NLsafari Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 First I want to thank all participants of this forum who helped me fixed the lens diaphragm problem of my Canon 300/2.8 FD Fluorite. My question now pertains to dust inside the lens. Does dust inside a lens significantly increases the possibility/risk for mold to grow? I noticed that my 300 Fluorite has accumulated some dust inside and have been wondering if I should send the lens for cleaning? This is not the same lens that had the shutter problem. Raphael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennisbrown Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 My understanding is that fungus relates more to the environment in which the lens is used and/or stored. In humid climates and storage environments the likelihood that fungus will take hold, is far greater than those in drier conditions. I've not read, nor heard that fungus will start based on dust accumulation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 All lenses have some dust. If you can't see dust your flashlight isn't bright enough or you're not using a magnifier. Never heard of it being a starting point for mold/fungus. I like to expose my lenses to some bright sunlight every now and then as it discourages fungus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nail33 Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 I like to expose my lenses to some bright sunlight every now and then as it discourages fungus. Good advice, but be aware of where you place the lens, as it could start a fire..........(sunlight magnifying affect). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 Good for cooking ants though. Actually, I don't do it for long, and certainly not mounted on the camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLsafari Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 Good for cooking ants though. Actually, I don't do it for long, and certainly not mounted on the camera. Good idea … I'll be careful not to leave it too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLsafari Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 My understanding is that fungus relates more to the environment in which the lens is used and/or stored. In humid climates and storage environments the likelihood that fungus will take hold, is far greater than those in drier conditions. I've not read, nor heard that fungus will start based on dust accumulation. The lens is kept in a plastic bag to prevent fungus. I was not sure if there was a relationship between dust and fungus that is why I posed the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Seaman Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Hmm. I've never been keen on the idea of keeping lenses in plastic bags. It's surely possible that the plastic will retain any moisture in the air, which is the main driver for fungus along with warm temperature - unless you are very careful to exclude moisture, probably with silica gel bags. I prefer to keep lenses cool, dry and well ventilated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Dust can be composed of many elements, including, most likey, mold spores. As long as you keep the lens in a low relative humidity environment, those spores either won't proliferate or will only do so at a very slow rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLsafari Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 All lenses have some dust. If you can't see dust your flashlight isn't bright enough or you're not using a magnifier. Never heard of it being a starting point for mold/fungus. I like to expose my lenses to some bright sunlight every now and then as it discourages fungus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLsafari Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 Hi, I was thinking that the UV in sunlight would be very fungus unfriendly. However, glass absorbs UV so that the fungus cleaning properties don't help the interior elements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Things get pretty murky. If the glass absorbs UV, and it does at some point, do you ever even need a UV filter? What wavelengths are unfriendly to fungus? Does it have to be hard UV at 270 nm, or is just bright white light enough. Need a biologist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLsafari Posted December 2, 2019 Author Share Posted December 2, 2019 Things get pretty murky. If the glass absorbs UV, and it does at some point, do you ever even need a UV filter? What wavelengths are unfriendly to fungus? Does it have to be hard UV at 270 nm, or is just bright white light enough. Need a biologist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLsafari Posted December 2, 2019 Author Share Posted December 2, 2019 Good point . Certainly glass does not absorb all UV as can be seen by comparing photographs that have UV filter vs non-UV filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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