Cleaning a camera lens ?

Emp_Fab

I've just taken Mrs Fab's EOS400D out and noticed there seems to be three little marks on the front element.  I've tried wiping them off with a fine cotton cloth and my breath, but they aren't shifting.  I think they're inside.  She doesn't take the best care of her gear to be honest, and this camera hasn't had a lens cap on it for months. (Boils my piss... but that's another story).  Right now, I'm wondering if it could be some sort of moisture (it's been very damp here lately), so I've currently got the camera sat in front of my dehumidifier.

Strange how the marks are equally spaced around the perimeter isn't it ?

Drew_TNBD

Condensation, no?
http://www.cameratechnica.com/2011/07/18/the-science-of-lens-condensation/

Checkout the bit that says "dealing with lens condensation"

Emp_Fab

Thanks for that.  However - on closer examination, I have discovered that it's almost certainly 'lens fungus'.  I just spotted a small growth of it on one the SLR mirrors, but thankfully that came off with a cotton bud and a drop of Mr Muscle glass cleaner.  I think it's best if I get the lens professionally cleaned.  I don't know how much (or even if) it's affecting the images though.  Mrs Fab is far better at detecting that sort of stuff, so she can check it later.  Next step... where to get it cleaned.   Oh... and I'm going to get her a big bag of silica gel to put in the camera case too.

OilCityPickups

That there is definitely lens fungus. Sadly it actually eats into the lens coating and eventually the glass itself, and it usually costs more than the lens is worth to have it cleaned. A DSLR kit lens is cheap as chips these days.

Drew_TNBD

AFAIK, a certain amount of lens fungus is harmless. It depends where it spreads. If it's not affecting images, I wouldn't worry too much about getting it professionally cleaned.

Emp_Fab

Phew....  that was a very unpleasant 45 minutes !  I decided to try to take the front element off to see if I could polish the marks off the rear.  I didn't have a proper lens ring tool, but improvised with a pair of circlip plier attachments.  I eventually got the front ring off, only to discover it's a two-element unit, and I can't get to the back of the front glass unless I tried to dismantle it further.  My bottle went at this point and I opted to put it back together and say nothing.  At one point I thought I'd cross-threaded it, but thankfully I hadn't.  Then, when I couldn't get it any tighter, I checked online and most of the photos have the wording in a different position, so I don't think I've matched it up quite right (just started off on the wrong thread), but - as far as I can tell, it doesn't make any difference where the wording is, as long as the front element unit is screwed on fully.  The thought of breaking Mrs Fab's lens in the process of trying to clean it (or "fiddling with it" as she would put it), fills me with dread.  That would have stayed in her 'ammo box' for decades.

Emp_Fab

Actually, the OCD part of me is nagging me to take it off again and try to get the words to line up....

This is a bad thing.

Emp_Fab

Oh-oh...

keithf

do it,,you wont sleep properly otherwise.

Emp_Fab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mdwAkWvWMw

holnrew

Women don't look after things very well do they? My other half is always grabbing and moving her laptop by the "lid"/screen.

Mick

 

Emp_Fab said:

Actually, the OCD part of me is nagging me to take it off again and try to get the words to line up....

This is a bad thing.

I'd sling it, and buy Mrs Fab, a nice piece of L glass to grow the fungus in. (Not). Seriously though, would probably be easer to look for another kit lens, as TheGuitarWeasel said, they can be found really cheaply.

strumjoughlamps

would be no point spending money on having a kit lens cleaned, you pick them up for £25-50 quid 2nd hand and that would be for the IS version.

Emp_Fab

IS ?  Wassat ?  I'm not the photographer in the house.

Mick

Emp_Fab said:

IS ?  Wassat ?  I'm not the photographer in the house.

IS = Image stabilisation

Emp_Fab

Ah !  I just googled it.  Bloody clever eh !

OilCityPickups

I had a 105mm micro Nikkor that had loads of fungus around the edges ... but because it was pretty well always used well stopped down, it went on for years like that. Trouble is with modern , multi element, wide angle zoom designs, is that lens flare is barely managed anyway ... a few more bits of gumf to spread the light about and it'll be soft as a curry afflicted stool, with all the contrast of Green Party manifesto. I'd simply pick up another kit lens.

Drew_TNBD

I have a kit lens and a Yashica Yashinon DS-M 50mm lens. It's a prime lens, and has lovely bokeh!!

I got it for doing film, but I just haven't had a chance to really do any. But you can get some really nice old lenses and just use an adapter with them.

EdGrip

New kit lens on ebay. BOOM.