How Bad Is Fungus In Lens 2?

Lens mold or fungus is an increasingly serious threat in photography. Not only can this microbial growth ruin your photographs, it can also damage glass elements inside lenses causing lasting damage if left unattended. In this article I will show you how to easily eliminate fungus on camera lenses at home while stopping its spread to other lenses.

As the first step in eliminating lens fungus, cleaning all affected glass elements must be conducted carefully. This can be accomplished using any mild detergent (but avoiding anything containing abrasives or ammonia) and water. When finished washing the lens should be rinsed several times to eliminate all soap and dirt deposits before being allowed to air dry fully before being wiped with an abundance of isopropyl alcohol; any moisture left could provide ideal breeding ground for future fungi outbreaks.

Fungus thrives in dark and damp environments, so the best way to prevent its growth is by properly storing your camera gear – in an airtight see-through container with silica gel bags placed inside for added protection.

As a last resort, UV lights may help to kill off fungus on lenses. These lights have wavelengths between 200 and 280 nanometers that absorb by the fungi; however, extended exposure could result in irreparable lens etching if there has been enough exposure time for it to establish itself on it.

As with any medical procedure, when it comes to lens cleaning it’s essential to follow the principle “first do no harm”. This holds true in lens care as much as in medicine – since fungus cannot predict how it will react until cleaning begins and even then its full effects cannot always be predicted with precision.

Fungus can cause low contrast areas or out of focus images depending on its severity, and in severe cases could eat through protective coatings and even glass itself – this would not be good for your expensive camera gear, so taking steps to stop it happening is paramount. One way of doing this is keeping an eye on humidity levels where you store your cameras as well as carrying silica gel packs for quick moisture control solutions in your camera case; another strategy would be avoiding shooting during inclement weather as this creates the ideal conditions for mold to grow!