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Archive 2013Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
p.1 #1Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
I'm curious to know about peoples experiences exposing fungus affected lenses to various sources of UV (eg blacklights, germicidal lamps, sunlight etc) to kill the fungus. If you've tried it please share your experience, good or bad.
What did you do?
Which lights did you use?
How long was the exposure?
Has it worked, or not, and how can you tell either way?
Edit: Changed Subject from 'Fixing' to 'Stopping'. The intent of my question has nothing to do with completely 'fixing' or undoing the damage from fungus (which is another matter altogether) but rather just to know if anyone has used UV to stop it's growth and how that has worked out.
Edited on Mar 08, 2013 at 04:29 PM · View previous versions
What did you do?
Which lights did you use?
How long was the exposure?
Has it worked, or not, and how can you tell either way?
Edit: Changed Subject from 'Fixing' to 'Stopping'. The intent of my question has nothing to do with completely 'fixing' or undoing the damage from fungus (which is another matter altogether) but rather just to know if anyone has used UV to stop it's growth and how that has worked out.
Edited on Mar 08, 2013 at 04:29 PM · View previous versions
Mar 08, 2013 at 06:17 AM
p.1 #2Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
I haven't, but from what I understand the main issue is that the fungus etches the glass-- so even if the fungus is dead, the damage remains.
Mar 08, 2013 at 06:49 AM
p.1 #3Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
Sometimes fungus etches coatings on the glass and/or eats "tracks" into the glue between cemented elements. I've had about a dozen lenses affected by fungus. About half of them were repaired successfully, two were returned to the sellers, and the rest were thrown away.
In order to live long and prosper, fungus requires darkness, humidity, and warmth. I keep my lenses in a dry cabinet. You can kill fungus with a good dose of UV light, some say sunlight will do it, but it doesn't remove the residue of the fungus, nor repair possible damage.
In order to live long and prosper, fungus requires darkness, humidity, and warmth. I keep my lenses in a dry cabinet. You can kill fungus with a good dose of UV light, some say sunlight will do it, but it doesn't remove the residue of the fungus, nor repair possible damage.
Mar 08, 2013 at 07:03 AM
p.1 #4Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
Be careful about the lens heating up too much - I (think I) had bubbles on my Takumar coating because of heat from the sun.
Mar 08, 2013 at 07:08 AM
p.1 #5Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
UV will only stop the fungus from growing and then kill it if the exposure is high and long enough, then you have to clean it off the element, if the fungus is relitivly new the coatings are probibly safe, the etching takes time(years).
Mar 08, 2013 at 07:31 AM
p.1 #6Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
Thanks guys. I've edited the original question slightly for clarification. The word 'Fixing' was not appropriate and probably vague and misleading. I just wanted know about peoples first hand experiences trying to stop fungal growth with various forms of UV exposure and how that has worked out.
Mar 08, 2013 at 04:37 PM
p.1 #7Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
jotdeh wrote:
Be careful about the lens heating up too much - I (think I) had bubbles on my Takumar coating because of heat from the sun.
Interesting. Could the bubbles have been there before?
Be careful about the lens heating up too much - I (think I) had bubbles on my Takumar coating because of heat from the sun.
Interesting. Could the bubbles have been there before?
Mar 08, 2013 at 04:38 PM
p.1 #8Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
jotdeh wrote:
Be careful about the lens heating up too much - I (think I) had bubbles on my Takumar coating because of heat from the sun.
True. I have found that wrapping the lens body into aluminium foil (leave out the glass facing the sun, of course) usually solves this probem.
Be careful about the lens heating up too much - I (think I) had bubbles on my Takumar coating because of heat from the sun.
True. I have found that wrapping the lens body into aluminium foil (leave out the glass facing the sun, of course) usually solves this probem.
Mar 08, 2013 at 05:44 PM
p.1 #9Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
JohnJ wrote:
Interesting. Could the bubbles have been there before?
Yes, I only noticed the bubbles after exposure to the sun, but that doesn't mean they were not there before. It gets weirder when I tell you that after a couple of months the bubbles disappeared again. I don't have the lens anymore though. I'm not sure if it is actually possible to have bubbles between the coating and the substrate (glass) in this way. I won't be offended if someone tells me I got it all wrong
jotdeh wrote
Be careful about the lens heating up too much - I (think I) had bubbles on my Takumar coating because of heat from the sun.Yes, I only noticed the bubbles after exposure to the sun, but that doesn't mean they were not there before. It gets weirder when I tell you that after a couple of months the bubbles disappeared again. I don't have the lens anymore though. I'm not sure if it is actually possible to have bubbles between the coating and the substrate (glass) in this way. I won't be offended if someone tells me I got it all wrong
Mar 08, 2013 at 06:51 PM
p.1 #10Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
One day I saw fungi on my lens, that left for about 6 months not used.Consulted with friends, said cann't fix or will leave some traces .Desparately brought to a repairman.After 1 hour, he gave me totally new glass, not any trace.Since then all my glasses are in dry-cabinets (have 2).He explained, need to erase fungi by special solution not leave any residue, since the fungus enzymes may cause etching effect in long term.So I think you guys don't try it that way(use any rays from out side), DIY by disassemble each element and clean them carefully or better leave that works for a professional, in my case cost only 5 $.
Edited on Mar 08, 2013 at 08:27 PM · View previous versions
Edited on Mar 08, 2013 at 08:27 PM · View previous versions
Mar 08, 2013 at 08:19 PM
p.1 #11Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
It was probibably the glue in the doublet, it got too hot and created a bubble, it may have been warm enough to flow back as the gas was re-absorbed.
Mar 08, 2013 at 08:20 PM
p.1 #12Stopping fungus with UV, any experiences?
Any recommendations of repair shops to take care of fungus? Midstate?
Mar 08, 2013 at 09:02 PM