Mamiya Sekor Z 110mm f/2.8W - clean mold/fungus in rear element group

[Heidar M]

I have a Mamiya Sekor Z 110mm f/2.8W with something that looks like mold and fungus in the rear element group. Originally I did not notice it, it looked clean until I shinned some flashlight through it. All the mold and fungus are in the rear element group, behind the shutter and aperture. However it looks like it's on several layers. On the other side of the most rear glass there is a bit of fungus, next layer something that looks like mold and then after that some fungus.

I have several options

Option A: Buy a replacement
The prices on ebay + shipping and Canadian import taxes become around 500 CAD or roughly 380 USD. It's too expensive for me right now (poor student here).

Option B: Clean it myself
I've seen that with the right tool, the rear element group is very easy to take out. However, is it possible to easily take out the various elements in the rear group and clean between them? If so, which tools do I need to get to clean it myself? Is it a stupid idea to do it myself?

Option C: Get a pro to clean it
Do you have good experience with a pro that might take a look at this in Canada (around Kitchener, say Toronto, London or Hamilton area)? Is it cleanable and how much would a rough estimate be?

I don't know how much this will affect the image quality, but I would like to clean it before it destroys the glass or coating. And I fear it will spread to the camera and other lenses (will it?).

Thanks a lot for the help.

Best,
The Desperate Student

 

[chassis]

If it were me, I would go with option B. Generally not recommended to remove individual optics from a group. This means removal of the front and rear cells and clean what can be cleaned.

Option C may not be much less expensive than another lens. I have no experience using Mamiya technicians regarding cost/price, so others will need to comment. A question - will a Mamiya technician remove individual lenses from a group, if/when needed?

 

[paul ron]

Take out the whole cell... don't remove single elements.

UV treatment will kill the fungus. clean the glass surfaces with alcohol.

 

[Heidar M]

Thanks for the replies.

I am wondering, if there is mold inside the cell, there's nothing to do about that? Can anyone point to the tool I need to remove the rear cell? (I have never done this, so I am very much a 'n00b')

 

[Heidar M]

I've seen on a video that a rubber thing was used for a similar lens, however I'm not sure which size I would need. There are many on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Repair-Silicone-Rubber-Retaining-Scratch/dp/B00SUM0KHS?ie=UTF8&keywords=rubber lens repair&qid=1497055604&ref_=sr_1_6&s=electronics&sr=1-6
https://www.amazon.com/Repair-Silicone-Rubber-Retaining-Scratch/dp/B00SUEIUGE?ie=UTF8&keywords=rubber lens repair&qid=1497055604&ref_=sr_1_7&s=electronics&sr=1-7
https://www.amazon.com/Repair-Silicone-Rubber-Retaining-Scratch/dp/B00SUF5HIM?ie=UTF8&keywords=rubber lens repair&qid=1497055604&ref_=sr_1_8&s=electronics&sr=1-8
https://www.amazon.com/DSLRKIT-Tool...497055604&sr=1-10&keywords=rubber+lens+repair

I would like to avoid buying a whole set of 15 sizes if possible.

Or do I instead need a Spanner Wrench?
https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Profe...refRID=VZ7M47834V9F3ZEEBV6Y&ref_=pd_sim_421_4

 

[EdSawyer]

I have 2 of these lenses and have disassembled them before for cleaning, along with a lot of RZ lenses. Docs on how it comes apart are posted here: http://www.edsawyer.com/lenstests/ you need the right tools. A new one from ebay should only be $200ish, they are fairly common. Great lens, worth fixing. If you run out of options , I would be willing to work on it.

 

[Heidar M]

I have 2 of these lenses and have disassembled them before for cleaning, along with a lot of RZ lenses. Docs on how it comes apart are posted here: http://www.edsawyer.com/lenstests/ you need the right tools. A new one from ebay should only be $200ish, they are fairly common. Great lens, worth fixing. If you run out of options , I would be willing to work on it.

The ones I find on eBay are from Japan and start from (US) $300, which will become much higher with Canadian import tax and transport.

Can you point me to which tools I need exactly? I have ordered a Lens Spanner Wrench, but I'm not sure which rubber thing I need for the rear element.

And I am wondering, can one get access to all glass surfaces in the rear element? I've made a small graphic with what I see with flashlight, but I am not sure I can get access to all those surfaces. The red part seems the worst. If I fail, I will 100% let you work on it. Do you live in Canada?

 

[EdSawyer]

Post a pic of the lens, that might help. You may want to find a cheaper lens to learn these skills on. If there are issues in the cemented pair, internal to them, that may not be feasible to fix. I Am in the US. It should be possible to access all the surfaces, except any cemented surfaces, which it looks like there is only that one.