Fungus Removal

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There was a thread a while back about fungus in a lens. Rob gave the following advice;

"Here's a suggestion: just leave the lens out in bright, hot sunshine for a few hours, this may well kill off the fungus by dehydratng/heating it."

What I would like to know is had anyone tried this and does it work, or can you damage the resins and glues in the lens by this.

P Nelson

-- Paul Nelson (clrfarm@comswest.net.au), May 30, 2001

Answers

I didn't say it would _remove_ the fungus, just stop it from spreading. Someone else then said that fungus is most damaging when dead, as it then releases acids and so on, so maybe the only good fungus is a live fungus? I don't know.

The one thing that really emerged from the whole discussion, which also ran on the LUG, is that your bag is the worst place for your gear in a high humidity climate as the bag will absorb lots of wet and infect your cameras and lenses. So maybe it's worth leaving your bag out in the sunshine ;-). I assume this would also apply to ever ready cases, which being made of leather, are probably even more of a menace. I have seen a leather belt turn to a mass of green mould in a couple of days in the tropics.

I doubt the glue and whatever in the lens assembly can be damaged by leaving the lens out in the sun, otherwise photography in hot sunny countries would be a no-no.

-- rob appleby (rob@robertappleby.com), May 30, 2001.


Bill Maxwell told me the worse place to store equipment is actually in a safe-which is where many of his collector customers store their most valuable stuff. Fungus loves to be in the dark and to be still. He told me that if your not using equipment much,to set it in the sun once and a while, or fire an electronic flash into the lens several times from time to time. I have been leaving my equipment on a shelf behind glass these days and not in a bag.

-- Andrew schank (aschank@flash.net), May 30, 2001.

Rob your coments on fongus realy turn me nervous, I´m thinking more in getting rid of my colection of old lenses before fongus find them, there goes my antifongus monthly treatment.

a)Always keep lenses in ziplock bags with silica gel.

b)Once a month take it out and sun it for an hour or so.

c)a good idea is to roll all lenses in paper like news paper then in the ziplock bag.

d)dehumificate your silica gel once in a wile, in the microwave.

e)use your lenses as often as you can.

Those are my two pesos

-- R Watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), May 30, 2001.


Roberto, I think e) is probably the best answer.

-- rob appleby (rob@robertappleby.com), May 30, 2001.

By the way, Erwin Putts had some advice also, he said, "destroy the lens if it has fungus", as it could spread from lens to lens. In fact, the lens is not in bad shape at all, and having lived in Singapore, you have to expect that with a 30 year old lens.

Thanks for your comments, P Nelson

-- Paul Nelson (clrfarm@comswest.net.au), May 30, 2001.



yes rob, as the best way to keep fit is walk. about what Mr puts says, hope he will tell me where he get rid of those lenses.

-- R Watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

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