[mangoman67]

I recently bought a Pentax ist DS2 camera body from ebay sight unseen. Upon receipt of the body there was a noticeable tobacco odour coming from it . Is there a way that I can rid the body of the offensive smell

[Ari]

I would be nervous about the gunk that goes along with that smell. Look at getting it taken in for a good cleaning. There are usually a few local experts at it in most metropolitan areas.

[mangoman67]

Thanks Ari. Will do what you suggest as the camera is more than a few years old anyway.

[wombat2go]

If it is otherwise all working there is not much inside that needs to be interfered with except the sensor ( I have one apart at the moment for the e-wheel switch cleaning).
Check all the buttons for functioning. Pulling these things apart is an onerous job, should be a last resort, quite likely to result in more problems than the original complaint.
Ist d's have lots of fine wires soldered between body and top cover and they flex and are prone to break as as the top cover is moved up to get the back off, also the power switch separates when the battery comp screws are loosened.
You could try wiping the body a few times with the wet lens cleaning towels and let it sit in the sun ( with a lens on)
If more is needed , try wiping with a damp cloth solution of baking soda dissolved in warm water ( but not the displays or lens mount area)
Then wipe over with a damp cloth solution of white vinegar, finally water.

I purchased an old press type rangefinder and up close it smells like ancient perfume/cosmetics engrained in the leather. Not as bad as tobacco!
Cameras are up close and personal items!

[mangoman67]

Thanks for the tips wombat2go. I'll certainly give them a try. Cheers buddy!

[jaywes]

I recently bought a Pentax ist DS2 camera body from ebay sight unseen. Upon receipt of the body there was a noticeable tobacco odour coming from it . Is there a way that I can rid the body of the offensive smell

Unless there are other functional issues, the smell may be just that, a smell.

I bought a k10d off EBay some months ago. Once it arrived, I had that pungent smoke smell too. I was a little weary but did a full function test and was pleased to have all items work. I soaked the strap in soapy water a few times and used a damp clothe to wipe the body. Seemed to work coupled with leaving it out to "air out". No strong smell now and works beautifully. Hope that helps.

[E-man]

I agree with the others that have suggested testing the camera's functions first. If all is well, spray a small amount of 409 on a paper towel--not the camera itself--and give it a good wipe down. You might need to replace the neck strap if you can't get it clean. That's the sort of thing that would go very cheaply on eBay.

[Ari]

I agree with the others that have suggested testing the camera's functions first. If all is well, spray a small amount of 409 on a paper towel--not the camera itself--and give it a good wipe down. You might need to replace the neck strap if you can't get it clean. That's the sort of thing that would go very cheaply on eBay.

Good idea. I usually use a large lens cleaning cloth, spray with 409 or some other mild glass cleaner and get it pretty damp. I then smack it against my hand to make sure it's evenly moist with no heavy wet spots then wipe the body down. This also works really well for laptop screens, too. I stay away from paper towels; it can cause very small scratches.