Fun guy ?

[LChanyungco]

i have a Summaron 35mm 3.5 that has a haze over one of the interior lens surfaces... it may be fungus but i cannot be 100% sure. the question is, what can be done about this ? should i toss it away ? have it repaired ? sell it ? and can this be kept around all of my other gear ? is fungus contagious ?

 

[Jocko]

The chances are that haze is just haze and can be cleaned off quite easily by a professional.

As for fungus, in my (happily unique) experience, it has a very disinct appearence, well shown and discussed here - http://www.chem.helsinki.fi/~toomas/photo/fungus/

This site may also prove of interest - http://www.mypentax.com/Fungus.html

It is something to remedy ASAP, but need not be the end of the the world (or lens 🙂)

Cheers, Ian

 

[Trius]

Typically fungus is not an overall haze, rather spidery or blotchy spots on the lens. I'd get it looked at; if it's haze it likely can be cleaned up quite well. If it's fungus it just depends on how bad it is; fungus will eventually etch the glass.

Keep fungus infested lenses away from everything else photographic. You can set the lens outside under strong sunlight and see if that has any effect. Sometimes it will kill fungus.

 

[Kim Coxon]

I think you are in terrible danger and could contaninate a huge area. The only safe thing is the seal the lens in at least 3 layers of plastic, carefully pack it and send it to me for safe disposal. 😀 😀

Seriously, is the haze fairly even or do there appear the be threads or blotches? If it is even, it is almost certainly nothing more serious than needing a clean. Any good tech should be able to do this for a reasonable price. After a while, some solvent outgas from the lubricants and find their way onto the inside of the glass. Not surprising with a lens of this age and fairly common.

If it does look like blotches or threads, then it could be fungus. Again it can normally be cleaned. However, their is one form of fungus which produces an acid which can etch the elements and if this has happened, then there is little to be done to cure it. There is some useful information here http://www.mypentax.com/Fungus.html However, I rather suspect that as you say it looks like haze, it will turn out not to be fungal.

Are you sure you don't want me to "dispose" of the lens for you? 🙂

Kim

 

[LChanyungco]

i just had the lens looked at and it is in fact fungus... luckily it hasnt etched onto the glass and will be cleaned by sat. thanks for all the advice folks. and Kim i'll send it right out to you as soon as its been cleaned 😉