Just got a Second Hand Lens - Is this Fungus on it?

s162216

s162216

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Samuel
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Hi,

A couple of days ago for Christmas I got a 1974, Kiron made Vivitar 85 - 205mm M42 Mount zoom lens, f3.8 - 22. I noticed a few hours after I got it that around the edges of one of the elements it had a like a misty 'cotton wool' sort of look in a few places. I immediately thought that its got fungus on it and looking around for pictures of fungus on the internet my suspicion has become stronger. If you look at the picture below, just under where it says 'macro focusing' you should be able to see what I mean.



I contacted a couple of places about getting it cleaned should it be fungus, one has come back so far with:

"The cost depends on how much dismantling and cleaning is required. It could be from £55 to £75 + vat."

Before I go spending that sort of money I would like to certain that it is actually fungus.
 
I never have any luck with zooms it seems, my last one when I was in the middle of a field, 2 of the 3 screws holding the lens mount to the lens decided to break and and I subsequently discovered that the there was actually no thread in those holes so it was a wonder it lasted as long as it did.

Does anyone know a place that will do fungus removal for a price cheaper than that as I know that this lens was brought by my parents for me off ebay for only £13.50 but I actually really like it and its the nicest lens I've got so far. Ironically the guy who sold it must be completley blind as he says the 'optics are free of scratches, dust and fungus'.
 
Surely it would be cheaper to just buy another one from ebay, but fungus free this time. A lot of advertisers will specifically state that a lens is fungus free to put potential buyer's minds at rest.
 
If it is fungas you want to keep it away from your other kit as you dont want to spread the fungas spores.
 
All of the actual 'nice' M42 zoom lenses either go for way above my price range or they are in some remote country, I am not keen on buying internationally due to problems I have had in the past and plus the weight of lenses like this really elevates the postage.

That ebay listing actually said that it was free of fungus

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vivitar-85-205mm-f3-8-Macro-Zoom-Lens-M42-Fit-Boxed_W0QQitemZ320463014230QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CamerasPhoto_CameraAccessories_CameraLensesFilters_JN?hash=item4a9d158956

Its actually a great pity as its a lovely lens other than the fungus.

Does anybody actually know anywhere that would clean it for me? The other place thar I emailed, (Black on White) have not got back to me yet so they might be a bit cheaper.
 
s162216 said:
I never have any luck with zooms it seems, my last one when I was in the middle of a field, 2 of the 3 screws holding the lens mount to the lens decided to break and and I subsequently discovered that the there was actually no thread in those holes so it was a wonder it lasted as long as it did.

Does anyone know a place that will do fungus removal for a price cheaper than that as I know that this lens was brought by my parents for me off ebay for only £13.50 but I actually really like it and its the nicest lens I've got so far. Ironically the guy who sold it must be completley blind as he says the 'optics are free of scratches, dust and fungus'.
Click to expand...

Hi, as your parents bought it off ebay, you could always get them to submit a claim stating that you received an item significantly not as described......... viz with fungus whereas the auction detail said no fungus - Get a refund and then purchase another lens - would be cheaper in the long run as most companies will charge about the price you have already been quoted.

regards
 
Contact the seller first, as an official dispute would require return of the lens using tracked delivery, and you don't get that refunded :-(

More recent Tamron Adaptall-2 lenses can be used with an M42 mount.
 
s162216 said:
"The cost depends on how much dismantling and cleaning is required. It could be from £55 to £75 + vat."

Before I go spending that sort of money I would like to certain that it is actually fungus.
Click to expand...

Don't even consider spending £70-£90 on a £10 lens , you'd be better off putting the money towards better glass or a digital body.

contact the seller and email him the pictures, ask him what he wants to do about it , tell him you expect a full refund + the cost of return postage as the goods are misdescribed
 
I have so far emailed about 6 places for a quote. As a rough guide most seem to say about £50 on their site but obviously I will get a more accurate answer with a quote. Looking around ebay, most similar lenses go for about £45 anyway and most come from the US or Canada sowith postage it could end up being more to get another one.

I think that I will wait a while until I know my options a bit more.

BTW I much prefer film to digital any day, its got that element of fun in it using an entirely manual SLR from 1978 which is actually based on a 1930's leica.
 
Definately, look to get a refund, there is no point at all spending £45 + in cleaning a lens that was £13, Sorry !!

If you do decide to keep the lens, I'd have a go at cleaning it myself - if this is like the lens I saw stripped down a while back - will see if I can find the thread - I think the black ring (next to the front element, with writing on) will peel off and there should be screws underneath where you can remove the element and clean it.

Not sure how effective this will be, not sure if it will completely remove all problem, but if you do attempt anything, you will not be able to send it back.
 
Or if it's gonna cost that much to repair/replace, just soldier on with the lens. It doesn't appear to be an awful lot of fungus on the lens so far, so you might as well get your parents' moneys' worth and use it - just keep it away from the other lenses to avoid fungus spread. If it doesn't noticably affect image quality at this stage, then stick with it. I used to use a fungussed lens quite routinely, the only optical effect it produced was a small loss in contrast.
 
I would clean it myself, have done several and it's no big deal to be honest, just need single-minded almost manic cleanliness in tools and workspace. Also a delicate touch with the threaded parts. Having said that, I'd not even consider a clean - either sent away or done personally - until I actually noticed any degradation of images taken with the lens.

Arthur
 
Very clearly your parents did not get what was advertised. Therefore, you are quite within your rights to ask for your money back due to miss-advertising the sale.

However, as others have stated, you would need to cover the cost of returning the lens. Personally I would contact seller for refund. I have needed to open an ebay claim on two occasions, and both times I have got my money back. However, they were for quite a lot more than your £13.50.
 
For Christmas I ended up being given £30 by relatives so I could always put that towards it as to get another lens will probably end up costing just as much for a fairly nice one. I'm 18 in less than a month so I will probably end up getting more money then anyway.

About cleaning it myself, what would I have to use? Most places say to use an ammonia and something else mix. I know what ammonia is but I don't think that you can buy it just of the shelf in the UK, unless its an American name for something that I am familiar with.

Theres only actually 3 screws holding the whole thing together so I am but apprehensive of taking it apart as for all I know it could just all fall to bits. The actual element that the fungus is on is just below the front one and from looking at it I think its 'glued' in.
 
O.K, my parents have now persuaded me to send the lens back and to get another lens instead. Luckily, I have been able to find the EXACT SAME lens only branded as Panagor and it includes a Vivitar 2x teleconverter, so I am going to get that.

It is a real shame though as the lens actually came boxed complete with all the original instructions, guarantee etc.
 
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