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Archive 2013FUNGUS!
p.1 #1FUNGUS!
Okay, so I recently decided to check my lens for fungus (Canon 50mm 1.4 and Canon 24-105 f4L). I think the 50mm is a lost cause.. Didn't notice it till now for some reason. I see a single dust spec in the 24-105..hopefully I'm just being paranoid and it's not fungus..
Anyhow.. Should I clean out my camera bag or anything? I haven't mounted my 50mm for a month or two.
What should I do about my body and camera bag? I kept both lens in my camera bag and had the 24-105 mounted.
Anyhow.. Should I clean out my camera bag or anything? I haven't mounted my 50mm for a month or two.
What should I do about my body and camera bag? I kept both lens in my camera bag and had the 24-105 mounted.
Aug 29, 2013 at 01:50 PM
p.1 #2FUNGUS!
It's good to keep your stuff clean, but that won't stop fungus. Very small fungus spores in the air get into all kinds of stuff. Once the spores are in place, they need darkness and humidity to grow; a bit of warmth speeds it up a lot. I figure it's often pretty humid in Tacoma. It certainly is here in the Maritimes - less rain, more fog.
Since 2000, I've had about a dozen Alt lenses come down with fungus. About half were repaired with little or no degradation at my local camera shop, and the rest were disposed of. I've never had an EF lens come down with fungus, which is probably because they're newer than my Alts (fewer or no spores), and most of them were bought since I started storing my gear in a dry cabinet,
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1002126/0&year=2011#9562176
P.S. the Alt forum has many threads on fungus, and even more opinions.
Edited on Aug 29, 2013 at 02:03 PM · View previous versions
Since 2000, I've had about a dozen Alt lenses come down with fungus. About half were repaired with little or no degradation at my local camera shop, and the rest were disposed of. I've never had an EF lens come down with fungus, which is probably because they're newer than my Alts (fewer or no spores), and most of them were bought since I started storing my gear in a dry cabinet,
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1002126/0&year=2011#9562176
P.S. the Alt forum has many threads on fungus, and even more opinions.
Edited on Aug 29, 2013 at 02:03 PM · View previous versions
Aug 29, 2013 at 02:01 PM
p.1 #3FUNGUS!
Personally, I'd throw the bag away. Once infected with the fungus spores there is no getting rid of them and they are likely to infect whatever else you put in that bag.
Aug 29, 2013 at 02:02 PM
p.1 #4FUNGUS!
Throw the bag?! Is there nothing I can do? Like leave it out in the sun for a couple years? Haha.
Are there any preventive measures to make sure my body and other lens aren't infected as well?
And also, I hear they grow well in dark environments.. So is it bad to keep your camera and such in your camera bag? Since it's dark in one of those.
Are there any preventive measures to make sure my body and other lens aren't infected as well?
And also, I hear they grow well in dark environments.. So is it bad to keep your camera and such in your camera bag? Since it's dark in one of those.
Aug 29, 2013 at 02:07 PM
p.1 #5FUNGUS!
There's fungus among us??
I keep those little silica packs in my camera bag.
Just don't eat them if you get hungry
I keep those little silica packs in my camera bag.
Just don't eat them if you get hungry
Aug 29, 2013 at 02:10 PM
p.1 #6FUNGUS!
I just recently put silica packs in my bag as well. Where do you place them? I put mine under my lens.. Is that not effective? Holy crap I just realized that we have 92% humidity.
Aug 29, 2013 at 02:21 PM
p.1 #7FUNGUS!
There's no way to undo the damage that fungus has already done, but I believe irradiation will kill the active fungi and at high enough levels can also kill the spores so it doesn't come back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterilization_%28microbiology%29#Radiation_Sterilization
I'm not sure where to get it done, if there is a food processing plant or hospital near you you might want to inquire there since those are the two main users for it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterilization_%28microbiology%29#Radiation_Sterilization
I'm not sure where to get it done, if there is a food processing plant or hospital near you you might want to inquire there since those are the two main users for it.
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:17 PM
p.1 #8FUNGUS!
Access wrote:
There's no way to undo the damage that fungus has already done...
True. Typical damage is etching (i.e. eating) the coatings on the surface of internal optical elements, and eating tracks through the cement between cemented lens elements.
OTOH, just because you have fungus in a lens doesn't mean that it's been damaged. It has to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
There's no way to undo the damage that fungus has already done...
True. Typical damage is etching (i.e. eating) the coatings on the surface of internal optical elements, and eating tracks through the cement between cemented lens elements.
OTOH, just because you have fungus in a lens doesn't mean that it's been damaged. It has to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:23 PM
p.1 #9FUNGUS!
Most cases of fungus on the internet is white and web like.. but mine is green with small extensionish.. Is this just in it's first stages? What's the chance that my 50mm infected my body and 24-105? Just super paranoid..
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:26 PM
p.1 #10FUNGUS!
If it's growing, it's not dust. 
If you want an online diagnosis, it would help a lot if you could post some photos. It's a good test of your macro skills. OTOH, if you don't do macro, then you can't.
If you want an online diagnosis, it would help a lot if you could post some photos. It's a good test of your macro skills. OTOH, if you don't do macro, then you can't.
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:29 PM
p.1 #11FUNGUS!
Putting your lenses in a microwave oven will get rid of the fungus. There may be some arcing and smoking though. There could also be some residual carbon deposits.
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:30 PM
p.1 #12FUNGUS!
My 24-105 says macro.. But not true macro do that's kinda hard.. Is the microwave method legit?.. Or just messing? Haha. Man I wish I had taken a good look at my lens earlier.. What should I do with my camera body? I'll try to upload the picture I took quickly..
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:34 PM
p.1 #13FUNGUS!
JaejinLee wrote:
Is the microwave method legit?..
Is a bear Catholic?
IOW, no.
[I passed on the opportunity to give Tony a
for that. Perhaps I should have... ]
Edited on Aug 29, 2013 at 03:37 PM · View previous versions
Is the microwave method legit?..
Is a bear Catholic?
IOW, no.
[I passed on the opportunity to give Tony a
for that. Perhaps I should have... ]Edited on Aug 29, 2013 at 03:37 PM · View previous versions
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:35 PM
p.1 #14FUNGUS!
jcolwell wrote:
Is a bear Catholic?
IOW, no.
I'm an idiot.
JaejinLee wrote
Is the microwave method legit?..IOW, no.
I'm an idiot.
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:37 PM
p.1 #16FUNGUS!
I don't know about the microwave, a while ago there was a youtube show 'is it a good idea to microwave this?' and they might have done digital cameras but I don't know if they ever did a DSLR lens.
So really I think the jury on that is still out, try googling it or something.
So really I think the jury on that is still out, try googling it or something.
Aug 29, 2013 at 03:40 PM
p.1 #20FUNGUS!
Great link explaining how to prevent fungus:
http://lenses.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_gb/website/service/fungus_on_lenses.html
http://lenses.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_gb/website/service/fungus_on_lenses.html
Aug 30, 2013 at 01:32 AM