Fungus?

[John Conway]

What is the deal with fungus? There are some good deals on lenses that are described as having fungus. Can the fungus be removed?

[Brian C. Miller]

The fungus can be removed, but the damage may not be able to be removed. The fungus can eat glass, so it can really damage a lens. There are all kinds of fungus that show up, even on electronic circuit boards. I have seen lens elements completely covered by fungus. Just totally nasty.

[sully75]

Also I believe fungus can spread between lenses, if they have sex together. No seriously, it can.

[E. von Hoegh]

Also I believe fungus can spread between lenses, if they have sex together. No seriously, it can.

It's worse than you might think. They just need to be near each other....

[Tim Meisburger]

I read somewhere that fungus only affects coated lenses, and that the etching is in the coating, not the glass itself. I don't know if that is true, but am interested in this issue as well.

[E. von Hoegh]

I read somewhere that fungus only affects coated lenses, and that the etching is in the coating, not the glass itself. I don't know if that is true, but am interested in this issue as well.

Coated or non coated makes no difference. I have a first model Rollei with terrible etching in the uncoated Tessar. Clean lenses (and this includes lubricant haze) are not likely to contract fungus, as the fungus has nothing to eat. As far as I know, there is no fungus that actually eats silica - but the fungus can manufacture compounds that will etch glass.

[photobymike]

Fungus cant eat glass ... but the waste secretions from the fungus will etch glass.... Fungus is spread with spores that spread with wind, nearness, ect... I have been a victim of this terrible disease. I use protection and it still happens....

[Two23]

Fungus cant eat glass ... but the waste secretions from the fungus will etch glass....

That secretion is hydrofluoric acid--HFl. It's the only acid that can dissolve glass. (I stayed awake during chemistry class. :) ) And yes, my fear would be that an infected lens might spread spores to my other lenses. I think professional freeze drying might kill all the spores, but I'd have to read up on that.


Kent in SD

[photobymike]

That secretion is hydrofluoric acid--HFl. It's the only acid that can dissolve glass. (I stayed awake during chemistry class. :) ) And yes, my fear would be that an infected lens might spread spores to my other lenses. I think professional freeze drying might kill all the spores, but I'd have to read up on that.


Kent in SD

thanks.... chem and micro bio...was my favorite classes also 35 years ago... i have cried my eyes out at some pretty classic lenses i have owned.... Some lens just seem to be more prone to fungus i think... my worst favorite was a Canon 300 2.8 FD....

[jb7]

I thought that the fungus could be killed by leaving the lens out in sunlight? UV? No more spores?

[sully75]

Also you can get it from toilet seats.

[Two23]

I thought that the fungus could be killed by leaving the lens out in sunlight? UV? No more spores?


If the sunlight can hit all the spores, even those in the cracks & crevices of the lens. Professional freeze drying is the standard treatment for mildew/mold. It basically dessicates it.


Kent in SD

[cyberjunkie]

Any basic large spectrum fungal killer should work, but in all my personal experience plus many posts on the subject i have read, i found no mention about a method to eradicate fungal infections and prevent their formation in the future.
For example in agricolture a traditional product is copper sulphate, which is even approved for biological products.
It is non-aggressive, and it goes away after a couple rainfalls.
I am not 100% sure that's free to use on photographic glasses. As far as i know it does not affect the glass used for windows or bottles.
I know that there are various anti-fungal products used in human or veterinary fungine affections, which should be cheap enough. I guess that most of them should be perfectly safe for lens glasses, but i am in no way an expert :)
Anybody out there with a degree in chemistry or pharmacy?

The fungal infections i found on my lenses were very mild, and i could remove any traces with ROR (Residual Oil Remover), with no need to resort to stronger products.
With more widespread/aggressive infections, i would feel much safer if i could treat the barrel, and not just the glasses, to kill all the spores and prevent any further problem.

have fun

CJ

[Steven Tribe]

Fungus spores are everywhere - that is the way nature clears up the mess left by plants and animals. Fungii can be asexual. Unless you pack your lenses in a completely sterile/dry environment, there will be new spores settling within a day or two.
I have never found fungus to be problem with glass that was made using the old types of crown and flint - even when lenses have obviously been stored in damp conditions. The brass may be pitted and black/green but the glass seems completely uneffected.
I have only had problems with internal faces (condensation that doesn't evaporate quickly?)of coated lens where the obvious explanation is fluorides in the coating being converted to HF, Hydrofluoric acid.

[Brian Ellis]

I thought that the fungus could be killed by leaving the lens out in sunlight? UV? No more spores?

A camera repair person at Michael Smith's workshop suggested that sunlight would work in some cases. Maybe something to try before other more expensive or extreme methods.

[E. von Hoegh]

Get a cheap UV lamp, the sort sold for sterilising things. Disassemble the lens and expose it to the UV for a few days.

An ounce of prevention..... Keep your lenses clean and dry.

[Alan Gales]

What is the deal with fungus? There are some good deals on lenses that are described as having fungus. Can the fungus be removed?

My advice is to run!. In my opinion they are not good deals if they have fungus.

I occasionally sell photographic gear on Ebay to help fund my photography habit. I once sold a lens that on examination appeared to have a bit of dust in it which I didn't remember it being that way when I bought it. When the buyer received it he contacted me and told me what I thought was dust was actually fungus. He also sent photos which looked way worse than the lens looked when I mailed it. It looked like spider webs. After I received the lens I of course checked the serial # and indeed it was my lens but the fungus was way worse then the photos that buyer had sent me. It had chunks of fungus in it! I of course apologized to the Buyer and immediately returned his money including all his shipping costs.

Fungus is really nasty stuff and can grow at an alarming rate!

[domaz]

After I received the lens I of course checked the serial # and indeed it was my lens but the fungus was way worse then the photos that buyer had sent me. It had chunks of fungus in it! I of course apologized to the Buyer and immediately returned his money including all his shipping costs.

Fungus is really nasty stuff and can grow at an alarming rate!

That is an impressive growing rate! Can I take a wild guess and ask if you mailed this during a hot, humid Missouri summer by any chance? I grew up in Southeast MO so I remember those summers well (not fondly).

[Alan Gales]

Yes, it was indeed mailed during one of our typical hot, humid summers. I did keep the lens in our air conditioned house.

This was my first experience with fungus in a lens. I just couldn't believe it!

[John Conway]

I now consider myself completely educated on the subject of fungus in a photographic lens.No fungus lenses for me.

[cyberjunkie]

Fungus spores are everywhere - that is the way nature clears up the mess left by plants and animals. Fungii can be asexual. Unless you pack your lenses in a completely sterile/dry environment, there will be new spores settling within a day or two.


Of course you're right, BUT very few fungal specimens are dangerous, as far as photographic lenses are concerned.
I stored ALL my LF glasses in a fungus-friendly environment, for more than 15 years.
The place was an unhabited house, with no heating. The place suffered a major leakage from water pipes, so it was very, very damp. The lenses were stored in a cupboard-like place, gotten from a recess in the wall, and closed by wooden doors.
When i decided to use one of those anti-humidity containers, with water.-absorbing crystals, in a few days it was filled of water!
About two years ago i brought back most of the stuff, and i was almost sure that some fungus had developed, especially in those lenses that were quite dirty and overused, and that weren't cleaned before storage.

I guess i have been lucky, no fungal formations and no other damage, only a hint of haze in a couple of lenses, and a few "lazy" shutters. Some cleaning fluid and a little exercise solved both problems.
Now i have learned that even in a damp, dark place, with the right temperatures for fungal growth, there must be the wrong kind of spores to see any fungal growth on your lenses.
I guess that the vast majority of fungal spores are totally harmless, so i am not too paranoic about them.
I know that microscopic fungii are everywhere. Modern houses should be quite safe though, cause the micro-climate of most of our houses is adverse to fungal growth.

I agree that many vintage lenses, especially those made with "old glass", seem to be quite resistant to fungus damage.
On the other hand, there is a good number of modern coated lenses that show some kind of fungal affection. Most of them are for small formats.
I think that one reason is that the barrels have very small tolerances, and that the mechanics are more complicate. If there is some humidity build-up inside the lens, it would take a lot more time to get rid of it.
On top of that, just a little of fungus could easily damage the coating, while it takes much more to actually etch the glass surface.

have fun

CJ