fungus in 55mm lens and where can i get a new one

nightphotohunter · Sep 27, 2003

hi, i have a 30 year old 55mm screwmount lens. I know he dont make screw mount anymore and they only make adoptors for bayonet mout to screwmout so i have to get a used lens. I've looked at ebay and was wondering if ANY screwmount would fit on my fujica ST801? Or if anyone has any detailed steps on taking the lens apart and removing the fungus (im very mechanicaly skilled).

Robert · Sep 27, 2003

I think the Russians [Might be Ukraine] companies do make screw mount lens. Some one else may also be making them.

Sorry don't know what fits a Fuji camera but if it's a M42 camera then any of the older stop down lenses should be fine. Things didn't get off the track until everybody came up with thier own wide open metering system.

I'd suggest a Pentax 50mm F/1.4 lens first. Second would be the 55mm F/1.8. Cheapest way to get either is usually on a camera. If you don't want the camera turn around and sell it to recover most of your money.

The Russian lenses are fairly cheap and if you get a good copy not bad lenses. But they all tend to be manual lenses. When you stop down the lens the aperture closes. Foccussing will be dark. I'd still lean towards a Pentax lens. Some of the other choices can be cheaper [Ricoh,Mayimya etc] but you'll have to do more research to make sure they'll fit.

The problem with fixing things is the glass actually damaged?

nightphotohunter · Sep 27, 2003

well, thx for the replie. If you stare at the lense for about an hour (what? i had nothing better to do.) you will be able to see several unoticable scratched which dont affect the pictuers but i find that the fungus unfocuses my pictures alilitle (which really shows up at infinty). other wise, the lense is great. where can i get these russian lens?

bmac · Sep 27, 2003

Actually, I am pretty sure you can buy any sigma or tamaron lens in MF Screwmount.

fparnold · Sep 27, 2003

There were a lot of M42 mounts in the old days. The best way is to find a camera store, screw it on, and see if you can meter. The Mamiya-Sekor Screwmounts of hte period seem to work fine with my older Pentax gear, and were not bad lenses either. Check out KEH.com under their Pentax Screwmount section; there are always a herd of lenses in the normal range.

Jorge Oliveira · Sep 27, 2003

Ebay is the best place. Search for Fujinon.

There's one, at this moment for some $20:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2953279230&category=4688

Good luck!

Jorge O

Robert · Sep 27, 2003

You can find the Russian lenses on Ebay. Also various online dealers deal in them. Watch out for shipping etc. I'd still urge you to look at something like the Pentax lenses. The price difference between a mint Pentax normal lens and a Russian lens won't be very great once you factor in shipping.

Now if you're looking for something like an 85mm lens then the Russians make a lot more sense. Or the fisheyes. But for a normal I'd lean towards getting the best.

Robert · Sep 27, 2003

There is also somebody selling a Fuji camera with two normal lenses for $10. It can be cheaper to buy the camera and lens and throw out the camera.

Niallman · Aug 23, 2004

I have an old Fujica ST-605 still going strong with an M42 mount, I've seen them plenty of times on ebay going for nothing with the original Fujinon 55mm lens on them.
Alternatively, I bought a Soligor zoom lens for it about three years ago so theres probably soom new lenses to be got out there with M42 mounts on them.

titrisol · Aug 23, 2004

Look in a used foto store or at ePay

Look for Takumars, Fujinons or yashinons. They'll all fit your camera.
Even some Mamiya Lenses for DTL family are compatible.

There shouldn't cost more than $30 or so

TPPhotog · Aug 23, 2004

Ye olde trick of the trade for fungus. Place the lens on a flat surface, get an angle-lamp and lower the bulb to about 6" above the lens. Switch on the angle-lamp and cook the lens for a few hours which will kill off the fungus. Just keep an eye on it to make sure nothing catches fire. Usual disclaimers with this post but we use to use it in a photographic store I errrrm worked at

Aggie · Aug 23, 2004

couldn't you send a lens to someone like SK Grimes and have them take it apart and clean it out of all the fungus? That is if it were worth the cost of the cleaning?

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 23, 2004

Quicker and cheaper to buy a replacement lens. You should be able to get a replacement for $10 - $20.

TeetzelK · Aug 24, 2004

Voigtlander Cosina makes some new M42 mount lenses. Check out http://www.cameraquest.com to check them out. Follow the SLR lens link(s).

gma · Aug 25, 2004

TPPhotog,

I am glad you mentioned the lamp idea. I have thought that a good "cooking" might be able to at least arrest fungus if not eliminate the traces from the interior lens surfaces. I have sucessfully eliminated minor moisture from wrist watches using a regular light bulb for 30 minutes or so.

What exactly did this accomplish? Did you use a regular light bulb or infrared heat lamp?

TPPhotog · Aug 25, 2004

gma,

We use to use a standard 60 watt bulb and cook for as long as it took for the lens to clear. Be very careful when you touch the lens though as it does get very very hot. It may sound a little scary to some people but quite a few lens are treated this way before they are sold on the re-used/secondhand market. Although the store I was at sold equipment with up to a 6 month warrenty, we never had any returns so I'm guessing it is a virtually permanant fix. I've treated a lens I got for my Zenith cheap on a market the same way and at least 2 years later it still has no sign of the dreaded fungus returning.

gma · Aug 25, 2004

Thanks for the additional information. I meant to ask if you used ultraviolet -not infrared. Regular 60 watt sounds even better. I will try it tonight.

Currently I am cooking a Carl Zeiss pre-WWII Tessar lens ( all metal and glass- no plastic or rubber ) that has an overall haze that I have never liked. I will report back after it has been cooked 2" from a 60 watt bulb for ten hours.

I was a bit sceptical, but this really made a difference in my 65 year old uncoated lens. It is clearer than before the cooking. I will cook another 10 hours tonight.

chenick · Sep 17, 2004

gma said:
I was a bit sceptical, but this really made a difference in my 65 year old uncoated lens. It is clearer than before the cooking. I will cook another 10 hours tonight.

So this is a recognised procedure?
Any problems with multi-coated lenses?

I have just acquired a Vivitar 70-210 series 1 zoom, which appears to have fungus on the inside of the very first element when viewed at certain angles. Otherwise it looks OK (see below)

If it works, this procedure sounds interesting, but I am a bit concerned about damaging the lens.

Any opinions?

Cheers,
Nick

paul ron · Sep 20, 2004

Have you taken a look on www.KEH.COM yet? they have all sorts of lenses and bodies from the 60s n 70s still in great condition. I just looked and your lens is about $50.

fungus in 55mm lens and where can i get a new one

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