Yashica 124G: fungus in lens / lens cleaning in London or Cambridge

[franciscojhh]

Hi,

I've just received this Yashica 124G from the bay. It is a good camera, except for the fact that there is some fungus on the taking lens.

I offered the seller to keep the camera if he covers the cost of cleaning the lens. I was wondering if you know a good place where I can have the lens cleaned in London or Cambridge (UK). How much should I expect for that service?

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Hi,

I've just received this Yashica 124G from the bay. It is a good camera, except for the fact that there is some fungus on the taking lens.

I offered the seller to keep the camera if he covers the cost of cleaning the lens. I was wondering if you know a good place where I can have the lens cleaned in London or Cambridge (UK). How much should I expect for that service?

It's always hard to be certain from a photograph, but from where I'm sitting, I think a lot of that won't clean off. It looks well etched in. I hope I'm wrong!
Regards,
Brett

 

[nlubis]

Mine developed some fungus too, between the lens. I borrowed a spanner wrench and clean it myself. It's really simple procedure on the Yashica. Google it, that's how I found out.
Good luck.

 

[thompsonks]

Hard to judge from web pix, but offhand I don't know why you'd consider keeping it. Fungus isn't just surface stuff, & I'd assume that much of it has caused damage.

Kirk

 

[PMCC]

Mine developed some fungus too, between the lens. I borrowed a spanner wrench and clean it myself.

Yikes, tough fungus. Did it yield to leverage? 😀

 

[franciscojhh]

So... do you recommend me to give the camera back to the owner. In any case, I will offer him another option, to give me a refund. Maybe I will be able to find another lens and use it with this camera that, as I said, works mechanically OK.

How much money would you ask as a refund for the Yashica Mat 124G lens being covered with such an advanced fungus? £60? £80?

PS: Ahother photo of the "beast"

 

[rayfoxlee]

That looks pretty bad. If I were you, I would get a refund fast, as this is unlikely to clean off. As has already been said, it does look as if it is etched into the glass - and that will always show under a loupe.

Chris at Arundel Photographica sometimes gets nice TLRs and he is a very fair chap to deal with - 01903 885540. He only deals with film cameras. He tells me that the demand in MF strong, a fact that is bourne out on eBay.

Hope you sort this one out.

Ray

 

[john341]

Ouch!

Ouch!

I have tried unsuccessfully to rid fungus stream from lenses. I bought an old Rollei recently with a spot of fungus and I have found putting the camera,lens facing the sun for 20 mins every week keeps it in check. I would send it back, imo

 

[PMCC]

Ouch +1. Return it for refund -- any rescue effort would be a project, moreover one requiring the investment of good money after bad. This particular camera doesn't seem worth the risk. Relatively issue-free cameras aren't hard to find, and Yashica TLRs are relatively common ones.

 

[Lflex]

...In any case, I will offer him another option, to give me a refund. Maybe I will be able to find another lens and use it with this camera that, as I said, works mechanically OK...

Bad economics and waste of time. It will be cheaper and easier to find another good one.

 

[nlubis]

Definitely return it. That looks really bad. Scary even.😛

 

[paradoxbox]

i bought a rolleiflex 3.5 that had fungus on the taking lens.

i opened it up with a rubber friction tool, cleaned out the lens viciously with naptha then ethanol (to get rid of the naptha). put it back together.

the lens is crystal clear now. it's possible there still may be spores inside and the fungus will once again start up, but taking the lens apart on a TLR takes all of 5 minutes with a TLR..! you don't even need to remove all the elements, just the front and rear elements then you have access to all surfaces for cleaning.