Some wierd spots on my lens

mathalaichandar · 07-04-2018, 09:50 AM

I happen to check my camerabag and found some wierd white spots on my lens. Could someone able to figure out what that is and will that affect the perfomance of the lens

Attached Images

**FozzFoster** · 07-04-2018, 10:03 AM

hmmm looks like fungus to me .. usually fungus is 'in' the lens not on the surface.. are these spots on the surface or inside the lens?
Hopefully you can do something, as lots of fungus can affect image quality but not TOO badly. nice lens too.. Good luck!

tvdtvdtvd · 07-04-2018, 10:21 AM - **1 Like**

It does look like fungus. Can you take another picture in focus?

To clarify what FozzFoster said fungus is usually on an internal surface, (though not actually 'in' the lens element). Light
fungus like this could be cleaned but would require partial disassembly of the lens. Small spots like that are unlikely
to affect picture quality. However, you do want to prevent the fungus from getting worse. Keeping the camera in a bag
in a humid environment is a prime breeding ground for fungus.

**mikesbike** · 07-04-2018, 12:26 PM

Could be on the surface. Have you tried a cleaning with lens cleaning solution and a soft lens cleaning cloth? Do not use ordinary tissue- bad for lens coatings.

Be sure your camera bag is kept in a dry environment. Avoid high humidity. You might also put some moisture-absorbing packets in your bag as well.

DeadJohn · 07-04-2018, 12:33 PM - **1 Like**

Agreed it looks like fungus on one of the internal glass surfaces. It shouldn't show in photos, although you might lose a little contrast when bright lights are within your photo.

Your profile says India so I assume it's very humid where you are. Fungus spores are everywhere but they need humidity to thrive. Store lenses in a "dry box". There are a few options.

Use a plastic storage container with airtight lid. It doesn't have to be a fancy Pelican-style travel case, some simple home storage containers have lids sealed with gaskets. Add a rechargeable desiccant pack ("Rem Dri 35" is what I use). I recommend this approach; it's reliable and low cost.
Special cabinets with electrical dehumidifiers and interior lighting. Looks great, but more expensive and has to be plugged in to a wall outlet.
Take an existing home cabinet, add small light bulb to the bottom shelf for heat. You need to be careful with this approach because you can overheat your lenses if you use too large a bulb. Use a humidity gauge and work your way up from small bulbs until you are below 45% humidity.

**c.perkins** · 07-04-2018, 12:46 PM

I have a different take on this.
The OP has never mentioned if the lens was cleaned before the out of focus photos were taken.
You all know what they say about assumptions; right.

Clarence

HoutHans · 07-04-2018, 01:50 PM

I'd go for the step by step approach. First check whether image quality is affected. If bot, I wouldn't be bothered. If IQ is affected, I'd check whether this is fungus (in which case I'd try to remove the cause as much as trying to remove the actual spots). It could just be some other dirt or a defect in the lens coating, but that's difficult to tell from these photos.
Good luck with this,
Hans

aaacb · 07-04-2018, 04:34 PM

Also think that's fungus. How long since you last opened the camera bag? Ideally you should store your camera and lens in a dry environment as mentioned above, but if that's not an option at least keep it in a ventilated area or a cabinet that's not airtight.

mathalaichandar · 07-04-2018, 09:23 PM

Thanks all for your ideas and shares of thoughts, answering some of your questions.

How long its been since I opened? Its been two weeks.

Is it on the surface or inside? I noticed now that it is inside and not on the surface.

My new question is
Any cleaning options available. And does this spread over.

mathalaichandar · 07-04-2018, 09:25 PM

This is rhe most i can capture the fungus mentioned on my lens

stevebrot · 07-04-2018, 09:27 PM

It could very well be internal fungus or simply pollen grains adhering to the outside glass. The difference may be determined by close examination under dim light using a magnifying glass and a small flashlight (torch) at oblique angles.

BTW...Welcome to the Pentax Forums!

Steve

Wild Mark · 07-05-2018, 04:30 AM

Sadly I feel that is fungus. It is a WR lens so that is weird - it would need cleaning otherwise the fungus would like grow and damage the coatings.

**Alex645** · 07-05-2018, 10:56 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by mathalaichandar

I happen to check my camerabag and found some wierd white spots on my lens. Could someone able to figure out what that is and will that affect the perfomance of the lens

That is fungus and since your front element surface appears clean, it is on an internal element. You will not see it as any sort of dust in your shots, but as others have said, it will have a minor effect on your sharpness and lower your contrast. However, if allowed to grow, it will eventually reach a point where you'll have a 'soft focus' lens.

If the lens is under warranty, return it. If not, you have to decide whether to live with it, have it cleaned (probably around $250-300), or buy a new or used one (around $400 new) and sell yours at a bargain price.

As other have said, fungus thrives with humidity and darkness. So for starters, try to store this lens with the lens cap off in the light of a room. I live in a very humid environment and so I either try to store my gear somewhere with 24/7 air conditioning or in a dry box with rechargeable desiccants. It's either that or replacing my lenses every 5-10 years. This is less of an issue with prime lenses or WR/AW zooms, but as you can see, fungus can grow in these too.

I teach both film and digital photography, and sadly I see this often. I run a 21 enlarger darkroom, and if I don't actively protect all those enlarging lenses, they will all have fungus in a few years. Darkrooms are dark and humid places. FWIW: I run an a/c 24/7 in the darkroom with an ionizer and ozone generator when it is not occupied. When the lenses are not going to be used for a few months, I put them into an airtight Pelican case with a rechargeable desiccant to keep it dry.

mathalaichandar · 07-05-2018, 07:54 PM

Thanks for the response guys, I have got an awareness on the lens protection now and going forward I will keep them safe and clean. Thanks once again to all for your information and response.

HoutHans · 07-05-2018, 10:46 PM

It's not that strange to have fungus in a WR lens, in particular a zoom lens. There will always be a bit of air, with spores, moving in and out of the lens as it expands and retracts. I've heard people adviseur against zooming in humid conditions, but that seems to me to be going a bit too far.
Anyway, good luck getting it fixed.

07-04-2018, 09:50 AM	#1
mathalaichandar New Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 5	Some wierd spots on my lens I happen to check my camerabag and found some wierd white spots on my lens. Could someone able to figure out what that is and will that affect the perfomance of the lens Attached Images

07-04-2018, 12:33 PM - 1 Like	#5
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	Agreed it looks like fungus on one of the internal glass surfaces. It shouldn't show in photos, although you might lose a little contrast when bright lights are within your photo. Your profile says India so I assume it's very humid where you are. Fungus spores are everywhere but they need humidity to thrive. Store lenses in a "dry box". There are a few options. Use a plastic storage container with airtight lid. It doesn't have to be a fancy Pelican-style travel case, some simple home storage containers have lids sealed with gaskets. Add a rechargeable desiccant pack ("Rem Dri 35" is what I use). I recommend this approach; it's reliable and low cost. Special cabinets with electrical dehumidifiers and interior lighting. Looks great, but more expensive and has to be plugged in to a wall outlet. Take an existing home cabinet, add small light bulb to the bottom shelf for heat. You need to be careful with this approach because you can overheat your lenses if you use too large a bulb. Use a humidity gauge and work your way up from small bulbs until you are below 45% humidity.

07-04-2018, 09:25 PM	#10
mathalaichandar New Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 5 Original Poster	This is rhe most i can capture the fungus mentioned on my lens Attached Images

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07-04-2018, 10:03 AM	#2
FozzFoster Custom User Title Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Alberta Photos: Albums Posts: 6,808	hmmm looks like fungus to me .. usually fungus is 'in' the lens not on the surface.. are these spots on the surface or inside the lens? Hopefully you can do something, as lots of fungus can affect image quality but not TOO badly. nice lens too.. Good luck!

07-04-2018, 10:21 AM - 1 Like	#3
tvdtvdtvd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,665	It does look like fungus. Can you take another picture in focus? To clarify what FozzFoster said fungus is usually on an internal surface, (though not actually 'in' the lens element). Light fungus like this could be cleaned but would require partial disassembly of the lens. Small spots like that are unlikely to affect picture quality. However, you do want to prevent the fungus from getting worse. Keeping the camera in a bag in a humid environment is a prime breeding ground for fungus.

07-04-2018, 12:26 PM	#4
mikesbike Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Southeastern Michigan Posts: 4,558	Could be on the surface. Have you tried a cleaning with lens cleaning solution and a soft lens cleaning cloth? Do not use ordinary tissue- bad for lens coatings. Be sure your camera bag is kept in a dry environment. Avoid high humidity. You might also put some moisture-absorbing packets in your bag as well.

07-04-2018, 12:46 PM	#6
c.perkins Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: New Lisbon, WI. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 515	I have a different take on this. The OP has never mentioned if the lens was cleaned before the out of focus photos were taken. You all know what they say about assumptions; right. Clarence

07-04-2018, 01:50 PM	#7
HoutHans Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Appingedam Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,123	I'd go for the step by step approach. First check whether image quality is affected. If bot, I wouldn't be bothered. If IQ is affected, I'd check whether this is fungus (in which case I'd try to remove the cause as much as trying to remove the actual spots). It could just be some other dirt or a defect in the lens coating, but that's difficult to tell from these photos. Good luck with this, Hans

07-04-2018, 04:34 PM	#8
aaacb Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,726	Also think that's fungus. How long since you last opened the camera bag? Ideally you should store your camera and lens in a dry environment as mentioned above, but if that's not an option at least keep it in a ventilated area or a cabinet that's not airtight.

07-04-2018, 09:23 PM	#9
mathalaichandar New Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 5 Original Poster	Thanks all for your ideas and shares of thoughts, answering some of your questions. How long its been since I opened? Its been two weeks. Is it on the surface or inside? I noticed now that it is inside and not on the surface. My new question is Any cleaning options available. And does this spread over.

07-04-2018, 09:27 PM	#11
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	It could very well be internal fungus or simply pollen grains adhering to the outside glass. The difference may be determined by close examination under dim light using a magnifying glass and a small flashlight (torch) at oblique angles. BTW...Welcome to the Pentax Forums! Steve

07-05-2018, 04:30 AM	#12
Wild Mark Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Newcastle Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,954	Sadly I feel that is fungus. It is a WR lens so that is weird - it would need cleaning otherwise the fungus would like grow and damage the coatings.

07-05-2018, 10:56 AM - 1 Like	#13
Alex645 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Kaneohe, HI Photos: Albums Posts: 3,526	Originally posted by mathalaichandar I happen to check my camerabag and found some wierd white spots on my lens. Could someone able to figure out what that is and will that affect the perfomance of the lens That is fungus and since your front element surface appears clean, it is on an internal element. You will not see it as any sort of dust in your shots, but as others have said, it will have a minor effect on your sharpness and lower your contrast. However, if allowed to grow, it will eventually reach a point where you'll have a 'soft focus' lens. If the lens is under warranty, return it. If not, you have to decide whether to live with it, have it cleaned (probably around $250-300), or buy a new or used one (around $400 new) and sell yours at a bargain price. As other have said, fungus thrives with humidity and darkness. So for starters, try to store this lens with the lens cap off in the light of a room. I live in a very humid environment and so I either try to store my gear somewhere with 24/7 air conditioning or in a dry box with rechargeable desiccants. It's either that or replacing my lenses every 5-10 years. This is less of an issue with prime lenses or WR/AW zooms, but as you can see, fungus can grow in these too. I teach both film and digital photography, and sadly I see this often. I run a 21 enlarger darkroom, and if I don't actively protect all those enlarging lenses, they will all have fungus in a few years. Darkrooms are dark and humid places. FWIW: I run an a/c 24/7 in the darkroom with an ionizer and ozone generator when it is not occupied. When the lenses are not going to be used for a few months, I put them into an airtight Pelican case with a rechargeable desiccant to keep it dry.

07-05-2018, 07:54 PM	#14
mathalaichandar New Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 5 Original Poster	Thanks for the response guys, I have got an awareness on the lens protection now and going forward I will keep them safe and clean. Thanks once again to all for your information and response.

07-05-2018, 10:46 PM	#15
HoutHans Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Appingedam Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,123	It's not that strange to have fungus in a WR lens, in particular a zoom lens. There will always be a bit of air, with spores, moving in and out of the lens as it expands and retracts. I've heard people adviseur against zooming in humid conditions, but that seems to me to be going a bit too far. Anyway, good luck getting it fixed.