[ripit]

I got a lens a little while back that has this inside on the glass and metal. it wasn't very bad and doesn't seem to effect image quality. it looks like specs (single specs only, no pattern or spidering or rings or anything). it is very shiny/reflective almost like a translucent silver (too small to tell for sure). They are only very tiny reflective specs. I never could get them to show in a picture on the lens but now see it on another lens I got on the metal and was able to get it to show with flash. they are not white like in the picture but thats how they look with the flash hitting them. I couldn't get them to show well without flash. I resized it pretty small but can go bigger if that would help. It didn't look like any pictures of lens fungus I could find. it also looks a lot worse with the flash hitting it. there is less visible to the eye.

---

Last edited by ripit; 04-29-2012 at 11:14 PM.

[v5planet]

I got a lens a little while back that has this inside on the glass and metal. it wasn't very bad and doesn't seem to effect image quality. it looks like specs (single specs only, no pattern or spidering or rings or anything). it is very shiny/reflective almost like a translucent silver (too small to tell for sure). They are only very tiny reflective specs. I never could get them to show in a picture on the lens but now see it on another lens I got on the metal and was able to get it to show with flash. they are not white like in the picture but thats how they look with the flash hitting them. I couldn't get them to show well without flash. I resized it pretty small but can go bigger if that would help. It didn't look like any pictures of lens fungus I could find. it also looks a lot worse with the flash hitting it. there is less visible to the eye.

I can't really tell from the photo you provided, but I'm unfamiliar with any fungus that has a shiny or reflective surface.

[ripit]

They are tiny enough its hard to tell but it almost looks like little particle of fiberglass or something. I wiped it hard with a pre moistened lens tissue, some seem gone but there are still some very little shiny dots. anytime I get enough lite on them to take a picture (even without flash) they come out white in the photo.

[ripit]

rather than resize, I provided a crop. I can only assume that ring is some sort of reflection?

---

Last edited by ripit; 04-23-2013 at 10:41 PM.

[Kim C]

Whatever it is, I would try to get rid of it. It isn't the classic fungus that grows on glass and damages it but it still has the appearance of a growth of some sort. If it were dust. it would be easier to clean

Kim

[ripit]

Whatever it is, I would try to get rid of it. It isn't the classic fungus that grows on glass and damages it but it still has the appearance of a growth of some sort. If it were dust. it would be easier to clean

Kim

My fear is that it is some sort of growth. With the lens that this picture came from its easy to tear apart, in fact it was dirty inside and I have already cleaned the glass (ebay lens). It wasn't sealed dirty though. It comes apart very easy and the previous owner has apparently had it apart before. When I first got it I thought there was a huge crack in the front element but it turned out to be a hair in the lens, lol.
the other one will be harder to tear apart but I guess I should. So what can I use? I have heard ammonia and peroxide but I also heard that can cause minor damage to the coatings. I would hate to do that just to be safe. Maybe just lens cleaner?

[rhodopsin]

Could be oil droplets from overheated helical grease. I'd try removing with a few drops of lighter fluid (contains naptha, a solvent) on a pec pad or lens tissue, then remove lighter fluid streaks using lens cleaning fluid such as Eclipse or RoR.

Please, tell us which lens is it?

[ripit]

Thats not possible on the lens the picture is from (maybe on the other one and since its inside). The focusing helix is too far from the element shown (maybe 5") and the apature is inbetween. this stuff isn,t anywhere else on the lens (that I have seen). I don't know for certain that it the same either as I'm looking through the glass th see it on the other one.

these pictures are from the rear element from a Tou / Five Star 1:8 f = 500mm Telephoto Lens. Yea I know its a piece of junk but it was 20$ shipped and after a cleaning its in very nice nearly unused looking condition.

the other lens is an old full manual sears auto mc 50mm 1.7. If I can find a screw driver (I only have 1 that fits lens screws well) maybe I'll open it up now.

Could be oil droplets from overheated helical grease. I'd try removing with a few drops of lighter fluid (contains naptha, a solvent) on a pec pad or lens tissue, then remove lighter fluid streaks using lens cleaning fluid such as Eclipse or RoR.

Please, tell us which lens is it?

[ripit]

here is inside the sears lens. it has less (they look like sparkling tiny dots, very small).
they are on the metal but here is the weird thing. the sealed lens unit in the picture? I'm not sure if that is a single group of elements glued together or not but its inside the glass (between elements in a group?), not on the surface. I guess I'll try cleaning it to make sure.

[ripit]

I guess I was wrong about it being inside the group. It cleaned off. I did manage t get 1 pic of it on the glass but it was as useless (white lines or dots).