vinegar
next to it...let it sit a day..

Then let it air out so it doesn't smell like vinegar!
Seriously...

Vinegar exterminates other odors..

I don't doubt it's effective on odors, but I would be extremely reluctant to deliberately expose delicate metal parts to acetic acid vapors which is what this is doing. This could initiate corrosion and shorten the life of the gear. It may be my imagination, but years ago some stop bath spills on or near mechanical parts in a temporary darkroom setup seem to precipitate an epidemic of ugly corrosion.

DaveT

erikg · Sep 6, 2006

I bet the baking soda in a bag will do the trick, I did the same with a used Hassy finder that we got that came reeking of cheap cologne. Must have been a wedding shooter!

Mark Feldstein · Sep 6, 2006

Greetings: I think the product someone mentioned is actually called Fabreeze, comes in a spray bottle and is good for killing odors. I wouldn't use it on the rear shutter though. If it's truly one source of the odor problem, I'd defer the solution to asking a factory trained Hassie Tech like Dave Odess how to get rid of it. http://www.david-odess.com/index.html

Otherwise, try "Hints from Helouise" ;>)

Take it light.

Bromo33333 · Sep 28, 2006

Hi Guys!

Thanks for all your help - we ended up simply airing the camera out for about 3 weeks (when not shooting ) and the smell has almost completely abated. We got some activated charcoal and will put them both in a box to get the very last of it.

[After getting the first prints back - reminded us of what we really like about Hasselblad - even in the crummy light the pictures were both tack sharp in focus and several turned out pretty nicely!]

Hasselblad - SMOKE ODOR

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