Are leather eveready cases a fungus source ?

[MathewDH]

<p>Since the cases are of organic material, can they be a source of fungus contamination if the camera is stored in them? I have both Agfa and Rolleiflex cameras in the leather cases, and am concerned these can provide a dark area and limited air circulation. Couple that with natural air moisture and it seems to me to be the perfect combination for fungus to start. Mostly it is the leather as the main problem that concerns me.</p>

<p>CHEERS...Mathew</p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>Depends on the tanning process. Chromium tanned leather is not subject to fungus, which is very sensitive to many metals. Some of the other tanning methods may make leather mold-resistant as well.</p>

[John Seaman]

<p>I've bought loads of old cameras over the years, with and without leather cases, and never noticed any correlation with the presence of fungus. I think the conditions in which they are stored is more important, obviously as cool and dry as possible. This is in the UK, in places of high humidity things might be different.<br /> Cameras found in their original cases are invariably in much better condition than those without cases.<br>

The problem being, if you don't store the cameras in their cases, you have to store them separately taking up twice as much space, and increasing the possibility of their becoming separated in the long term.<br>

<br /> As an aside, I'm fascinated by the way people used to write their names and addresses on the inside of the cases.</p>

[lauren_macintosh]

<p>Its the moisture the collects and cause'e fungus growth, if its stored in a damp place <br>

for a period of time you can almost bet there will fungus some where either on the camera or the lens or the storage container such as a leather carrying case around there, even clothes can get that moldy smell to them</p>

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

<p>It MAY be a fungus source. If the leather is tanned, dry and the surroundings are dry, there is hardly any risk of fungus. My father keeps his Agfa Silette in its leather case for decades now (did not use it since he bought a Minolta SRT303 and is unable to do any photography for years now), and there is no fungus on that camera. <br>

It's probably not the tanned leather itself but particles from untanned surfaces (such as the edges) which "feed" the fungus if they get on the lens surface.<br>

It is more important to keep the lenses in a dry place. I kept my Leica equipment in a synthetic bag in a rather humid storage room for some years, and there was a spot of fungus on one of the lenses (easily to remove, fortunately). Also, keep the lens surfaces clean from any organic material. <br>

BTW you should always remove fingerprints as soon as possible. On the Canonet QL17QL I bought many years ago there were residues of a fingerprint on the INNER surface of the first lens element, and it took quite a while to remove it, it must have been there for years (I have no idea how it appeared there, someone must have tried to disassemble the lens). But always take care when cleaning lenses, I have seen more lenses damaged by unsuitable cleaning efforts than by dust, fingerprints or fungus. </p>

 

[steve_levine]

<p>In my experience, cameras (and firearms) will both be damaged from long term storing in leather. The leather will hold and trap moisture against the metal surfaces.</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

Seems like a mixed bag here in answers . I will come down to the environmental conditions argument than to the leather itself. I stored quite a few camers in Zero Haliburton case in the cellar for many years while my kids grew and when I came to them 12 years later, they were all OK Those in the leather never-ready cases were as good as those (Graflexes, Folders) with no cases. I did keep a TLR wrapped in a cotton Tshirt in a camera bag, as I had no case. This was not with the others. It was OK too, but I noted the Tshirt was stinky and I changed it for a flannel baby nighty when I brought it out of the Sleeping Beauty sleep. I now have stiched the original never-ready case back together and the flannel nighty is around the Graflöex XL.. Condtions in both my Cellar and apartment are relatively dry and the cellar is stone; cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Ideal I'd say!

[tom_harvey3]

<p>I prefer not to use the "never ready" cases myself...they can be a pain.</p>

<p>In the past, I did find dome Bayonet filters from the 1960s and 1970s that had been stored for 30+ years in a beautiful well-made leather filter wallet from eastern Europe I believe, and upon opening it for the first time noticed an odd smell that dissipated after a few weeks, probably an odor from the tanning chemicals. I had another Kodak coffin-type all-plastic Series-size filter storage unit, and all the filters inside were haze-free and had been stored there since the 1950s or earlier.</p>

<p>The filters inside the leather wallet had a haze on them that was a bit difficult to remove, and lens cleaner alone didn't have any effect on it nor did Windex. The solution that worked the best was Glass Plus.</p>

<p>So, yes.....long term storage in synthetic materials seems to be the better option.</p>

[dan_b.4]

<p>In my experience, leather cases are more likely to encourage fungus growth, more so than their synthetic counterparts. People say leather isn't a problem if it's properly tanned. Unless you're experienced at tanning, I'm not sure how you would know if it is properly tanned.</p>

[bob_miller4]

<p>Leather lens cases (hard cylindrical, or soft pouches) exposed to moisture outdoors can encourage fungus growth in lenses.</p>

[Gus Lazzari]

<p>I've used products that seemed to attract mold growth, but this product has been fantastic !<br>

<strong>Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP</strong></p><div></div>

[gnashings]

<p>I think its not so much a source but can be a good home for it. Its like saying "are slums a source of crime?"... well no, but it sure feels comfortable there. Aside from the factors like tanning, etc., already discussed, I think that any time you prevent airflow and increase the likelihood of trapping damp air in one place you are increasing the chances that fungus will develop - I am an avid collector of silica packets and make sure that I throw a few in the bottom of any place my cameras spend any length of time. Perhaps its more for my peace of mind than any actual help but it makes me feel better.</p>