Leica LTM Serenar Fungus

[doubs43]

I recently purchased a Leica IIIa that came with a 50mm f/1.9 Canon Serenar lens. Looking through it made my heart sink as there was a huge spot of fungus inside on one of the elements. With little to lose, I disassembled the lens and cleaned it. What looked to be a complete loss is now a very nice-looking lens with light to slightly moderate cleaning marks on the front element. The marks can't be seen except by looking from the rear of the lens into a strong light.

The two pictures below show the fungus before cleaning (the brown spot near the top of the lens element) and a shot I took with the lens after cleaning.

Walker

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I've been using ammonia based cleaner lately; works well on Fungus.

Nice F84 Thunderstreak (think that's what the Thunderjet is called with swept back wings...)

And (memory hazy here) there was the "Thunderflash" RF84F version, with wind inlets and cameras in the nose...

 

[back alley]

i wouldn't mind having a copy of the collapsible 50/1.9 serenar.
make a nice outfit with the m3 on a casual outing.
and good for you walker, for cleaning it up and being the preservationist george says we are!!
joe

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Joe, Didn't you have a Collapsible Serenar with the Canon Bottom-Loaders?

A Summitar would also serve as a cheaper replacement for that Summicron.

 

[doubs43]

I've been using ammonia based cleaner lately; works well on Fungus. Nice F84 Thunderstreak (think that's what the Thunderjet is called with swept back wings...) And (memory hazy here) there was the "Thunderflash" RF84 version, with wind inlets and cameras in the nose...

Brian, I'm not as current on the early fighter jets as I should be and I'm not only retired Air Force but worked on planes! The museum where this was taken is only a few miles from my office. I did work on the F-86 and T-33 (old F-80's converted to trainers) many years ago. I was in airborne navigation repair.

The F-84 series, IIRC, were the ancestor of the F-105 and even newer models.

I used Kroger-brand streak-free glass cleaner and it seems to do about as well on lens elements as anything I've used. It doesn't seem to harm the coating in any manner and it leaves the glass free of streaks which is a problem with other cleaners. The fungus hadn't etched the coating or glass so I was lucky to catch it in time.

I also re-painted the chipped-off black paint that was coming from the glass lens element. I cleaned it first with alcohol (denatured) to make sure any loose paint was removed.

Walker

 

[back alley]

i had 2 of them at one point...who knew?

 

[doubs43]

i wouldn't mind having a copy of the collapsible 50/1.9 serenar.
make a nice outfit with the m3 on a casual outing.
and good for you walker, for cleaning it up and being the preservationist george says we are!!
joe

Thanks, Joe. I'll keep an eye out for another collapsible 50 Serenar and let you know if I find one. I've read that they're not as good as the Canon Serenar f/1.8 but this one seems to be pretty darned good.

Brian, the pre-war Summitar only went to f/12.5 so maybe that's why Canon stopped at f/11 with their similar Serenar. Post-war Summitars go to f/16.

Walker

 

[Sonnar Brian]

My Father flew B-29's. When other Kids played "Hangman" with baseball players or whatever, we used aircraft model numbers and names.

F84 Thunderjet, straight wings.
F84 Thunderstreak, Swept back wings;
RF84F Thunderflash, elongated nose for cameras, wing inlets;
XF91 Thunderceptor, Inverse-Tapered wings...