[Nick Siebers]

Still trying to pare down to just the lenses I use regularly, but for some reason I keep buying more. These are all very nice lenses, but under-utilized - perhaps you can change that! :-)

Super-Multi-Coated Fish-Eye-Takumar 17mm f/4 - $149 plus shipping (FUNGUS) Fungus gone, now $209 plus shipping
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 35mm f/3.5 - $49 plus shipping SOLD
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm f/2.8 - $99 plus shipping Now $89 --> SOLD plus shipping

Shipping: $6.95 in the US for 1 lens, no additional charge for 2. $275 gets all three shipped to your door. International shipping is available, but will probably cost more, please ask about specific countries. If anything is not as described I am happy to take it back with full refund of your purchase price (not shipping). Please ask any questions you might have!

The Fish-Eye is really a cool little lens, basically a pancake, with a very wide angle of view but a fair amount of distortion, as you would expect. It is very handy for travel as it takes up almost no room in your bag and yet gets a significantly wider view than the kit lens. Alas, my copy has a fairly large amount of fungus. I have never had another so I do not know how much IQ is affected, but I can say this lens isn't quite as sharp as the A 16mm fish-eye, and has more tendency to flare and lose contrast in bright sunlight, but is distinctly better than my screw-in fish-eye adapter (which is a good one). Certainly it can produce a sharp picture, as shown below. It's not a lens I use that much, so getting this one at a bargain might be just the thing. Original front cap, generic rear cap included, as are built in filters.



The 35mm is like a discount (manual focus) DA40: small and light, super sharp even wide open, but not quite as fast as you might like. No fungus here, very minimal external dings and brassing, clear glass and good mechanics. No caps, sadly.


The 105mm has seen a little more use and has slightly more external scratches and brassing, but not bad. Again, no fungus haze or scratches and smooth mechanical operation through all functions. And again no caps, but I will include a 49mm Telesar UV filter (made in japan) to protect the front element. A nice portrait lens, compact yet decently fast, gives you plenty of room to not stick a camera right in someone's face.


Hmm, can't get pictures from Flickr. I guess I will add them below.

Edit 25AUG2010 - The fish eye has been cleaned of fungus by Eric Hendrickson. Seems a little sharper, definitely more contrasty in the sun. Price has gone up, but just by the $60 I spent getting it repaired.

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Last edited by Nick Siebers; 08-25-2010 at 06:36 PM.

[Nick Siebers]

Here's the other 2 lenses:

[causey]

Sending PM for the Tak 35mm 3.5.

[Nick Siebers]

And the 35mm Tak is sold. Thanks!

[Nick Siebers]

Note that the 17mm fisheyes on ebay, K and Tak versions, are all asking $400 or more. Those are totally overpriced, needless to say... but I do think mine is a decent bargain.

[hangu]

Note that the 17mm fisheyes on ebay, K and Tak versions, are all asking $400 or more. Those are totally overpriced, needless to say... but I do think mine is a decent bargain.

There's quite a bit of risk involved for growth of this magnitude. If the fungus has etched into the coating and glass, then it's a goner.

On which element is the fungus on? Is it on more than one element?

[Nick Siebers]

Hi Hangu -

I hope no one will take "risk" with this one - it cannot be cleaned, and there is fungus (or etching) on multiple elements, as best I can tell. I really had trouble taking pictures of that.

But it can be used as it is. There is no reason it should get worse, as long as kept out of conditions in which fungus grows - just like any other lens. And it will not "spread" to other lenses. It's just a damaged lens, discounted for its condition.

[rjohnst3]

Hi Nick, I am perplexed by the 17mm...it looks like a great "toy" to be played with and so, I want it. However, you state that it can't be cleaned...with all due respect, has the lens been looked at by anyone else (the famous "Eric" or maybe someone else that has lens fame)? It does look pretty well infected but there's just the one picture. Any chance you can shoot a couple of shots of the mount side? Thanks...I'm a total lens junkie and maybe this will work out...just need some more info, thanks...Ron J.

Hi Hangu -

I hope no one will take "risk" with this one - it cannot be cleaned, and there is fungus (or etching) on multiple elements, as best I can tell. I really had trouble taking pictures of that.

But it can be used as it is. There is no reason it should get worse, as long as kept out of conditions in which fungus grows - just like any other lens. And it will not "spread" to other lenses. It's just a damaged lens, discounted for its condition.

[Nick Siebers]

The thing about trying to photograph the fungus is that the aperture is really small. That picture is from the back, from the front you can't see much fungus at all. And it is on multiple levels, so almost impossible to get it all into focus without a stand of some kind. I'll try tomorrow, and I'll get some more sample shots.

Don't take my word for it - I did have my local camera repair place look at it, and they thought it couldn't be cleaned. They were a little mystified by the lens, though, and only had it for 24 hours, so I doubt they took it apart. It is possible Eric or another Pentax specialist might have more luck. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy it counting on cleaning it out.

But it is a fun toy. I am open to offers if people want to counter balance the risk.

Thanks, Nick

Hi Nick, I am perplexed by the 17mm...it looks like a great "toy" to be played with and so, I want it. However, you state that it can't be cleaned...with all due respect, has the lens been looked at by anyone else (the famous "Eric" or maybe someone else that has lens fame)? It does look pretty well infected but there's just the one picture. Any chance you can shoot a couple of shots of the mount side? Thanks...I'm a total lens junkie and maybe this will work out...just need some more info, thanks...Ron J.

[hangu]

Hi Hangu -

I hope no one will take "risk" with this one - it cannot be cleaned, and there is fungus (or etching) on multiple elements, as best I can tell. I really had trouble taking pictures of that.

But it can be used as it is. There is no reason it should get worse, as long as kept out of conditions in which fungus grows - just like any other lens. And it will not "spread" to other lenses. It's just a damaged lens, discounted for its condition.

You'd be surprised at how easily 'bad' cases of fungus can be cleaned off. You never know until you try it. However, if it's got to the cemented elements then it is close to impossible to clean.

I wouldn't put too much stock into what local camera repair shops have to say. You really can't tell until you actually try to clean it off.

Fungus can't spread to other lenses. All you have to do is put it under the sun with aluminum foil around the bottom and sides to kill the fungus spores. It won't get rid of the etching but it won't spread anymore.

[Nick Siebers]

Well the good news is that these fine gentlemen have convinved me to send the fish-eye in to Eric to see if he can clean it. The bad news is that it is not for sale right now. More info to follow. I was out shooting "sample shots" with it today and it was super fun... so you might not get another shot! It's like LBA, but not quite. :-)

The 105mm remains for sale. Very nice lens. NO FUNGUS!

[stevebrot]

...Fungus can't spread to other lenses. All you have to do is put it under the sun with aluminum foil around the bottom and sides to kill the fungus spores. It won't get rid of the etching but it won't spread anymore.

I would beg to differ. I have not done any studies, but the basic nature of fungal spores is that they are resistant to heat and desiccation. As for the risk of spreading...how do you think the lens got infected in the first place? It takes a pretty special type of fungus to live on the relatively sterile surface of a piece of coated glass and there is no sense tempting fate by taking a known source of contagion and exposing your other lenses to it.

Sort of like sharing shoes with your roommate who has athlete's foot

The seller did the right thing by suspending sale of this lens.


Steve

[pickles]

Well the good news is that these fine gentlemen have convinved me to send the fish-eye in to Eric to see if he can clean it. The bad news is that it is not for sale right now. More info to follow. I was out shooting "sample shots" with it today and it was super fun... so you might not get another shot! It's like LBA, but not quite. :-)

The 105mm remains for sale. Very nice lens.

I reckon you've made the right choice. It's a ripper little lens, so for a small fee you can have an expert opinion on it. It would be good if you could advise what is the result.
Cheers, Pickles.

[Nick Siebers]

I would beg to differ. I have not done any studies, but the basic nature of fungal spores is that they are resistant to heat and desiccation. As for the risk of spreading...how do you think the lens got infected in the first place? It takes a pretty special type of fungus to live on the relatively sterile surface of a piece of coated glass and there is no sense tempting fate by taking a known source of contagion and exposing your other lenses to it.

Sort of like sharing shoes with your roommate who has athlete's foot

The seller did the right thing by suspending sale of this lens.


Steve

Thanks for the vote, Steve, but mostly I decided I want to keep it. Fungal spores are everywhere, unfortunately, including probably every lens you own. If put into the right conditions - consistently moist and dark - fungus will grow. Unfortunately those old lens cases and bags in which our M42 treasures are often found are a perfect breeding ground. I would agree that you wouldn't want to put a lens without fungus into a case from which you took out a lens with fungus, but sitting on the same shelf, say, the risk of "spread" is essentially zero.

I think the sunlight and aluminum foil trick is to clear out the radioactive yellowing. But bright light and dry conditions will stop fungal growth. Which is how I have been storing it since I got it. (Yes, a distance from my other lenses.)

Pickles, I will pass on what happens.

[hangu]

I would beg to differ. I have not done any studies, but the basic nature of fungal spores is that they are resistant to heat and desiccation. As for the risk of spreading...how do you think the lens got infected in the first place? It takes a pretty special type of fungus to live on the relatively sterile surface of a piece of coated glass and there is no sense tempting fate by taking a known source of contagion and exposing your other lenses to it.

Sort of like sharing shoes with your roommate who has athlete's foot

The seller did the right thing by suspending sale of this lens.
Steve

I haven't done any studies either but the sun does contain UV rays. Fairly certain that would help.

Also, the correct analogy would be placing your shoes next to your roommate's shoes. Pretty sure that's not how Athlete's Foot spreads. Physical contact is one thing, proximity is another.