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BRAND NEW 503CW

jotloob

jotloob

Well-Known Member
Knowing that HASSELBLAD will stop the V-SYSTEM production in the near future , i purchased a brand new 503CW with a three years guarantee . There was a very big surprise after unpacking my "new friend" . The camera has a very strong smell of iodine tincture . I have never ever experienced something like this before . Has anyone had this as well ? Does this smell go away with the time . What is it ? ?
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Just out of curiosity: Where does this rumour about ceasing the V-system production come from? I live in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the Hasselblad factory is and every time something goes on at the factory, there are articles in the newspapers. Last news is that the company is moving from th= e new building, completed a few years ago, to a smaller site but apart from that, I haven't seen or heard anything.

A good friend of mine works for the Swedish distributor and every time we'v= e spoken about this, he has assured me that there are absolutely no plans to stop the production of the V-system. I haven't spoken to him in a while, maybe I should??? To me, the 6x6 is the corner-stone of Hasselblad, the versatility and user-friendliness is uncomparable. The day Hasselblad confirms the V-system production stop will be a sad day for me... =3D(
 
My intention was not to revive the "stop production" discussion and i will not participate in it , but i would like to know if somebody knows something about the smell i was describing .
 
See here, for instance.

It's clear that digital is the future for Hasselblad (if they have any), and the V-system is only tolerated for as long as people want to buy it.
And with sales figures going the way they are, the "rumour" is a very, very 'safe bet'.

Remember that "Hasselblad" has been "Imacon" for a few years now. During that time it has become very clear that Poulsen has no interest at all in anything not digital.
And who's to say he's wrong?
 
Jürgen,

The smell will be the combined smell of lubricants, glues and packing materials still 'gassing out'.
The smell of "new". Like with bread, a sure sign your product is fresh
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Q.G.
My "new friend" is born at 19 SI 43012 and i am shure he has never been unpacked since . All packing material (box , plastic bag , styropor protector , instruction manual etc.) has the same smell .
So i have put the camera on a tripod and will keep it for some time in my cellar to see if the smell will go away . I think your contribution about gassing is good , but still , i never had that before . Thanks .
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Heh, smelling Hasselblad. Maybe the smell of the famous Scandinavian delicatess,"Surströmming". Seriously, I have never noticed anything like that in any body, lens or any other Hasselblad unit.

Kerkko K. >[Delete this line and type your message here]
 
kerkko kehravuo (Kehravuo)

Scent of new Camera - ummm depends on production cycle, if the individual assembles he camera during his lunch, he maybe eating his sandwich, in due order, some of the dressing, mayo, or honey mustard may drip down to the camera on the bench. Noticing his drips, he would use rag to wipe clean, yet may leave a scent from his sandwich.

Richard
 
Richard
There are no breadcrumbs , no rest of saussage or cheese , no mayo or mustard in the camera nor on the mirror . I have checked that right now , especially that i truly can answer your contribution . But thanks for the hint anyway .
 
To continue: First....what was the color of the insulating material? If white, it was not "Styrofoam" as per Dow Chemical, but was was "built up" polystyrene beads...

Elliot ( waiting for Wilma in Florida )
 
Second: What is "polystyrene"?. The link provides the answer. One would now suspect that the odor was indeed a gaseous agent that was "unbonding" from the solid material. I believe I was incorrect in that the smell is likely NOT formaldehyde, but another organic gas of some kind. I realize such organic gas might be the Butt of some highly relevant- and rather inventive- humor ( excuse the pun ) .

Elliot ( More then you wanted to know about packing materials used to protect your new camera. Best of
 
I have carefully been reading in wikipedia . Interesting , and i must admit , i do not understand everything . Now , the packing material is of formed white foamy stuff . We all know this material . I checked everthing again and believe the smell does not come from this material , but it comes out of the camera body . Here is the strongest smell , might be from the black foam which covers the bottom of the body . The mirror is absolutely clear , as well as the screen . So , as a try to get rid of that strong (desinfection like) smell , i used a cable release with locking facility , and released the camera , having removed the front and back protective covers . For today , i will stop sniffing into and around the 503 , because my nose is starting to strike .
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Jurgen,
Why not email the Hasselblad distributor in Germany and see what comments they have regarding your new "Aromatic 503CW"?
 
collin
Thats exactly , what i will do today , and see what they can tell me .
I will come back with results .
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I once got a stereo back from a insurance comapny that had been "smoke" damaged - The insurance company had sent the stereo of to a company that had a special room tha "bombarded" the stereo with ions (i think) afther that all the smell of smoke and the CO itself could be wiped of the floor in that room But the stereo had a somewhat chemaical smell like at a pharmacy a bit like your iodine described smell - perhaps your brandnew camera has been at a storage facilitty that has experienced somekind of smoke problem and since been "rescued" - please have med excused if this is to far fetched :) ruben - but one thing for sure - even a brand new blad should not smell en a way that makes handling a pain - mayby a little metal a little oil a ltttle plastic but not iodine
 
Hi Everyone having had my new 503CW for a couple of months I can say that the smell described does decrease. I think that the smell is actually the contact adhesive used in glueing the leatherette to the body slowly curing. To be honest I never thought about the smell, apart from it being a new camera smell. It's probably just seeped into my backpack now making all my Hasselblad gear smell that bit newer... Bonus
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I have talked with HASELBLAD service people and they said i should send the camera to them if the smell does not go away . They have probably "hasselblad trained noses" . :) I did not do that up to now , because i hate to send brand new products to service just after unpacking . The fact is , that now after leaving the camera "open" to normal environment , the smell is not as strong as before , but still there .
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