How to determine if lense has fungus

[Kishan]

Not sure if the above question is answered in the forum elsewhere, but curious to know the sure way of finding if a lense has developed fungus.

Cheers

 

[jlchong]

well.. the easiest way to determine if the lens has got fungus is just to look through the barrel from both the front and back and see if there is any white matter( dunno how else i shd describe them) forming either inside or on the outside glass itself. (fungus looks like bacteria when u look thru a microscope, but then fungus is bacteria. it's basically the same stuff that appear on leather shoes that has been kept in cupboards for a long time)

this is best done when u look Through the lens against the sky.

i assume u are buying a lens? other things to look out for is the contacts point at the back of the lens. to see if there are lots of scratches( means that the lens is frequently changed) and also the AF. check by focuing on a moving object. ie a car. to see how fast the focusing is, or if there's any problems.

just sharing what i know. =)

 

[The_Cheat]

well.. the easiest way to determine if the lens has got fungus is just to look through the barrel from both the front and back and see if there is any white matter( dunno how else i shd describe them) forming either inside or on the outside glass itself. (fungus looks like bacteria when u look thru a microscope, but then fungus is bacteria. it's basically the same stuff that appear on leather shoes that has been kept in cupboards for a long time)

this is best done when u look Through the lens against the sky.

i assume u are buying a lens? other things to look out for is the contacts point at the back of the lens. to see if there are lots of scratches( means that the lens is frequently changed) and also the AF. check by focuing on a moving object. ie a car. to see how fast the focusing is, or if there's any problems.

just sharing what i know. =)

Oi! Oi! What do you mean by "fungus looks like bacteria when u look thru a microscope, but then fungus is bacteria"? Man... felt totally insulted by compaing fungi to bacteria lor... ;(

 

[Stoned]

Fungi are in no way related to bacteria. They don't even belong to the same kingdom. (Fungi Vs Monera and Protista)
And under a microscope, bacteria differs greatly structurally(ie.appearance) from fungi in too many ways to be explained here.

Just to share some info.if you liken fungi to bacteria.

 

[digipat2003]

guess a more direct words to describe will be "webby things"

 

[Kishan]

well.. the easiest way to determine if the lens has got fungus is just to look through the barrel from both the front and back and see if there is any white matter( dunno how else i shd describe them) forming either inside or on the outside glass itself. (fungus looks like bacteria when u look thru a microscope, but then fungus is bacteria. it's basically the same stuff that appear on leather shoes that has been kept in cupboards for a long time)

this is best done when u look Through the lens against the sky.

i assume u are buying a lens? other things to look out for is the contacts point at the back of the lens. to see if there are lots of scratches( means that the lens is frequently changed) and also the AF. check by focuing on a moving object. ie a car. to see how fast the focusing is, or if there's any problems.

just sharing what i know. =)

jlchong, thank you for the information.

'am not buying lense but wanted to check my own lenses. If affected, does it leave a constant mark on the output always ?

Thanks

 

[Miles]

Some explanation on how to spot lens fungus (and other lens defects)

http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dc...nt&om=3432&forum=DCForumID6&viewmode=threaded

 

[digipat2003]

Kishan,

wont leave any marks lah, just that there is a possiblity that the pics turn out "soft" lor

 

[mich_2103]

Yoz people,
Came upon this thread, so decided to share my experience with everybody.

My dad used to have a 50mm Nikon lens with his antique Nikkormat. It was really way some time before I took up photography and bought a dry cabinet to protect my gears.

Over the years of no protection to moisture, fungus attacked my lens and by the time I bought my cabinet, it had a thin spider-web substance inside the lens with slight streaks and a few black spots.

I took one roll of color and BW film with my lens. I felt the effect it gave on the color ones was gross. I threw all of them away. But it gave a very nice texture and soft look on some of my BW prints though.

Cheers,
-Michelle-