That is a quote. I just talked on the phone with the camera repair technician at Hale Photo Supply in Oklahoma City, and he said, “I just finished with your 85mm lens…the fungus wiped right off.” Whoopee!
I can barely contain my relief. The lens had a lot of fungus, very widespread over several elements inside the lens, and knowing my prized lens is back in action with bright, shiny surfaces is wonderful to know.
The news is particularly relieving since it is my 85mm. I just do not have the same emotional attachment to my 50mm for some reason. The 50mm is more of an everyday workhorse, but the 85mm is my portrait lens and the lens with which I have taken so many shots that I and the subjects have loved.
It is like the report that a loved one walked away from a car wreck without even bruises. Sure, the car might be destroyed—in this case, I still have to pay the technician for the services rendered—but that pales in comparison to the loved one who is now safe.
The fungus was a big surprise, actually. I did not really know what lens fungus was back when I first noticed the problem. So, I might not have noticed the beginnings of the fungus growth. Still, I do not remember seeing much of anything in there, then all of a sudden, it was covered.
My best guess is that the growth was sudden, when I was in Thailand for a few months. The hot and humid climate provided the perfect growing conditions, but it did not have much time to really “entrench”. When left for too long, the fungus can release acids—these are part of the fungal feeding cycle—which can “cut” into the coating on the lenses, leaving long term damage on the lens elements’ surfaces. My guess is that I did not have a problem with this because I (unknowingly at the time) caught it early in the growth and had it cleaned.
And though it may be a little hasty to say right now, for the lens is still sitting in the repair shop till I am back up in Oklahoma City to pick it up, but…Welcome Home Little Lens!
That’s nice, no serious damage done! I’m happy for you! Do you have any photos of what photos taken with a lens with lens fungus looks like? I’m curious!
Well, at least for the past few months, every photo you have seen here taken with my 85mm (which was quite covered) is one such example. Really, it is hard to compare, unless you have two of the same lens, one with and one without fungus.
Since the fungus is on the lens elements, though, you will not see anything clear in the photos…nothing like seeing lent sitting on top of your camera sensor (that shows up very clearly). Fungus would probably just blur your photos slightly, as if it were not in tight focus. I will look around and see if I can find any photos, but it will be hard without a comparison photo with a clean lens.