Is this fungus?

yicciy · Aug 21, 2022

Like in the picture. Is this fungus?

The weird thing is, I first saw things like this in my 35mm summilux pre-a lens, after wiping everything clean and used for some amount of time, I then spot similar thing on this UV filter.

Any help is appreciated!!

AgX · Aug 21, 2022

No fungus

albada · Aug 21, 2022

Fungus looks like spider-web lines. Have you tried cleaning off that spot on your filter with lens-cleaner fluid or Windex?

yicciy · Aug 21, 2022

albada said:
Fungus looks like spider-web lines. Have you tried cleaning off that spot on your filter with lens-cleaner fluid or Windex?

I haven’t tried it. But I’m just worrying if it’s fungus, it would grow back. This is a filter I just bought. I’m still trying to decide whether or not to return it. So I’m trying to figure out whether or not this is fungus. Is there a way to tell?

Thanks!!

Nicholas Lindan · Aug 21, 2022

How to tell - take a scraping, streak it out on a slide, fix (different fix), apply stain, examine under a good microscope.

It doesn't look like fungus to me. The fungus that grows on lenses is interconnected and grows out from a central spot, looks sort of a cross between a spiderweb and a fern, it is transparent and not opaque. This looks like spatter - that is what UV/"protective" filters are supposed to catch, after all.

Rinse under a tap to get the gross matter off, clean with Windex and a Kimwipe (or very soft toilet tissue, or, even, heaven forbid, lens tissue).

xkaes · Aug 21, 2022

Too small an image to rush/jump to conclusion/judgement. Apparently not enough people on this board have read "The Ox-Bow Incident".

yicciy · Aug 21, 2022

Nicholas Lindan said:
How to tell - take a scraping, streak it out on a slide, fix (different fix), apply stain, examine under a good microscope.

It doesn't look like fungus to me. The fungus that grows on lenses is interconnected and grows out from a central spot, looks sort of a cross between a spiderweb and a fern, it is transparent and not opaque. This looks like spatter - that is what UV/"protective" filters are supposed to catch, after all.

Rinse under a tap to get the gross matter off, clean with Windex and a Kimwipe (or very soft toilet tissue, or, even, heaven forbid, lens tissue).

Thanks for the detailed info!

AgX · Aug 22, 2022

Nicholas Lindan said:
This looks like spatter - that is what UV/"protective" filters are supposed to catch, after all.

Yes.
Basically a spatter can be of material that feeds fungus too. But that then would not necessarily be the kind of fungus we relate to glass damage.

Anyway, with all respect, this issue to me is just a storm in a waterglass.
As Nicholas indicated, a UV-absorbing filter is rarely used as intended, against too much UV in the light, but as protection of the lens.

__Brian · Aug 22, 2022

Use some lens cleaner, wipe it off. Fungus will etch coatings. This looks like a moisture spot that dried. Use a lens cleaner with alcohol and ammonia. Effective against fungus. Also dried moisture spots.

I prefer the Bedford Incident. Could break out my Nuclear Products lens cleaner that used a radioactive source to hit the fungus with ionized particles. Fire One.

The M9 and M Monochrom are very sensitive in the UV region, as are some digital cameras. UV filters are required to remove "purple haze" that occurs with many lenses.

gone · Aug 22, 2022

It may be the beginnings of fungus. Just set it out in the sun the sun for a few days.

Is this fungus?

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