dennis_w1 Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Hello, I just purchased a Canon Elan II Body only from an eBay camera reseller for $30. When I got the camera today it was in a camera bag that smelled like cigarette smoke (which I promptly threw in the trash). The camera body, mirror etc. look fine, I cleaned the camera body really good with diluted Simple Green and the cloth didn't appear to have the usual tobacco residue you see when you clean up something from a smoker. I cleaned the mirror and screen with a chemical lens cleaner. Should I be concerned that the camera has been in such an enviroment? Is there anything else I should do before taking it out shooting. I was thinking of contacting the eBay seller, but I'm tight on cash and I'm happy that the camera even works for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puck Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 hi don't really understand your concern here. unless there are residues of tobacco inside the camera that degrades the picture taking ability what does it matter if it came from a smokey enviroment? give the outside a clean with a clean dusting cloth and leave it close to some perfume if you like for an evening! a drop of aftershave on the bottom of the camera left overnight would eliminate all other smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akajohndoe Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 It might help to toss an unused dryer sheet in with it if you are bothered by the odor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronaldo_r Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 The effects of passive smoking on Canon SLRs have been widely documented, including mirror shake, chronic shutter deficiency and premature exposure compensation. Can't beat 30 bucks though. Cheers:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sattler123 Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Paranoia! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_w1 Posted March 5, 2007 Author Share Posted March 5, 2007 I was hoping this wasn't going to come off as "Paranoia" I was just curious if I should be concerned at all for the functionality of the camera, I don't care if the person smoked or not. Thanks for the cologne/fabric softner suggestions Im going to try that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valen Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 I once returned a camera I bought on eBay because some former owner smoked. When I first took it out of the box it smelled like an ashtray. It was out of the box for a couple of days. Still smelled like an ashtray. I just knew I wasn't going to be happy with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Dennis, for God's sake...I smoke too, and my camera(s) are all OK. Worry about pollution from cars and industry, and all the food additives, and all excessive vitamin content in everything you eat, and the way your food is grown - now this is something to worry about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan_walker Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Ronaldo, LOL! I hope not, because my cameras spent years in Egypt where the atmosphere is worse thata smoke filled bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 In camera repair one can tell which cameras are used in bars/night clubs & smokers; and those who are not. There is often a haze of tar on the mirrors, prisms, lenses that cuts down the contrast, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlatling Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I was given a Nikon camera that had been owned by an elderly lady scientist who smoked excessively, and eventually died in a house fire related to her smoking. That was over ten years ago. the camera still smells of smoke. I've used it a few times, and so far have not developed any strange symptoms and the resultant photographs look like any you might expect from a camera of its quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_w. Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I use lenses from the mid-50's to the late 60's. Does anyone think they are virgins to smoke, or any other pollutant? They all work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_h.1 Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 "Is there anything else I should do before taking it out shooting." Yes. Stop over-analyzing and shoot pictures with it. Then you will know if it works correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_stobbs3 Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 If you want to get your money back act quickly before he goes to that great darkroom in the sky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petewelsh Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Oh dear an anti smoker :) ... you should be more concerned about whether he had leprosy or aids :) ... I dont think you will should have any problems with it Dennis .. If you do have quality problems put it into a shop for a clean/service it would still be a cheap camera.. Regards ~peter~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham john miles Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 A little bit of yellow on the lens will darken the sky in landscape shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_jeanette1 Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 We poison our air daily with the fumes from Cars, Trucks, Cow flatulence, etc, etc. Our water is judged not by how pure it is, but how few toxins are in it. If that werent enough, there's a giant asteroid that will wipe out all life hurling toward us due to arrive in 2012. And you're afraid of a little smoke? Send the camera to me, I'll use it with verve, like it was the last camera I will ever own, and it just might be---hmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_haykin Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Does the camera make a hacking sound when you press the shutter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_w. Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I also heard of the apocalypse from the Maya and the Chi, et al, Dec. 21, 2012. Mark your calendars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_w1 Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 I guess I shouldn't have asked such an obtuse question, I didn't mean to offend anyone that is a smoker. I know pollution is dangerous, I know the food we eat isn't as clean as we think, I know the world can blow up at any second and nothing will matter. I should of worded the question differently, I just wanted to know if the smoke could possibly affect the picture quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian green Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 my camera and lens and camera box is so soaked by bonefire smoke that now the whole bookcase they live in between trips is smelling like an old log cabin<br> (btw i like the smell)<br> this smell pollution contimues for about five years<br> i guess it is the plastic trim that soaked the smoke smell<br> still everything work fine<br> (i've never tried to get rid of the smell so can't give any real advice) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Smoke and other air pollutants can affect the lens via a thin coating, which can be readily cleaned. Most older cameras were produced when over 50% of the population smoked and it doesn't have seemed to have hurt the cameras at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 When I was actively working on optical instrumentation, I could often tell when the operator was a smoker because of the brown stain on the optical surfaces. (Probably all the surfaces had the stain, but it wasn't important.) The exposed lenses and mirrors always cleaned up OK and there seemed to be little deterioration of performance. I wouldn't worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phyrpowr Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 If you touch that camera, you'll move to a red state, start complaining about taxes, and expect manners from people around you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_w1 Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 Thankfully it was just a body, so no lens to worry about. The body it's self didn't smell to bad, and with the simple green it cleaned up nice. The camera bag it was stored in smells like it absorbed most of the smoke. I plan on taking it out tomorrow for a test shoot and see how the pics come out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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