How difficult to rid fungus from an AF prime

DaveHolmes · 01-04-2012, 03:27 AM

This is purely hypothetical...

If an AF prime has a small amount of fungus... Should it be thought of as a 'write-off'?

Could it be professionally cleaned? If so, how much would it cost?

Would it be possible to clean DIY style? How hard can it be? what can go wrong?

lytrytyr · 01-04-2012, 03:43 AM

Dave, don't scare us!

There was a French forum that had a thread
about DA21s separating into two halves.
I would think that a repair from that kind of damage
would be comparable with fungus removal,
if the fungus was inside the lens.

If the fungus was just on the outside,
a gentle wipe with alcohol should do the trick
(on the lens, not the tongue).

Adam · 01-04-2012, 03:44 AM

It can definitely be professionally cleaned (likely) for less than a new one, thought it really depends on the lens- I mean if it's a DA 35mm F2.4, then you might as well pick up a new one and sell the old one for parts. Might be worth a go yourself if you know what you're doing, but some lenses are really tricky to disassemble and then reassemble.

Clavius · 01-04-2012, 03:50 AM

I've cleaned multiple older MF primes. I love to get them cheap on ebay and then make them look like new. (Still looking for a cheap fungus infested 55mm 1.2)

But I never dared to take that chance with a AF lens. Looked inside one for a bit and decided it's a much more complex puzzle!

Ben_Edict · 01-04-2012, 04:44 AM

Yes, as Adam wrote, fungus can be cleaned off. The price for getting this professionally done depends very much on the lens and on the location of the fungus. Usually it growths on the most inaccessible lens surface... It is well-worth the investment, if it is a valuable or rare lens. Just like Clavius I have cleaned several MF lenses over time and it always proofed to be succesful, though complicated lens constructions (like the 28mm shift) caused me a lot of head scratching ... AF lenses are more of a problem, as the AF mechanism can be quite fragile, as it needs to move very freely without a lot of applied force to work properly. But a competent workshop can do it.

Ben

DaveHolmes · 01-04-2012, 05:14 AM

Thanks all...

It is hypothetical in the sense that I've been offered an AF lens at a VERY good price...

After ringing round a few repair shops I'm looking at £80 to £120 for fungus removal... 2 of the 5 shops I rang also gave warning that "It'll probably grow back anyway"...

So...
Getting it professionally cleaned (even at the price of the lens in question) is not economical... Though for a more expensive lens (say an FA Ltd) it 'might' be...
Cleaning it myself would be time-consuming, difficult and could go wrong; damaging the AF or Aperture-blades...
Using it on camera and storing with my other lenses may (or may not) infect other lenses in my collection...

At the moment it's looking like I should pass... For a lens readily obtainable for less than £350, one with any amount of fungus seems like a bad idea even at less than £100...

Clavius · 01-04-2012, 05:29 AM

Originally posted by DaveHolmes

"It'll probably grow back anyway"

It never grew back on my lenses. But I do have a advantage over the repair shops. I left to soak the infested lens elements in fungicidal fluid for weeks on end. They can't really do that at the shop.

Another method I've used with some succes is placing the lens that is "to complicated to take apart" in an airtight container, together with strong moisture absorbing material. This results in the drying up of the fungus. With some luck it can then just fall off the glass. It did in my case anyway. Leaving the bits somewhere in the lens. Of course, if you live in a humid environment the fungus will then be back very quickly. I would definitely not count on this method.

DaveHolmes · 01-04-2012, 09:02 AM

Originally posted by Clavius

Another method I've used with some succes is placing the lens that is "to complicated to take apart" in an airtight container, together with strong moisture absorbing material.

Rice?

Wheatfield · 01-04-2012, 09:39 AM

Originally posted by DaveHolmes

This is purely hypothetical...

If an AF prime has a small amount of fungus... Should it be thought of as a 'write-off'?

Could it be professionally cleaned? If so, how much would it cost?

Would it be possible to clean DIY style? How hard can it be? what can go wrong?

If the lens is still in production, I'd compare the cost of cleaning (and the risk of the fungus recurring) against my insurance deductible. The problem with fungus is that it only takes one spore being missed to allow the problem to recur, and it only takes one spore migrating to another lens to infect something else.
I've never had a lens with fungus (the nice thing about living in a dry climate), but if I did, I'd write it off as a loss and offer it for sale in as is condition. If someone else is informed about the fungus and wants the risk, they can take it on. For myself, I've got too many very good and very irreplaceable lenses to risk keeping an infected lens.

ducdao · 01-04-2012, 09:40 AM

Originally posted by Clavius

It never grew back on my lenses. But I do have a advantage over the repair shops. I left to soak the infested lens elements in fungicidal fluid for weeks on end. They can't really do that at the shop.

Another method I've used with some succes is placing the lens that is "to complicated to take apart" in an airtight container, together with strong moisture absorbing material. This results in the drying up of the fungus. With some luck it can then just fall off the glass. It did in my case anyway. Leaving the bits somewhere in the lens. Of course, if you live in a humid environment the fungus will then be back very quickly. I would definitely not count on this method.

I've cleaned a few MF lenses using my own saliva (!!!) then clean them up with usual lens cleaning liquid. Works like a charm. Fungus never grew back. I know it sounds disgusting but human saliva seems to be excellent fungus killer and it's free

DaveHolmes · 01-05-2012, 06:13 PM

Originally posted by dcshooter

As far as pro cleaning goes, the prices you quoted seem rather high. In the US, you could probably have it done for $50-100. You might even consider trying to save money by shipping it to the US to be cleaned.

Ha! Welcome to Rip-Off-Britain! It may well save money to ship stateside but I reckon that for this particular lens I'd be better off just getting a fungus-free copy...

Originally posted by dcshooter

The three things that fungus likes: darkness, moisture, and warmth.

So keeping your best lenses 'in your camera bag' in the bedroom is not the best idea then?!
No moisture but house is warm and the inside of the camera bag is dark!!

Ben_Edict · 01-06-2012, 07:56 AM

The climate in the UK can be quite wet and I would never store my lenses in the bedroom anyway, as this is the room, where a lot of moisture is produced overnight. Keep them simply on shelves with a not to restricted airflow and they'll be fine. For tropical climates dry cabinets are the premium choice and you see alot of those discussed in Malaysian and other Asian discussion boards.

By the way, I don't find the prices you quoted from the UK too high. You simply cannot compare US prices to UK prices for the simple lack of VAT, which you have to add, if you buy something from abroad (and customs duties on top).

I personally was less luck with removing fungus with alcohol and would not use peroxide (which is quite unhealthy) - PCE (Tetrachloroethylene) is even more effective (we used it in the film processing lab), but also even more unhealthy and damaging to the environment . I mostly use the time proven lens cleaning solution "Eclipse", which gets rid of nearly everything. But be careful, modern special coatings (like DG) can be damaged by the old Eclipse variant and they make a different version for digitally coated lenses. So far Eclips never damaged anything, when I used it.

Ben

DaveHolmes · 01-06-2012, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by Ben_Edict

Keep them simply on shelves with a not to restricted airflow and they'll be fine

Lens caps off?
Do I now have to worry about dust!?
It's almost like you can't win!

Originally posted by Ben_Edict

I would never store my lenses in the bedroom anyway

I live in a student house... As such my bedroom (which I can and do lock) is the only really secure place to store my stuff, as you never really know 'what' my housemates will bring home!!

Ben_Edict · 01-07-2012, 07:15 AM

Originally posted by DaveHolmes

Lens caps off?
Do I now have to worry about dust!?
It's almost like you can't win!

I live in a student house... As such my bedroom (which I can and do lock) is the only really secure place to store my stuff, as you never really know 'what' my housemates will bring home!!

It is not necessary to remove the lens caps and you can store the lenses inside a cupboard, if that is not placed against an outside wall (which is the place, where usually most condensation occurs). I just meant to store them outside a closed bag. If you live in a student house, I guess your bedroom serves as your combined living room and as such will be heated and also might see fresh air from time to time. That should be fine, then. And don't use old leather lens cases as they are an ideal breeding place for fungus.

Ben

lytrytyr · 01-08-2012, 12:03 PM

Originally posted by Ben_Edict

And don't use old leather lens cases as they are an ideal breeding place for fungus.

Do you think that leather cases lined with felt
are any better from that standpoint?

01-04-2012, 03:27 AM	#1
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501	How difficult to rid fungus from an AF prime This is purely hypothetical... If an AF prime has a small amount of fungus... Should it be thought of as a 'write-off'? Could it be professionally cleaned? If so, how much would it cost? Would it be possible to clean DIY style? How hard can it be? what can go wrong?

01-04-2012, 03:44 AM	#3
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,594	It can definitely be professionally cleaned (likely) for less than a new one, thought it really depends on the lens- I mean if it's a DA 35mm F2.4, then you might as well pick up a new one and sell the old one for parts. Might be worth a go yourself if you know what you're doing, but some lenses are really tricky to disassemble and then reassemble. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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01-04-2012, 03:43 AM	#2
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	Dave, don't scare us! There was a French forum that had a thread about DA21s separating into two halves. I would think that a repair from that kind of damage would be comparable with fungus removal, if the fungus was inside the lens. If the fungus was just on the outside, a gentle wipe with alcohol should do the trick (on the lens, not the tongue).

01-04-2012, 03:50 AM	#4
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	I've cleaned multiple older MF primes. I love to get them cheap on ebay and then make them look like new. (Still looking for a cheap fungus infested 55mm 1.2) But I never dared to take that chance with a AF lens. Looked inside one for a bit and decided it's a much more complex puzzle!

01-04-2012, 04:44 AM	#5
Ben_Edict Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SouthWest "Regio" Photos: Albums Posts: 3,309	Yes, as Adam wrote, fungus can be cleaned off. The price for getting this professionally done depends very much on the lens and on the location of the fungus. Usually it growths on the most inaccessible lens surface... It is well-worth the investment, if it is a valuable or rare lens. Just like Clavius I have cleaned several MF lenses over time and it always proofed to be succesful, though complicated lens constructions (like the 28mm shift) caused me a lot of head scratching ... AF lenses are more of a problem, as the AF mechanism can be quite fragile, as it needs to move very freely without a lot of applied force to work properly. But a competent workshop can do it. Ben

01-04-2012, 05:14 AM	#6
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Thanks all... It is hypothetical in the sense that I've been offered an AF lens at a VERY good price... After ringing round a few repair shops I'm looking at £80 to £120 for fungus removal... 2 of the 5 shops I rang also gave warning that "It'll probably grow back anyway"... So... Getting it professionally cleaned (even at the price of the lens in question) is not economical... Though for a more expensive lens (say an FA Ltd) it 'might' be... Cleaning it myself would be time-consuming, difficult and could go wrong; damaging the AF or Aperture-blades... Using it on camera and storing with my other lenses may (or may not) infect other lenses in my collection... At the moment it's looking like I should pass... For a lens readily obtainable for less than £350, one with any amount of fungus seems like a bad idea even at less than £100...

01-04-2012, 05:29 AM	#7
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Originally posted by DaveHolmes "It'll probably grow back anyway" It never grew back on my lenses. But I do have a advantage over the repair shops. I left to soak the infested lens elements in fungicidal fluid for weeks on end. They can't really do that at the shop. Another method I've used with some succes is placing the lens that is "to complicated to take apart" in an airtight container, together with strong moisture absorbing material. This results in the drying up of the fungus. With some luck it can then just fall off the glass. It did in my case anyway. Leaving the bits somewhere in the lens. Of course, if you live in a humid environment the fungus will then be back very quickly. I would definitely not count on this method.

01-04-2012, 09:02 AM	#8
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Originally posted by Clavius Another method I've used with some succes is placing the lens that is "to complicated to take apart" in an airtight container, together with strong moisture absorbing material. Rice?

01-04-2012, 09:39 AM	#9
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,977	Originally posted by DaveHolmes This is purely hypothetical... If an AF prime has a small amount of fungus... Should it be thought of as a 'write-off'? Could it be professionally cleaned? If so, how much would it cost? Would it be possible to clean DIY style? How hard can it be? what can go wrong? If the lens is still in production, I'd compare the cost of cleaning (and the risk of the fungus recurring) against my insurance deductible. The problem with fungus is that it only takes one spore being missed to allow the problem to recur, and it only takes one spore migrating to another lens to infect something else. I've never had a lens with fungus (the nice thing about living in a dry climate), but if I did, I'd write it off as a loss and offer it for sale in as is condition. If someone else is informed about the fungus and wants the risk, they can take it on. For myself, I've got too many very good and very irreplaceable lenses to risk keeping an infected lens.

01-04-2012, 09:40 AM	#10
ducdao Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Montreal/Vermont Posts: 2,160	Originally posted by Clavius It never grew back on my lenses. But I do have a advantage over the repair shops. I left to soak the infested lens elements in fungicidal fluid for weeks on end. They can't really do that at the shop. Another method I've used with some succes is placing the lens that is "to complicated to take apart" in an airtight container, together with strong moisture absorbing material. This results in the drying up of the fungus. With some luck it can then just fall off the glass. It did in my case anyway. Leaving the bits somewhere in the lens. Of course, if you live in a humid environment the fungus will then be back very quickly. I would definitely not count on this method. I've cleaned a few MF lenses using my own saliva (!!!) then clean them up with usual lens cleaning liquid. Works like a charm. Fungus never grew back. I know it sounds disgusting but human saliva seems to be excellent fungus killer and it's free

01-05-2012, 06:13 PM	#11
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Originally posted by dcshooter As far as pro cleaning goes, the prices you quoted seem rather high. In the US, you could probably have it done for $50-100. You might even consider trying to save money by shipping it to the US to be cleaned. Ha! Welcome to Rip-Off-Britain! It may well save money to ship stateside but I reckon that for this particular lens I'd be better off just getting a fungus-free copy... Originally posted by dcshooter The three things that fungus likes: darkness, moisture, and warmth. So keeping your best lenses 'in your camera bag' in the bedroom is not the best idea then?! No moisture but house is warm and the inside of the camera bag is dark!!

01-06-2012, 07:56 AM	#12
Ben_Edict Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SouthWest "Regio" Photos: Albums Posts: 3,309	The climate in the UK can be quite wet and I would never store my lenses in the bedroom anyway, as this is the room, where a lot of moisture is produced overnight. Keep them simply on shelves with a not to restricted airflow and they'll be fine. For tropical climates dry cabinets are the premium choice and you see alot of those discussed in Malaysian and other Asian discussion boards. By the way, I don't find the prices you quoted from the UK too high. You simply cannot compare US prices to UK prices for the simple lack of VAT, which you have to add, if you buy something from abroad (and customs duties on top). I personally was less luck with removing fungus with alcohol and would not use peroxide (which is quite unhealthy) - PCE (Tetrachloroethylene) is even more effective (we used it in the film processing lab), but also even more unhealthy and damaging to the environment . I mostly use the time proven lens cleaning solution "Eclipse", which gets rid of nearly everything. But be careful, modern special coatings (like DG) can be damaged by the old Eclipse variant and they make a different version for digitally coated lenses. So far Eclips never damaged anything, when I used it. Ben

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01-06-2012, 12:16 PM	#13
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ben_Edict Keep them simply on shelves with a not to restricted airflow and they'll be fine Lens caps off? Do I now have to worry about dust!? It's almost like you can't win! Originally posted by Ben_Edict I would never store my lenses in the bedroom anyway I live in a student house... As such my bedroom (which I can and do lock) is the only really secure place to store my stuff, as you never really know 'what' my housemates will bring home!!

01-07-2012, 07:15 AM	#14
Ben_Edict Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SouthWest "Regio" Photos: Albums Posts: 3,309	Originally posted by DaveHolmes Lens caps off? Do I now have to worry about dust!? It's almost like you can't win! I live in a student house... As such my bedroom (which I can and do lock) is the only really secure place to store my stuff, as you never really know 'what' my housemates will bring home!! It is not necessary to remove the lens caps and you can store the lenses inside a cupboard, if that is not placed against an outside wall (which is the place, where usually most condensation occurs). I just meant to store them outside a closed bag. If you live in a student house, I guess your bedroom serves as your combined living room and as such will be heated and also might see fresh air from time to time. That should be fine, then. And don't use old leather lens cases as they are an ideal breeding place for fungus. Ben

01-08-2012, 12:03 PM	#15
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	Originally posted by Ben_Edict And don't use old leather lens cases as they are an ideal breeding place for fungus. Do you think that leather cases lined with felt are any better from that standpoint?