Want to Buy Fungus removal for 2 Pentax lenses

segedi · Jan 26, 2023

Hello! I know I could attempt to clean these lenses myself, but I'd rather not.
I have a SMC-A 50mm f/1.7 and a Takumar 135mm f/2.5 that have fungus. Could probably use some cleaning of the bodies as well.
Please let me know if you'd like to take this on and how much you'd charge.

Shipping from/to: near Cleveland, OH

hap · Jan 26, 2023

My guess is, that if you don't have the expertise or experience, there are likely camera repair facilities in Cleveland that can help you. Consider looking up some camera stores nearby.

Gaston 012 · Jan 26, 2023

Contact Flutot camera repair, Carol, the owner is the best and extremely honest.

hap · Jan 26, 2023

Flutot is a good suggestion. They are very close to me and I've had some interactions with them. the daughter is expert with shutters but likely knows a lot about lenses and she is very nice/helpful. I really don't know how they stay in business, especially in CA. But that's the way it is.

Gaston 012 · Jan 26, 2023

She stays in business because of her hard earned reputation and her very reasonable prices.
You will not be sorry and, if she thinks she can not do it she will tell you.
Good luck to you

hap · Jan 26, 2023

Gaston.......i forgot all about you. I still think of how the USPS ripped off all those great View Camera issues that I shipped to Austin. What a shame.

Cholentpot · Jan 26, 2023

segedi said:
Hello! I know I could attempt to clean these lenses myself, but I'd rather not.
I have a SMC-A 50mm f/1.7 and a Takumar 135mm f/2.5 that have fungus. Could probably use some cleaning of the bodies as well.
Please let me know if you'd like to take this on and how much you'd charge.

Shipping from/to: near Cleveland, OH

See if Igor's Camera Exchange is still around. He's local.

j-dogg · Jan 26, 2023

Post some pictures. Fungus is something I have found that can etch multicoat and singlecoat lenses and no matter what I do I can't remove the etching if it's bad enough. I went through this on a Steinheil-Munchen 135/2.8 I did and though the image quality was still more-than-good after the job and overall it was clean, if I shine a bright light into the lens and hold it at a certain angle I can see the etching still.

Worst I can say is no.

eli griggs · Jan 26, 2023

j-dogg said:
Post some pictures. Fungus is something I have found that can etch multicoat and singlecoat lenses and no matter what I do I can't remove the etching if it's bad enough. I went through this on a Steinheil-Munchen 135/2.8 I did and though the image quality was still more-than-good after the job and overall it was clean, if I shine a bright light into the lens and hold it at a certain angle I can see the etching still.

Worst I can say is no.

Before the invasion of the Ukraine I seem to recall some threads about sending some lenses to be recoated/reglued and repolished, to the Ukraine or to a Russian company.

Perhaps a look through threads here might show you a way to put these back in action.

By the way, I have a Pentax Takumar 135 2.5 that had fungus which I cleaned off, using hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, and "Eclipse" camera lens cleaner.

It was a simple job, with the correct metric screwdrivers, both JIS and flats.

Mine was no etched, but when I got it years ago, I kept it in a secured window where daylight could, would stream through it every day, with reflected paper on the far end to scatter light everywhere inside, and reversing it every few weeks.

The only issue I think of is keeping the correct orientation of the lenses and groups, which is the issue I was no careful enough to record.

There are at least four element/group designs for the M42 mount, available online.

Good Luck.

j-dogg · Jan 26, 2023

eli griggs said:
Before the invasion of the Ukraine I seem to recall some threads about sending some lenses to be recoated/reglued and repolished, to the Ukraine or to a Russian company.

Perhaps a look through threads here might show you a way to put these back in action.

By the way, I have a Pentax Takumar 135 2.5 that had fungus which I cleaned off, using hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, and "Eclipse" camera lens cleaner.

It was a simple job, with the correct metric screwdrivers, both JIS and flats.

Mine was no etched, but when I got it years ago, I kept it in a secured window where daylight could, would stream through it every day, with reflected paper on the far end to scatter light everywhere inside, and reversing it every few weeks.

The only issue I think of is keeping the correct orientation of the lenses and groups, which is the issue I was no careful enough to record.

There are at least four element/group designs for the M42 mount, available online.

Good Luck.

I did a Vivitar Series 1 28-90 f2.8-3.5, for Nikon mount and had to do most of the elements. My method was to place all of the elements left to right facing up as if the lens was sitting on its mount, and from left being the bottom most element to the right being the top most. Many of them can't be put in backwards I noticed, for fun I tried to and they didn't fit properly, as expected. Element organization isn't too hard some lenses I've actually found the element diagrams and on this VS1 I got lucky and found it which made re-assembly a little easier.

If I had several groups I would keep the groups separate, I think the VS1 I did had like 9 groups or something ridiculous but very much doable.

Gaston 012 · Jan 27, 2023

I agree with the last 3 posts, Hydrogen peroxide (pharmacy grade) is all it takes with a final rinse in mineral water. The problem, if the fungus is inside, is making sure you do not screw up the order of the elements. Take photos of every step and keep everything labeled so as not to screw it up.
90% of fungus is superficial, it takes them years to get to the glass.

segedi · Jan 27, 2023

j-dogg said:
Post some pictures. Fungus is something I have found that can etch multicoat and singlecoat lenses and no matter what I do I can't remove the etching if it's bad enough. I went through this on a Steinheil-Munchen 135/2.8 I did and though the image quality was still more-than-good after the job and overall it was clean, if I shine a bright light into the lens and hold it at a certain angle I can see the etching still.

Worst I can say is no.

The 50mm is pretty nasty; 135mm not so bad:

(http://imgur.com/a/YiaFVJu)

binglebugbob · Jan 28, 2023

I have thought about using the carton for a dozen eggs to keep the elements in order and right way around....

eli griggs · Jan 29, 2023

binglebugbob said:
I have thought about using the carton for a dozen eggs to keep the elements in order and right way around....

Spray it down first with strong alcohol to kill biologics living there.

OR, if it's paper/cardboard, microwave it for five to ten seconds, on high, at your own risk.

IMO.

Want to Buy Fungus removal for 2 Pentax lenses

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