Fungus. What's the score?

[Robin Harrison]

So what's the deal with fungus? I've never been that bothered about a bit of dust here and there in my lenses, but that squigley fungus stuff looks...menacing. I know it will depend on the level of the fungus concerned, but what effects can I expect to see with an affected lens? Contrast reduction? Increased flare? Inconsistant image across the field? And will it get worse with time?

This is off topic in a way, as the lenses I've just bought that are affected are Bronica medium format. I picked up a kit at a great price, and am now deliberating whether it's worth me having them cleaned. What can I expect to pay to have a couple of elements cleaned?

Anyone have somewhere in the UK to recommend?

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Robin,

You may find this interesting:

http://home.rmci.net/deanw/Dirty_lens_test.html

Wayne

 

[telenous]

That's a very interesting link Wayne. I bought an old Summar the other day for a song - it has a tiny speck of funghus in the rear element. I did some test shooting and I cannot detect anything in the photos. Still, might be a good idea to clean the lens as funghus is known to permanently etch the element. Etched glass has reportedly diminished otpical properties.

 

[Pherdinand]

Definitely should be cleaned up if you plan on longer term with the bronica kit.
Sooner or later you will have to clean it anyway; and the sooner the better.

Now if you are just trying out the format, or such...then it might not be worth the effort or $$$ you will spend on it. A small tiny fungus will not destroy the images.

 

[captainslack]

I've got a fungus infected Vivtar SLR lens in my window sill at this moment. I'll let you know if it the remedy works.

 

[Pherdinand]

As I understand acidity, it is only applicable of a fluid.

Sorry, you are a bit mistaken, some acids are solid (phosphoric e.g.) and some are gas (chlorhidric acid).
Also the acid that forms vinegar, is solid when in maximum concentration.

 

[Pherdinand]

As to UV, well, you still have to clean the mess up, it kills the fungus but does not make matter disappear of course🙂

A certain spectrum of the UV is able to kill fungus and other small animals, and UV light is only partially blocked by glass. Only some special crystals are able to completely block UV light incl deep UV. Luckily, the most harmful UV which could kill larger beings as well, is blocked by part of the atmosphere already.

 

[Pherdinand]

Sorry, fungus is not an animal, my mistake😀

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Ok guys, here is how I have removed fungus from lenses. Use equal parts household ammonia and hydrogen peroxide 3% solution. Drop your lens elements in this soup for a few minutes then rinse with distilled water and wipe lens with lens cleaning cloth. If the fungus has eaten into the coating on your lens (assuming you have a coated lens) there may be "foot prints" left from the fungus that will still be visible in the glass. This will have little effect on you photos. Use a lens hood and don't shoot straight into the sun and Bob's your uncle.

If you want to make this a mystical experience I suppose I could come up with some encantations for you to recite while the lens is in the boiling, bubbling broth.

Wayne

Thanks for the birthday wishes guys!!!!

 

[drmatthes]

Ok Wayne, let's have the incantations!

I took apart my J-12 for fungus on the back of the front element (nice branches spreading from the rim to the center), and it came off by use of optic cleaner, q-tip and microfibre cloth. Fortunately. But overall performance didn't improve. Must have got one from the low-qualtiy bunch. - Crazy fungi, what do they live on? I have heard that oil smear from aperture blades plus humidity is enough for them. Good for slimming, I suppose. Would I, overweight as I am, look like a nice branch, too?

Jesko

 

[doubs43]

I recently bought a Pentax Spotmatic from ebay and the Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens had multiple elements infested with fungus. Fortunately, Asahi engineers apparently operated on the KIS principle ("Keep It Simple") and the Super-Tak is easy to disassemble for cleaning. I used a Windex-type streak-free ammonia-based glass cleaner on Q-Tips to clean each element. The lens now looks like new and I was lucky that there was no etching of the coatings or glass.

Fungus can do serious damage if left too long so it's advisable to get a lens cleaned as quickly as you can if fungus is present.

Walker

 

[David Murphy]

A few specks here and there are not going to hurt your images. Haze is usually a bigger problem.

I pay my camera tech $50 a lens for a CLA, and he usually makes it close close to new. I think on some more difficult lenses he charges up to as much as $65. I've got a 50mm F1.8 LTM Canon lens with him now with light haze -- it will be perfect when he's done. Of course this means the lens must be worth at least 50 or more dollars to make it worthwhile, or at least be important to you.

So what's the deal with fungus? I've never been that bothered about a bit of dust here and there in my lenses, but that squigley fungus stuff looks...menacing. I know it will depend on the level of the fungus concerned, but what effects can I expect to see with an affected lens? Contrast reduction? Increased flare? Inconsistant image across the field? And will it get worse with time?

This is off topic in a way, as the lenses I've just bought that are affected are Bronica medium format. I picked up a kit at a great price, and am now deliberating whether it's worth me having them cleaned. What can I expect to pay to have a couple of elements cleaned?

Anyone have somewhere in the UK to recommend?