[mee]

So I mailed off my most prized lens to C.R.I.S. recently.. it was a lot of mental effort to get me to mail a lens to someone unknown to me. After the many positive stories here on the Pentax Forums I did it. There are a bunch of little separate fibers inside around the outer edge of the 'middle' element in the lens. It has not affected image quality to my knowledge, but I wanted it cleaned and in tip top shape. It was/is a lifetime lens for me...

Then the wait.. a week long wait.

Excitedly, I logged in today to check status (they don't email you when a status update is ready -- strange), to see they had completed the estimate. $0.00 -- what?? They're cleaning it for free???

Only for my happiness to be diminished on the situation when I checked the repair box:

Repair Performed:RETURN AS IS
PARTS REQUIRED NO LONGER AVAILABLE (FRONT LENS GROUP)
CHARGES APPLT FOR RETURN SHIPPING

Huh? Why would I need a new front lens group? I just needed a cleaning.

I questioned this to which they responded (quickly I might add), "CRIS Customer Service
Hello, there is fungus etched into the glass elements. We cannot clean the lenses. The front lens group needs to be replaced, but the part is no longer available."

turned to turned to super bummed.

I've never ever seen a fungus like that.. it is zillions of little plastic looking fibers.. I thought it was the clutch assembly perhaps grinding into something taking a bunch of shavings and that opening it and cleaning it would mitigate further grinding and cleanup the fibers. But no.. they are adamant it is fungus. What a death sentence for a lens.

In any case, I'm confused by them because I sent them a photograph of the fibers way before I decided to send it in to see what an estimate for cleaning it would be, they claimed they weren't sure by the looks of the image and to send it in. Only for them to hold it with the estimator for a solid 7 days and then to be told it is fungus can't do anything, pay us to send it back. doh.

[rawr]

Sorry to hear about your problem.

I sent them a photograph of the fibers

Can you show us? Sometimes fungus can indeed have long strands, almost like hairs.

You could try a UV bath (direct sunlight, or long term LED desk light exposure) to perhaps kill it, and/or stop any further growth. But it won't clean up any damage it may already have done.

[Not a Number]

They're claiming the glass has been etched. Cleaning won't remove the etching.

[stevebrot]

I've never ever seen a fungus like that.. it is zillions of little plastic looking fibers.

Yep, except for yeasts, fungi are pretty much defined by their fibrous structure (mycelium).

I am sorry you are having to pay CRIS the return shipping, but that is pretty much the standard for non-warranty service.


Steve

[monochrome]

If you're willing to invest another $11.50 for shipping, send it to Eric for his opinion. If he says it is ruined you know it is ruined.

[jatrax]

Agree with Eric for second opinion. But I doubt CRIS would miss this. If the glass is etched then there is nothing to be done.
Treat with UV to make sure it is dead, though most likely it is, and use the lens as is.

[aleonx3]

Sorry to hear about that... is it an older lens with mechanical parts? Why not try Eric? We have to consider ourselves lucky to be able to drop things off and pick it up in Toronto (actually in Mississauga) when the repair centre is.

[mee]

Sorry to hear about your problem.

Can you show us? Sometimes fungus can indeed have long strands, almost like hairs.

You could try a UV bath (direct sunlight, or long term LED desk light exposure) to perhaps kill it, and/or stop any further growth. But it won't clean up any damage it may already have done.

Sure can, actually I had forgotten I posted about it back in March.. here is the thread -- https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/255610-what...s-my-lens.html

Thank you for the responses, guys. Forgive me for my ignorance, but who is Eric?

[rawr]

here is the thread

Interesting. They look unusual fibers for fungus. But I imagine CRIS would have had a good look up close to verify.

If the problem is with the front element, and only around the periphery of the lens, it may produce no optical problems for you. If the fungus was on your rear elements, however, it would be a different story. Kill the existing fungus if you can, then continue using the lens.

Now you've made me have a good look at my Sigma 105 Macro. It lives in a dry cabinet though, since I am in a very humid area.

[mee]

Btw IQ has not been reduced by whatever it is, I simply wanted a cleaning to keep it tip top..

Image I took just before sending it in..



Hope it comes back in as good of shape as it was when I sent it.. the type of response I got makes me kind of squeamish now!

---------- Post added 09-17-14 at 08:24 PM ----------

btw thank you for the ideas on killing the fungus if that is what it is.. I will try it when I get the lens back..

[K David]

but who is Eric?

Eric Hendrickson

Home

Every Pentax user should have him in their speed dial.

---------- Post added 09-17-14 at 06:37 PM ----------

One thing about UV-killing fungus, I did that with two lenses. I left them both on a tanning bed for 20 minutes, checking to make sure they didn't get too warm that the oils would melt on the aperture.

In both cases, the fungus existing was killed dead. In both cases, new fungus grew back and in greater quantities than the previous issue. In fact, in one of the lenses the new fungus grew back with such vigor that it was no longer able to render an in-focus image.

So fungus is a curious thing. It goes to war with other fungi. In each lens, there were two types of fungi. Fungi release compounds called mycotoxins, toxins that kill other fungi. (In sufficient quantities, like a moldy wall, these are harmful to people, too.) The fungi in both lenses seemed to be keeping each other in stasis, likely through their mycotoxin releases that prevented additional growth. When the colonies died and stopped releasing their mycotoxins, new colonies took hold with excessive growth. So both lenses ended up being worse-off than before. And since both lenses' fungi colonies had been stable without growth for years, I feel fairly confident in saying that the UV treatment caused the increased fungi levels.

TL;DR, I recommend NOT using a UV treatment to kill fungi. Instead simply keep them in a dry location with a rechargeable dessicant pack. That will stop the fungal growth.

[ppppsssstttt]

Eric Hendrickson

Home

Every Pentax user should have him in their speed dial.

---------- Post added 09-17-14 at 06:37 PM ----------

One thing about UV-killing fungus, I did that with two lenses. I left them both on a tanning bed for 20 minutes, checking to make sure they didn't get too warm that the oils would melt on the aperture.

In both cases, the fungus existing was killed dead. In both cases, new fungus grew back and in greater quantities than the previous issue. In fact, in one of the lenses the new fungus grew back with such vigor that it was no longer able to render an in-focus image.

So fungus is a curious thing. It goes to war with other fungi. In each lens, there were two types of fungi. Fungi release compounds called mycotoxins, toxins that kill other fungi. (In sufficient quantities, like a moldy wall, these are harmful to people, too.) The fungi in both lenses seemed to be keeping each other in stasis, likely through their mycotoxin releases that prevented additional growth. When the colonies died and stopped releasing their mycotoxins, new colonies took hold with excessive growth. So both lenses ended up being worse-off than before. And since both lenses' fungi colonies had been stable without growth for years, I feel fairly confident in saying that the UV treatment caused the increased fungi levels.

TL;DR, I recommend NOT using a UV treatment to kill fungi. Instead simply keep them in a dry location with a rechargeable dessicant pack. That will stop the fungal growth.

That's good info and an interesting observation. My undergrad was in microbio, but never really touched on mycology...

[kh1234567890]

Sure can, actually I had forgotten I posted about it back in March.. here is the thread -- https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/255610-what...s-my-lens.html

That is not fungus.

[K David]

That is not fungus.

Agreed. I think that the original thread's assertion of metal shavings or some other foreign material is correct.

[mee]

That is what I still think too.. C.R.I.S. is adamant it is fungus and etched glass.. very strange. I almost wonder if they are looking at the correct lens and not someone elses by mistake..

In any case, they just charged me 18 dollars to send it back to me.. thanks a lot.

In total I spent around 40 dollars to (hopefully) have the lens in the same condition as I got it... not pleased. Might send it to Eric one day.. just not today.