Vault Loc: Gig Harbor, WA and Yuma, AZ

I have been in contact with a gentleman about purchasing this great lens at a wonderful price. He states there is a fungus bloom that should not effect shot quality. Everything thing else is stated to be perfect. My question is, can fungus be cleaned and if not, is it's presence going to cloud the shot? I have never seen fungus in a lens. Thank you.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

No lens with fungus should be allowed anywhere near your clean equipment, nor in the same house, nor even on your street. Move onto another fungus-free offer.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Walk away.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

DO NOT BUY THIS LENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have I made myself clear on this?

ELNikkor

Swim away!

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

A good strong UV-C light will kill it, but will not remove any residue, it would have to be opened and cleaned, and I mean thoroughly/complete disassembly/everything, every surface/part/etc. In reality - the Spores are everywhere, inside/outside, even in the cleanest of houses...all they need is some moisture/mild to warm temps to get to growing. The spores can and do spread if given a "growing" environment. A lens with mold/fungus inside also begs the question: was it ever wet/submerged? Older mechanical lenses are a challenge, modern lenses with circuit boards and such...near impossible.

If I was to buy that lens (say for parts, or to restore) the first thing out of the box (opened outside if I already was aware) would be to let it sit in direct sunlight/wide open/pointed directly at the sun (note: if pointed directly at the sun, make sure the light coming thru the other end is not pointed on anything close by, it will be just like a magnifying glass on an ant hill/or could melt stuff\start a fire) - to kill live mold/fungus - or - it would sit in front of an intense UV-C light for a while, prior to opening and cleaning. Note: it has to be UV-C light, and it needs to be close, lens wide open, bathed in the light (if a zoom, full extension). UV-C light willl kill mites/fungus/mold/virus (Covid)/bacteria, etc. However, it is not friendly to your eyes, do not stare/look at it...akin to looking at the sun w/o protection.

Now, whether or not you are still interested is your decision - you see the sentiment of others here. It can be done, but a lot of effort is required.

Good luck in your quest.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Life is too short to buy a lens with fungus.

Real Nikon Lover Loc: Simi Valley, CA

Amen!

turp77 Loc: Connecticut, Plainfield

With the fungus is inside the lens the spores can enter your camera and spread to and ruin other lens. Most camera and lens repair shops will not let a lens with fungus into the working area. I would run away no matter how a good deal it is

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

I have a basic question about this whole issue.
Whenever fungus comes up, we read advice about keeping the item far far away from all other lenses. But does anyone know that fungus spores from an infected lens will spread from lens to lens? We are in a world of fungus spores. You are breathing them right now. All of your equipment is slathered with fungus spores and bacteria and dust of all kinds and even dormant Tardigrades (you can look those up). So I am just wondering if this whole thing is one of those myths that are just never questioned.

srg

Being a chronic procrastinator, my grades were often tardy due to handing assignments in late.

srg

Being a chronic procrastinator, my grades were often tardy due to handing assignments in late

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

It's a relevant question. You are definitely correct about them being all around us all the time. Even in a "dry" home with the best Hepa filtration, they are around.

Part of why I'm such a big fan and proponent of the UV-C light spectrum and the use UV-C lights. The UV-C lights are used in clean rooms/hospitals/pool and A/C filtration, and many other places, it is a proven and very effective deterrent. If I purchase equipment that is suspect (at least until I can closely examine) I start the "decontamination" process early. Also treat each room in my house monthly, something I have continued to do since Covid (UV-C kills Virus spores/bacteria, etc). Go to any modern poultry farm, you will see UV-C lights used to kill mites and the rest.

Unless specific precautioins are employed, I bet you can find mold/fungus somewhere in the homes of almost any of the posters here, regardless of how clean they believe they are...the stuff is everywhere, all the time! Like rust, mold/fungus never sleeps.........

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The seller is wrong. Fungus will DEFINITELY effect image quality. It will cause loss of contrast, reduce color saturation and can cause flare in some situations.

Yes, it can be cleaned and probably will be fine. And the Nikkor 180mm lenses are valuable, so it may be worth trying to fix (depends upon how cheaply you can get it).

You will need to have a professional repair tech work on it. Don't try to fix it yourself. Basically the lens needs to be disassembled, cleaned with hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol to kill the fungus. This is not a do-it-yourself job! It must be done carefully and properly. The lens then should be tested with specialized equipment and calibrated, if needed.

There is still some risk. Some fungus actually etches the glass or coatings on the glass and causes permanent damage. This is usually not practical to repair.

But often fungus can simply be cleaned out, as described above, and the lens is then fine to use. You can stop it's growth and kill the fungus by exposing it to UV light. Sunlight works great, though you have to take care about not overheating a lens. Maybe take the lens caps off and, with the lens still sealed in clear plastic bags, lay it on a window sill that doesn't get direct sunlight and leave it for a few days.

A lot of people freak out about fungus in lenses. And it's true, you need to be careful and keep it away from your other gear. It's possible to have fungus from one thing contaminate another. But it also can be dealt with so long as it's handled with care. If you buy that lens, DO NOT play around with it on your camera. That would cause spores to spread to the camera and then find their way into every other lens you use on it. Ask the seller to put the lens in a double sealed plastic bags (one bag inside the other) or do it yourself and if possible put a few packets of desiccant in with it. Don't even open that and take the lens out anywhere near your other gear. Don't operate it, as that will disturb the fungus and potentially send spores spewing from it. If you want to take it out of the packaging, do so outside away from your gear. Reseal it, then wash your hands and it sealed up until you can get it to a camera repair tech (you might inquire what one would charge and factor that into whatever you offer for this lens).

Fungal spores are in and around us all the time. They're just part of the environment. Under the right conditions (typically dark, humid places) they can take root and start to grow in or on almost anything. Some types of fungus are even dangerous, giving off noxious fumes that are unhealthy. The stuff in lenses is obnoxious... can be damaging... but also often can be cleaned out successfully. With a cheap, common 50mm I wouldn't bother doing a cleaning... But the Nikkor 180mm is a valuable lens that may be worth the trouble.

User ID

Verrrrry briskly !