[kevinWE]

Japan offers quite a few good looking lenses on eBay, but I have noticed that many listing state the presence of fungus. It almost seems that an unprecedented amount of lenses from Japan state the lens is beautiful, excellent +++++, but in the fine detail they reveal the truth about haze and the very tiniest spec of fungus starting to form.

It's just an observation, I could be wrong.

[Dartmoor Dave]

Dartmoor is the fungus capital of the world, with perfect growing conditions of dampness and gloom. If I take a lens out of my digitally controlled dry box for more than ten minutes, intelligent civilisations start to evolve on the inner elements.

[zapp]

If you are looking for any special Pentax lens, you only find them in Japan or at least most of them. Add South Korea maybe.
The older, the more likely, you deal with fungus. Maybe Japanese are very honest with detailed lens descriptions. I bought a local - not from Japan - FA 2.8/300... with fungus on eBay. Return was ready in 10 minutes. Dust spots maybe, but fungus no way.

[Not a Number]

Maybe the Japanese sellers are just a bit more open about disclosing the condition.

[Fontan]

I think in general this relates to the degree of humidity to which the lenses are kept under. Japan in most parts are wet, humid, and when hot fungus will thrive, as opposed to lenses which spent most of their lives in Southern California are much less likely to have it. In Japan there is certainly a market for portable dehumidified storage specific for camera and other precision equipments.

[LensBeginner]

Dartmoor is the fungus capital of the world, with perfect growing conditions of dampness and gloom. If I take a lens out of my digitally controlled dry box for more than ten minutes, intelligent civilisations start to evolve on the inner elements.

I've never been to Dartmoor... but I bet you've never been to Himeji!

[pentax360]

I also noticed that when I was pricing lenses.
Also lenses in japan seem to sell for more than American ones, which I think is maybe because all of them offer international shipping.

[kiwi_jono]

Thats not been my experience but then I have only bought 3 lenses (with no fungus) from Japan.

On the other hand I seem to have had a bad run buying lenses from Auckland (NZ) - 3 out of 4 had some fungus. And reluctant to buy from there now.

I think it all comes down to the average humidity at a location but also how well the lenses are cared for and stored. I have seen lenses from here in Christchurch (generally low humidity year round) absolutely peppered with fungus because they had been stored on the bottom shelf in a garage.

[35mmfilmfan]

I've often wondered if fungus is more prevalent in lenses coming from an environment where central heating is present. Anyone any ideas ?

[gordon_l34]

Hi All,

I live in Brisbane which can at times be a high humidity zone.

What I have done is use old two door cafe type drinks fridges. I have removed all of the refridgerative equipment, blocked all the holes with expanding foam and then fitted two Peltier Dehumidifying units, rated for 800 litres, in the back wall to get a relative humidity of around fifty percent.

As the cabinets are around 1000 litres the dehumidifying units still handle their task easily because the doors are not opened very often.

The Peltier units were purchased from Kayell here in Brisbane.

Regards,
Gordon.

[monochrome]

I've often wondered if fungus is more prevalent in lenses coming from an environment where central heating is present. Anyone any ideas ?

Central Heating actually dries the air. Our HVAC unit humidifies in winter and de-humidifies In summer to keep the humidity at 55%. In summer in St. Louis the relative humidity varies between 80 - 90%.

I store my lenses in a small chest of drawers with desiccant sachets in each drawer. I keep a few color-indicative gelatin packs in each drawer that will turn pink to show excess humidity. They can be ‘reset’ by drying in a microwave on low for a couple minutes.

[pinholecam]

Fungus?
Try Singapore.
RH Ave : 83.9% year round
100% on rainy days.
Temp : 27.8C year round.


I like buying from Japan sellers.
They are honest with the condition of the lenses.
If quality is good, its often very good

[c.a.m]

I've often wondered if fungus is more prevalent in lenses coming from an environment where central heating is present. Anyone any ideas ?

Here in Ottawa, the annual average Relative Humidity (ambient outdoors) is approximately 70%, ranging between 25% and 100%.

Our home's central HVAC system controls the indoor RH to ~40% in winter and 45-50% in summer.

Insight into the environments that favour fungus germination and growth may be found at these references:

I. Cordero, Fungus: How to prevent growth and remove it from optical components (2013)
Fungus: how to prevent growth and remove it from optical components

S. Block, et al, Humidity and Temperature Requirements of Selected Fungi (1961)
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/268093.pdf

In summary, the second reference concluded that "Spore germination was usually prevented when the relative humidity was below 70 percent regardless of temperature."

- Craig

[VSTAR]

I believe it is the truthfulness in their business dealings. Seems they list all the info about camera products and detail it with as many pictures as possible. Here in Canada, probably similar in the USA, camera bodies and lenses are listed as in excellent condition when in fact they are not.

[Paul the Sunman]

Japan offers quite a few good looking lenses on eBay, but I have noticed that many listing state the presence of fungus. It almost seems that an unprecedented amount of lenses from Japan state the lens is beautiful, excellent +++++, but in the fine detail they reveal the truth about haze and the very tiniest spec of fungus starting to form.

It's just an observation, I could be wrong.

Have you ever been to a Japanese fruit and vegetable market? It's absolutely the fungus capital!