Is this Fungus? Need Expert Opinion

Alec246 · 2025-05-03T19:13:07-0400

The Nikon 28mm AI-S is one of my dream lenses. Hard to find, specially in great shape, and expensive when you do.

Found one at MPB, received it, but when I flashed a lightbeam, I was sure I spotted fungus. I could see a white mark with what appeared to be an organic spiderweb structure. But I didnt have a gear to take a good photo to better analyse.

Few days later, I got the camera on a tripod, and it's not a macro lens, but I carefully focused as best as I could, in nearest focus, and these are the photos I would appreciate being analysed.

Now I am not so sure if it's indeed Fungus? What looked like the commom fungus structure I have seen many times, up close seems to be a very tight group of "dots" that made me unsure of my avaliation.

I posted these pictures in a Discord group, and someone guessed it looks like scratch damage, which would be weird since it is in one of its inner elements. But could have been a not so qualified lens CLA?

Please let me know your opinions, should this be refunded, or no?

(http://imgur.com/WfbKqMR)

(http://imgur.com/p2rTri8)

Don_ih · 2025-05-03T20:32:32-0400

You will see "stuff" in pretty much any lens you shine a light directly into. You need to take some photos with the lens to see if you like it. Let the sun shine into it for a while to kill any potential growth. That may or may not be fungus. Looks like it would have zero impact on photos.

xkaes · 2025-05-03T21:13:48-0400

I really can't tell from those photos, but lenses can have a wide variety of "stuff" in them. If it's small it won't have any impact at all.

RalphLambrecht · 2025-05-03T21:55:08-0400

my gues: it's dust not fungus.

gbroadbridge · 2025-05-03T22:25:32-0400

Alec246 said:
The Nikon 28mm AI-S is one of my dream lenses. Hard to find, specially in great shape, and expensive when you do.

Found one at MPB, received it, but when I flashed a lightbeam, I was sure I spotted fungus. I could see a white mark with what appeared to be an organic spiderweb structure. But I didnt have a gear to take a good photo to better analyse.

Few days later, I got the camera on a tripod, and it's not a macro lens, but I carefully focused as best as I could, in nearest focus, and these are the photos I would appreciate being analysed.

Now I am not so sure if it's indeed Fungus? What looked like the commom fungus structure I have seen many times, up close seems to be a very tight group of "dots" that made me unsure of my avaliation.

I posted these pictures in a Discord group, and someone guessed it looks like scratch damage, which would be weird since it is in one of its inner elements. But could have been a not so qualified lens CLA?

Please let me know your opinions, should this be refunded, or no?

(http://imgur.com/WfbKqMR)
(http://imgur.com/p2rTri8)

I have a whole bunch of lenses over 40 years old and they all have some sort of stuff in them. Doesn't affect images at all that I can see.

I can't actually tell from the photos if it's a fungus, but I'd just use it and if it's used enough in the sun, if it is fungus it will probably go away.

I don't know how much it's worth, but if it were really bothering me and affected images I'd probably spend $50 on having it cleaned.

mshchem · 2025-05-03T22:45:56-0400

Yes, it's hard to say. I would send it back if you are not comfortable. It's hard with these old lenses to get a really pristine version. Usually, bad fungus is obvious, spider webs etc.

reddesert · 2025-05-04T02:03:00-0400

I can't tell anything from the photos. But then, I didn't even know there was a cult of the Nikon 28mm AI-S (the 28/2.8 ? or 28/2 ?) Fungus usually has a somewhat spiderwebby appearance.

My personal opinion is that you should send it back, because based on the cult appeal of the lens, and the dramatic phrasing of the question, I don't think you are ever going to be satisfied with it.

There are a bajilliion Nikon 28mm lenses out there, some are the AIS version, some aren't, some have dust and some don't. You can take a good or bad picture with any of them as long as it's not full of haze.

Alec246 · 2025-05-04T07:09:32-0400

Thank you all! Very helpful feedback!!

I Wouldn't say there is a cult of 28mm, but they are highly sought after, specially in great condition. Probably who has one doesn't want to let it go.

The lens was described as "Excellent" by MPB, and I paid a price that i think reflected that. This is the main reason I am now convinced I am sending it back. It is Good, but not excellent. And for the price I pay, I could try again my luck in the future with one in better shape. Spending on the professional cleaning myself would not make sense financially.

I really have a zero tolerance for Fungus or mold. I am scared to death of putting this stuff in the same cabinet as all my other equipment. I wouldn't really be comfortable indeed, for that reason. I dont think this would have affected the image quality, it is more about the risk regarding the rest of my equipment.

Cheers!

Ian C · 2025-05-04T08:51:01-0400

It is useful to read articles about fungus written by biologists—not camera users. Camera users include many who are not experts in the life cycle of fungi. From my readings written by biologists, fungal spores are everywhere and remain inert under conditions in which you’d feel comfortable. But under the proper conditions, the spores begin growing into fungi.

The required conditions are high humidity and, depending on the species (estimated at 2.2 to 3.8 million species), darkness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus#:~:text=However, little is known of,can be pathogenic to humans.

If you had a lens with fungus stored in a cabinet or other enclosure, so long as interior air remains relatively dry (45 to 55 % relative humidity), fungus cannot grow and the other lenses in the enclosure would be unaffected.

If the lens you have has some fungus, so long as it is kept in a sufficiently dry environment, it will not support further fungal growth. What you see (if it is fungus) is old, dead residue, not active growth.

Here are some useful ideas from Zeiss:

https://www.zeiss.com/consumer-products/us/service/content/fungus-on-lenses.html

Note: UV light can kill and therefore prevent fungal growth. It cannot eliminate the dead residue of fungus that has already formed on lens or other surfaces. It cannot repair damage to coatings or glass once it has occurred.

There are many modest-priced digital humidity gages available that can be kept in your storage container to monitor the humidity. The battery usually lasts for 1.5 – 2 years in my experience.

Andreas Thaler · 2025-05-04T12:15:22-0400

Ian C said:
It is useful to read articles about fungus written by biologists—not camera users. Camera users include many who are not experts in the life cycle of fungi. From my readings written by biologists, fungal spores are everywhere and remain inert under conditions in which you’d feel comfortable. But under the proper conditions, the spores begin growing into fungi.

The required conditions are high humidity and, depending on the species (estimated at 2.2 to 3.8 million species), darkness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus#:~:text=However, little is known of,can be pathogenic to humans.

If you had a lens with fungus stored in a cabinet or other enclosure, so long as interior air remains relatively dry (45 to 55 % relative humidity), fungus cannot grow and the other lenses in the enclosure would be unaffected.

If the lens you have has some fungus, so long as it is kept in a sufficiently dry environment, it will not support further fungal growth. What you see (if it is fungus) is old, dead residue, not active growth.

Here are some useful ideas from Zeiss:

https://www.zeiss.com/consumer-products/us/service/content/fungus-on-lenses.html

Note: UV light can kill and therefore prevent fungal growth. It cannot eliminate the dead residue of fungus that has already formed on lens or other surfaces. It cannot repair damage to coatings or glass once it has occurred.

There are many modest-priced digital humidity gages available that can be kept in your storage container to monitor the humidity. The battery usually lasts for 1.5 – 2 years in my experience.

Excellent, thank you!

Is this Fungus? Need Expert Opinion

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