Cleaning lens fungus.

[Rol_Lei Nut]

I got a reply for the gentleman, that cleaning does not affect the coating and cost 35 British pounds.

Though that's something nobody (no mortal at least) can promise, as the fungus *may* have already damaged the coating.

 

[fstop]

Quickest fix going and gauruntees the fungus won't return: dump a gallon of gas on it and light it, then go buy another lens.

 

[leicarfcam]

I got a reply for the gentleman, that cleaning does not affect the coating and cost 35 British pounds.

His cleaning may or may not affect the coating but the fungus does and while it can be cleaned in all probability the glass has been etched.. This may or may not affect image quality depending on the extent of the damage..

 

[aoleg]

In the past, I cleaned quite a few infested lenses. Nothing that expensive though; mostly no-name 135/3.5's and such, one 50/2; basically, stuff that was more expensive to return than to trash. On all lenses I cleaned, the fungus went off easily with isopropyl alcohol and ammonia-based lens cleaning solution. No visible traces of it were left on the coatings (I looked hard). 3 years later, no growth re-appeared in any single one of them.

That said, I would rather return the 24/2.8 in order to get a healthy one. Lens too expensive and risk too high.

Only one lens that I've seen was damaged by fungus beyond repair; that was a Tamron SP 500/8 mirror, and that lens went back to the seller the minute I took it out of the shipping box. Apparently, it was "cleaned" by the seller, but I could easily see the damage in reflections.

 

[Pumalite]

I have a Pentax Takumar 135mm and 200mm. I boght then full of fungus 5 years ago. They took good pics then and they take good pics now.