Fungus???

[OsRuS]

I've seen ads for used lenses with the seller saying it is free of fungus.
Is this a problem with lenes?
What causes it?

[robertwgross]

I've seen ads for used lenses with the seller saying it is free of fungus.
Is this a problem with lenes?
What causes it?

Take your camera lenses to a tropical country and leave them there, not sealed in plastic bags, for a few weeks. Then examine them closely. You may see some white or gray haze "growing" on one or more of the lens elements. That's fungus.

You can beat most of that by packing your cameras and lenses with dry silica gel packets, or you can move to the north of Finland. I don't think it is very tropical up there.

---Bob Gross---

[PacAce]

I think the common name for the fungus they're referring to is mold. Yes, molds can be a problem if the lens is store in a damp and dark location. They tend to grow deep inside the lens and once you get them, they're really hard to get rid of short of taking them to the service center and having them disassemble the whole lens so that the lens elements can be cleaned individually.

[OsRuS]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Shame I live in 'Tropical' UK. Anyone in the UK will know of the monsoon conditions over here at the moment.

[BearSummer]

Hi OsRuS,

you might like to have a look at the foloowing link as they have supplied me with a large amount for silica gel for just this reason

geejay chemicals (http://www.geejaychemicals.co.uk/)

Hope that helps

BearSummer

[robertwgross]

Every time that I receive some new camera or lens or other electronic gadget, it comes packed with silica gel. I save those silica gel packages. Then next time I am headed to some humid location where rain, fog, or mold could be a problem, I recharge my silica gel and reuse it.

To recharge your silica gel, you simply dry it. Put some packs of it on a plate and put it in the oven at about F 150-200 degrees. Leave it for a half-hour. The silica gel dries out. When you remove the packs from the oven, drop them into a sturdy plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and then seal the opening. The silica gel is now dry, and it is stored temporarily so that more humidity won't get to it until you are ready.

When you are ready to use it, pop a silica gel pack out of the storage bag and in next to your camera or lens, and reseal the storage bag. Photographers have gone on long trips in the tropical jungle using this technique.

---Bob Gross---