Lens fungus

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

<p>I've searched the archives and the net (I fell like I'm ready for a Bing commercial).<br>

I have a Vivitar Series 1 70-210 F3.5 (the first version) that has a slight fungus haze. Does anyone have any recommendations for someone who can CLA and remove the fungus from it at a reasonable (< $50) cost?<br>

I also have a pair of FD 50mm lenses that would need the same.<br>

Thanks,<br>

Ed</p>

[jeff_guthrie]

<p>I recently invested in some inexpensive tools to clean lenses myself. I got a micro-screwdriver set, rubber stopper-type wrenches, as well as a lens spanner from my local camera shop, and have used them to remove the front or rear elements to my lenses so I can get inside to remove the fungus/dust/crud. The cost for the tools was less than $50.<br>

So far I have used my tools to clean out a couple Canon FD 50/1.4 lenses, a Canon FD 135/2.5, several Yashica lenses, and a Leica 35/2.8 Summaron. Needless to say, I take extreme care to avoid scratching the glass (putting tape over things you don't want scratched helps.<br>

Some people might cringe at the thought of servicing their own gear, but anyone who is mechanically inclined is probably capable of the task. You can find diagrams for disassembling various lenses on the internet of you search hard enough.<br>

I practiced by disassembling/reassembling some junk shop throwaway lenses (and saved a few of them in the process), it's not as hard as you might think. My 135/2.5 FD lens was mint on the outside, but had a lot of fungus on the inside, I paid $1 for it, and found that the fungus was actually pretty easy to remove. I sold the lens on eBay and made enough profit to pay for the tools.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Ed, not to be a naysayer, but I wouldn't think anyone competent would touch a lens for less than 50 bucks. But maybe for $75-125. Ask Advanced Camera Repair (.com?) in Portland, Oregon. They are very reasonable and very good. They have a quote system on their website. Put in what you've got and they get back with a reasonable quote within about a day.</p>

[bsharpe411]

<p>Ed...I agree with Michael about the cost of a good repair person. Typically you couldn't get a qualified repair person to ring your doorbell for less than $100. The postage and handling alone could cost $20, and if the fungus reappears (which is always a possibility) you'll expect the tech to redo his work. Those FD 50mm lenses probably aren't worth the cost if they're f1.8. Perhaps you can negotiate having all 3 lenses done at the same time at a better price.<br>

As far as DIY is concerned, I'd follow Jeff's suggestion and work on one of those 50mm bad boys before opening up the 135mm. I've never done it myself, but I've heard horror stories from others who have opened up an FD lens and found springs and tiny ball bearing falling out from God knows where.</p>

<p>A good repair isn't cheap....and a cheap repair isn't good.</p>

<p> </p>

[ray_cutting]

<p>Ed<br>

I use Gus Lazzari <a href="mailto:thegreatgus@gmail.com">thegreatgus@gmail.com</a> He is located in High Point NC, he charges $95 for lens cleaning, so far this year he has done CLA on 5 cameras for me 3 leica rangefinders 2 russian RF clones, also a Leica lens and a Jupiter lens, you will not find anyone better in the U.S.<br>

I could not be happier with his work, and would never consider anyone else.<br>

Ray</p>

[george_shihanian]

<p>I've used Essex in Carlstadt NJ several times. The price will vary somewhat, but the cheapest I had one done was for $75. I did walk it in and out, so no postage. Took only 2 days.</p>

<p>If you are able to someday do it yourself, all you need is Pond's cold cream to clean the lens glass. How do you know you have fungus? Most people wouldn't know what it looks like. If you have haze, maybe all you have is haze! That can be cleaned easily.</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Zooms are much harder. You have to not get grit in all the grease on the sliding sleeves. Complicated to take apart and reassemble, and they require recalibration of focus.<br>

Cheaper to try again on that Series 1.</p>

 

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

<p>Thank you all for your suggestions/recommendations.</p>

<p>I have taken my original 50mm F1.8 chrome nose (bought new 7/10/73!) apart to confirm the oil is what is keeping the diaphragm blades from functioning. How do you clean (and lube) them? Acetone/alcohol or something else?</p>

<p>I think I'll try the 50s myself and mabe send the Series 1 out.</p>

<p>Thank you all again for your responses.</p>

<p>Ed</p>

[jeff_guthrie]

<p>Use Ronsonol (Ronson lighter fluid, used in Zippo lighters) to clean off the oil. Leave the blades dry, but use a tiny amount of oil at the pivot points.<br>

Many lenses can be opened up fairly easy by simply removing the front or rear elements. Be careful of removing the lens mounts, there are often small springs, check-balls and the like that like to jump out and bury themselves in the carpet.<br>

The 50mm 1/4 lenses are the easiest to clean, simply remove the front name ring with a rubber stopper type wrench, remove the 3 retaining screws, and then unscrew the front element. I use Ponds cold cream to clean, which seems to work very well on minor fungus.<br>

Zoom lenses are very complicated to disassemble, and with the how cheap most zooms are nowadays, it's probably a lot cheaper just to go out and find a clean one than to spend money for repairs.</p>

[JDMvW]

<blockquote>

<p>I fell like I'm ready for a Bing commercial</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'd feel that using Bing!™ instead of Google™ might be your first mistake. I just find the Bing! order of presentation to be far less useful than that on Google (not including the paid plugs, to be sure), but perhaps that's just me.</p>

<p>I had the exact same lens that you have, also with fungus. Tried to find a repair and cleaning locally--the local guy won't ever open up a zoom lens again, as I understand, and the cost elsewhere would have been at least $50 with no guarantee that the lens would be useful after the cleaning. As I understand it (I've only pulled apart primes and found them hard enough), it is very difficult to get a zoom back together exactly as it was.</p>

<p>So I went on eBay (my first venture to buy there) and found not one but two 70-210mm zooms, one a Soligor that could be used to hammer nails with little or no damage to the lens, and the other a Series 1 Vivitar 70-210mm that was even a better variant (given the different original manufacturers of this lens(es)). Both of them cost me less than $50 apiece including shipping. They might be more now, but still are likely to cost less than a service on the one you have.</p>

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

<blockquote>

<p>I'd feel that using Bing!™ instead of Google™ might be your first mistake. I just find the Bing! order of presentation to be far less useful than that on Google (not including the paid plugs, to be sure), but perhaps that's just me.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>What I meant was I felt like I as in a Bing commercial. I generally use Google or ASK.com.</p>

<p>Thanks for the tip about lighter fluid.</p>

<p>I had the 70-210 Series 1 (the original version) since '79. I went to go use it a few months ago and the zoom mechanism had locked up. I had it repaired after a drop and it never was the same, but now it wouldn't zoom without brute force applied. On top of that, it had a case of lens haze (fungus). I gave that one to my local repair guy as a parts source. When I won a black FTb it came with a chrome nose FD 50mm F1.4, 28mm F3.5 and another Series 1 70-210, exactly like my old one. This one still zoomed and everything is OK except the fungus. My local guy won't touch the zoom (this seems to be a trend with repair shops) so I was hoping for some good suggestions; of which I have received and I thank all you again for the information.</p>

<p>I'm going to attempt to repair the 50s and leave the zoom alone.</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

<p>Ed</p>

[bob_jasinski]

<p>I've got a lens fungas problem with my Contaflex Rapid, and have been reading in the archives that the UV in sunlight will kill it. Once we get through the rains here in N. California and it gets dry and still, I'm putting it on a tripod with the back off, locked open on B with cable release, wide open, and point it at the sun. Bob Jasinski</p>

[andresa]

<p>$50 is too optimistic. Zoom lenses are hard to repair.</p>

<p>The process is to disassemble the entire lens and remove all the elements. Then clean everything with alcohol and soak all parts in fungicide. Then reassemble and recalibrate focus at all distances for all parts of the zoom. It's a lot of work - a couple of days labor. Not likely for $50.</p>

<p>Far cheaper to buy a new lens.</p>