Beginner question: Does this look like fungus or is just normal grime?

[eyrewiut]

Hello,

My apologies for the beginner question but...

I was recently given a Canon EOS 1000f electronic SLR which belonged to my mother and has been sitting in her wardrobe for 18+ Years.

The lens is covered in something which looks to be grime of some sort, but could potentially be a very bad case of fungus. If it is, it looks quite different from the fungus I have seen online..
It appears to spread out but at the same time is more patchy than the pictures of fungus I am used to seeing.

I haven't needed to do much cleaning of lenses before as I haven't done much serious photography since I started in 2016. If standard cleaning fluid and a microfiber cloth or lenspen would work then great, otherwise does anyone have any ideas what I should do?
For now I am keeping isolated in a drawer with some silica gell packets to be on the safe side (is this the correct procedure for fungus?)

Thank you..

 

[xkaes]

Probably just crud, but start with a cleaning. If it comes off, you're all set.

 

[dxqcanada]

Looks like fungus under the front element ... possibly could be cleaned, you'd have to get there and try.

 

[reddesert]

It looks more like fungus when the photo is enlarged and the blotches look more spiderwebby. Regardless, try wiping the lens with some lens cleaner or alcohol and a gentle cloth.

Before you get too far into this:
- Check the camera to make sure it didn't have batteries leaking and corroding the battery compartment.
- Remove lens from camera if you haven't already
- Silica gel is just for keeping the moisture down in storage. It won't stop or clear up existing fungus/damage. To stop the fungus, expose the lens to UV, like put it in the sun. However, if there is a lot of fungus, the damage from etched glass will remain.
- The lens (a Sigma 35-80 slow zoom) is sort of a bottom of the barrel kit lens anyway. Don't be afraid to give up on it. If the camera body is ok, get a clean lens like a Canon 50/1.8 (or 28-80 if you must have zoom) and have fun.

 

[AnselMortensen]

+1 on what reddesert said ^^^

 

[mshchem]

Looks biological

 

[beemermark]

You won't know based on internet guesses. Clean the lens, if it doesn't come off then it really doesn't matter what it is.

 

[eli griggs]

Hydrogen Peroxide will remove the fungus 'tissue' but watch several different YouTube videos on using it to clean glass optics before trying anything.

I like Eclipse lens cleaner and PEC pads as part of my cleaning of lens glass and there are several videos about how to use them to do so.

Good Luck and Godspeed,
Eli

 

[bernard_L]

Clean GENTLY. Else any small particle will scratch the surface permanently.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Probably just crud, but start with a cleaning. If it comes off, you're all set.

I second that. Proper cleaning of fungus is done with a 3–15% solution of hydrogen peroxide

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Sometimes a contamination can be removed with (distilled) water where isopropyl alcohol and benzine did not help.

 

[Ian Grant]

It's like asking is this fungus.

In fact the lens is in excellent optical condition

In this case it was years of grime, the lens had been stored in a barn.

My gut feeling looking at the grime on the lens barrel adjacent to the front element is it should easily clean off. That particular Sigma lens typically sells for £10 - £15 here in the UK.

Ian

 

[250swb]

Love the threads title '....or is it just normal grime?' There's not much that's normal about it but between dirt and fungus I'll go with fungus.

 

[eyrewiut]

Thank you very much for everyone's advice

I have done a little cleaning which appears to have cleared the surface but it looks like it may also be on the inside of the front lens element.
I may try a more fungus targeted solution but I'm not feeling inclined to go much further for this lens so I'll consider buying a better quality prime lens to replace it.