[seacapt]

I'll bet you've heard this before. It' 3 hrs. to the nearest real camera shop "If Walmart aint got it y'all don't need it" so I don't get to try lenses out . I've been doing some research here and buying used on ebay , that way if I don't like the lens I don't take too bad of a beating on it. I've gotten a couple lenses that I like the characteristics of but they have internal dirt or fungus. My questions are these: 1) how hard is it to take apart and clean a lens? 2) is there a reputable place to send Pentax lenses for internal cleaning? 3) if the answer to the previous question is yes is it worth the money? What should this type of service cost?

Thanks, Ken

[vanchaz2002]

Fungus need to clean ASAP as it will grow. But it might destroy the lens coating. So just avoid lens with fungus by al means.

Dust is another issue, usually don't clean it unless it cause something on the photo taken. Don't fix it unless it's broken.

[paparay]

Try KEH.com in Atlanta

[philbaum]

Fungus need to clean ASAP as it will grow. But it might destroy the lens coating. So just avoid lens with fungus by al means.

Dust is another issue, usually don't clean it unless it cause something on the photo taken. Don't fix it unless it's broken.

No offense, but i think some clarification is needed. Fungus becomes dormant if it doesn't have adequate moisture. Condensation can quickly form on any camera equipment if its cold and brought quickly into a warm humid home. I've read that people in cold climates will bring their eqipment indoors in zipped up camera containers so it can gradually warm up without forming condensation. Some even bring their equipment indoors inside in closed plastic bags. In any case, any equipment with moisture on the surface should be dried of any visible moisture. I once removed moisture from the inside of a lens by playing a hair dryer over the lens while rolling it carefully in my hands.

Don't put equipment away wet, a sure bet for the formation of fungus. Fungus spores are everywhere in our environment, so keeping the equipment dry is the answer. I think pros like to use these dessicant packages which can be dried and reused i heard once.

Phil

[Indianadinos]

Hello Seacapt,

[snip]
1) how hard is it to take apart and clean a lens? 2) is there a reputable place to send Pentax lenses for internal cleaning? 3) if the answer to the previous question is yes is it worth the money? What should this type of service cost?

Thanks, Ken

1) I assume your question is about cleaning from fungus. The lens should be cleaned as soon as possible, since fungus traces get harder to clean with fungus age. How hard it is, it depends on the lens ... Usually old Pentax lenses are not too difficult to fix, there are a lot of people around who have good experience and many tutorials on internet ...

2) Don't know ... As long as i am able to disassemble my lenses, i will do it by myself ... I have bought most of my Takumars for a few money, when they were still cheap, so paying more than 15$-20$ for fixing them is not worth the money ...

3) ...

Hope this helps

Best regards

[Kerrowdown]

Disassembly is not by all accounts for the faint hearted, repair costs can often be greater than lens worth.

[Just1MoreDave]

I started out where you were, a couple of years ago. I have since tackled many lens repairs and been mostly successful, though I have three or four problem lenses that have resisted. Prime lenses are not that hard, sometimes pretty easy. Zoom lenses are a bit harder. You rarely need to take a lens completely apart. I made two tools, got some small screwdrivers and a couple of solvents, and that's my toolkit.

The most annoying issue is on the newer SMC Takumar 50 or 55mm lenses. The distance scale is a thin strip of aluminum, wrapped around the focus ring and glued on. The original glue partly fails and the strip unwraps a little. It starts to feel like grit in the focus mechanism, like a serious problem. All you have to do is reglue the strip, but that means taking off the "name" trim ring, filter ring and focus ring. The infinity focus needs to be reset when you reassemble the lens.

[MikeW]

I started out where you were, a couple of years ago. I have since tackled many lens repairs and been mostly successful, though I have three or four problem lenses that have resisted. Prime lenses are not that hard, sometimes pretty easy. Zoom lenses are a bit harder. You rarely need to take a lens completely apart. I made two tools, got some small screwdrivers and a couple of solvents, and that's my toolkit.

The most annoying issue is on the newer SMC Takumar 50 or 55mm lenses. The distance scale is a thin strip of aluminum, wrapped around the focus ring and glued on. The original glue partly fails and the strip unwraps a little. It starts to feel like grit in the focus mechanism, like a serious problem. All you have to do is reglue the strip, but that means taking off the "name" trim ring, filter ring and focus ring. The infinity focus needs to be reset when you reassemble the lens.

I have an M 50 f1.4 with just this problem. Other that this, it is an excellent lens. So far, it hasn't started getting "gritty" so I just ignore it. When it does, I'll follow your advice. What are your recommendations for glue?

[Just1MoreDave]

I have an M 50 f1.4 with just this problem. Other that this, it is an excellent lens. So far, it hasn't started getting "gritty" so I just ignore it. When it does, I'll follow your advice. What are your recommendations for glue?

I have used superglue (Cyanoacrylate) and it's held for a couple of years so fat. I chose it because it was easy to put a few drops in the exact right place.

[MikeW]

I have used superglue (Cyanoacrylate) and it's held for a couple of years so fat. I chose it because it was easy to put a few drops in the exact right place.

Thanks! I'll try it when I open it up.