Old lens case with fungus- trash?

I recently picked up an SMC-A 200mm lens with some minor fungus. It came with

the original (?) case, HB-152, which has a musty smell and some dark spotting

all over the inside top. I consider the case a fungus hazard and have no

interest in even keeping it around (I know what I am up against with the lens so

no need for comments on that, thanks).

 

But is the case worth saving? Any sort of collector interest or value? Would it

be wrong to throw it in the trash?

Nope, throw it away.

You can kill the fungus in the case. Find a 5 gallon bucket (or similar plastic container) with a lid. Put a few cups of Javex bleach in the bottom. Suspend the case inside the container and close the lid. Let it sit in there for a few days. The ammonia will kill the fungus. Afterwards, clean the fungus stains off the case with a good cleaner like a carpet cleaning spot remover. The case should be fine and you can use it again without worry. This is the same thing that kills mould, mildew and fungus in your bathroom shower (Tilex and similar products).

Javex bleach? Ammonia?

 

I don't know what Javex, whatever that is, has in it, but for heaven's sake don't mix bleach and ammonia together or you may kill more than fungus.

here's what you do: put the case in an airtight container with some crumpled up aluminum foil, add some "the works" cleaner, walk about 20 yards in the opposite direction and give it about five minutes to do its thing.

 

might wanna have your camera ready.

Yes JDM. As a young lad, I tried mixing ammonia with toilet bowl cleaner because it said not to on the label. Pure clouds of chlorine gas rose out of the toilet and started choking me. I got out of there fast!

Hey, I was told that foreigners are organic etc. fans :) Seriously, chlorine, ammonia, formaldehyde and other non-Greanpeace stuff, alone or mixed, will disinfect the lenses and definitely PREVENT fungi to grow, but they couldn't remove the fungus (or remove them with lens coating). The only way is to remove fungus by enzymes (protease, amylase and lysocim), naturally :) I don't know about availability of pure enzymes in countries outside Russia (I mean off-the-counter drugstores), but it seems you can use cleaning tablets for contact lenses (=protease), dissolved in your own saliva (=amylase+lysocim). Mix tablests with your spittle until the cream/gel will be formed, then spread it on the lens and leave for 30 min (prevent from the dessication - put them to wet warm atmosphere in closed jar etc.) Thn remove the spittle with soft tissue, spread another portion of mixture and remove the fungus with the same tissue by gently wiping of target zones - fungi became soft and easily to remove. If fungus is still scratch-resistant, use your finger. After removing the fungus, wash the lens with water and pure wine alcohol (or ether) and mount it back to the lens barrel. Fungi from Japan seems to be more exotic (=resistant), so you should leave the lens smeared with the "enzyme misture" up to 2 days (preserving from dessication, of course). However, cleaning of the single lenses appear to be easier then the glued ones. Good luck and feel back to nature! :)