Dust Bunnies lens crazing

[ameerat42]

OK. Now I am just doubtful.
Here is a page of "published" lens fungus images:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=l...w=1920&bih=916

and here is a page of "published" lens crazing images:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=l...w=1920&bih=916

"published" because we cannot be certain of Internet content.

TG. Have a good look at it all and TELL US what you think you've got there. - It could be both.
I just can't tell from your single image.

[thegrump]

arthur...Exactly what I was thinking. It is junk so i might as well have a play with it. I have a set of about 100 different driver heads, so most likely I will find one to fit. Will leave it for awhile, so I can get it checked by some one who knows. I heard about fungus a little while back, and thought that, that is what it might be. Thanks all.

[Cage]

@ AM

If you have a close look at those links you posted the 'crazing' shots have more symmetry to them, whereas the 'fungus' shots look more like somewhat random spider webs.

I can speak with some authority here as I have some personal experience with the dreaded lens fungus.

[ameerat42]

Yep. I agree, Kev. I just can't make much out from the image TG posted - not a criticism, but I just can't decide on it.
Just my 2c, but I will not insist on it.

[Cage]

arthur...Exactly what I was thinking. It is junk so i might as well have a play with it. I have a set of about 100 different driver heads, so most likely I will find one to fit. Will leave it for awhile, so I can get it checked by some one who knows. I heard about fungus a little while back, and thought that, that is what it might be. Thanks all.

Grump, other than finding out about how lens disassemble, and don't go back together as expected, this will almost certainly prove to be a fruitless exercise.

Bin it Mate, and move on.

And when you are looking at a replacement, don't be afraid to throw the link up here, as there are plenty of folk who will give you their two bobs worth, based on personal experience.

[arthurking83]

An old thread about lens fungus here:

These are the images I posted of the lens in that thread that had fungus in it.
First one is of the fungus in the lens:


Took me about 5-10mins to take the rear mount and the rear most lens off and clean the fungus off the affected lens:


Note tho that this was a much more simple(design) M42 lens, and a bit less complicated than a typical modern Nikon lens.
I actually took the lens apart to modify it to focus to infinity, more so that the check for fungus .. but the two jobs went hand in hand.
While there was a small amount of residual fungus in the lens as you can see some spotting in the second image, all it'd have taken is another 5 or so mins of cleaning to remove close to 99.9% of it.
All I used to clean it was a cotton bud, and some Eclipse fluid(which is just pure alcohol of some type) which is normally used for cleaning dust off a sensor.

I think I still have the lens, but it's in some unknown location(I may have chucked it too tho, can't remember).
But for the sake of surety, I just got another cheapie $20 lens off ebay to replace it.

.. just checked the most likely place I'd have stored it .. and it's not there .. so I reckon I chucked it.

[taztek]

Take that lens and seal it in a clip lock bag immediately.
DO NOT put it any where near the rest of your gear.
I lost a whole kit due to fungus.
Even L series lenses copped it.
Canon said it wasn't worth 'repairing' as the fungus 'eats into the coatings on the elements'.
I like the idea of putting it out in the midday sun to kill off the living fungus. (but there's still the spores that spread everywhere)
And I like the idea of pulling it apart, BUT not inside the house.
While its in the house its in the clip lock!!

[thegrump]

I hope I'm not too late. I swap the lenses from case to case depending on which I am using at the time. So there could be a lot of cross contamination.

[arthurking83]

The advice I received when I found my lens with fungus is not to panic as much as some internet sources make out you should.
The spores don't propagate as quickly as some would have you think they do .. especially in colder climates(like Greensborough can be! )

But like I said before, it's 'storing them' that the issue.
When we refer to storage, we usually refer to the storage in some darkened location(bag, box, cupboard, drawer etc).
It's (apparently) in this dark(and more moist conditions) that fungus like to propagate ... which make sense when you think about it .. mushrooms, mould and the comment Cage mentioned re the sunlight/UV treatment trick.

While we do get the occasional dark and moist(humid) days down here .. they're too far apart for it to be a proper issue(although this weekend is apparently going to be a bit tropo!)

I hope I'm not too late. I swap the lenses from case to case depending on which I am using at the time. So there could be a lot of cross contamination.

And I'm pretty confident in my belief that you'll be fine.
If I start to spot any fungus on any of my other lenses that were stored with my fungus affected lens, I'll let you know ... this way you'll have a 2 year head start!