Removing Cigarette/tabaco smell from lenses

[whatdoido]

hello all

I picked up a Nikkor 28mm 2.8 AIS  that reeks of cigarette/tabaco smoke - its so bad to the point that holding it whilst shooting / focusing is enough to leave that smell on my fingers, never mind bringing the camera/lens to my chest I can smell the disgusting fumes.  I am wondering what succesful remedies/methods you have used to permently remove cigarette smell (not frabreeze etc) from lenses or camera equipment.

I have openned the lens, remove the front optical block and as you focus the len the smell comes out - so I wonder if the tar has embedded itself in the grease itself (I'm not brave enough to separate the helicolds espeically this has an additional CRC unit)  I've left the front optical block off to try to get air into the main barrel.

I have wiped down the metal surfaces inside and out with a IPA and naphtha soaked cotton , as well as scrubbed with a toothbrush and the smell is still present.  The rubber focus ring has been sat in a white vinegar and liquid detergent mix for hours and its a little better but still not gone completely.

When I frist openned this lens, inside there was clumps of yellow-ish "dust" as well as around the internal objective screw threads which i'm attributing to cigarette ash that has absorbed tar.  nasty/horrible stuff.

Any experiences appreciated

[Birna Rørslett]

Try putting the lens into a closed jar filled with dry rice grains and leave it there for a day or two.

[BruceSD]

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If the lens is that bad, just imagine what the lungs of the previous owner are like! 

When I get in a new to me used lens, I smell the packing material that surrounded the lens in the shipping box.  If it smells foul, I'll then smell the item that I just purchased.   If it too smells foul, and the seller did not disclose the smell in the description, I'll usually request a return rather than mess with cleaning the item up.

In addition to the "rice treatment", on the rare occasion when I did have musty smelling gear, I'd leave the item outside on a few sunny/breezy/hot days.  The heat and UV will vaporize any volatiles, which should help mitigate the smell.

I am totally comfortable shooting using either the camera's viewfinder, or the back LCD screen.   If all else fails to get rid of the smell, and you are unable to return the lens, you might want to only shoot this lens at arms length from your face using the LCD method of composing.
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[whatdoido]

Thanks both

I have the main barell with the front and rear optics as well as rubber focus ring removed so air can get into it .. its lessening but its still there and will rice box it after .  The rubber focus ring is not doing any better even after 2 days in soap and vinegar.

I suspect this 28mm 2.8 AIS lens makes this problem worse - when this lens focuses away from infinity, the front element recesses into the barrel and moves away from the nameplate ring which gives a gap that would let in cigarrete ash and tar.  The gap behind the nameplate ring gives air flow down to the focus adjustment brass ring which of course sits next to the helicoids.

This is nasty but I got this for a decent price so this is hesitency of sending it back, but yes youre right, the seller did not disclose it was from a smoker's home

[BruceSD]

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Maybe replace the focus ring?   If you can't find an original OEM one, there are plenty of third party rubber rings available from China.

[pluton]

Return it if you can. This is not a rare lens.  There are plenty more of them in the universe.

[seric]

I'm not sure if I'd invest in one just for this isolated case, but I've used an ozone generator to deal with smell issues with good success.

[whatdoido]

fwiw, i left this lens opened for 2weeks - front and middle optical block removed - and left it on the window and i can say that most of the smell has gone.  this is on top of me wiping down the internal barrel with lighter fluid and IPA.

What hasnt gone so well is that i had soaked the rubber focus ring in a soap and vineger solution and the rubber has expanded!  the smell is also out of the rubber ring but no good