I used to avoid vintage lens fungus like the plague, now I see it as a fixable challenge.

For years, I'd tell customers a lens with any haze was a paperweight. Then a guy brought in a 1970s Nikkor with classic 'spiderweb' fungus. Took me three hours, but I got it crystal clear with a basic lens spanner and some isopropyl. Anyone else find themselves tackling jobs they used to write off?

3 comments

3 Comments

betty_price149d ago

Three hours for one lens seems like a lot of work for a hobbyist, though. That's a whole evening gone, and you need the right tools just to start. @the_ruby, was your FD lens actually worth the time, or did you just do it for the fun of it? Some of these old lenses just aren't that great to begin with, fungus or not.

faithwalker2d ago

Three hours is a good time for a first clean, honestly. My first one took me a whole Saturday afternoon, but the tools are a one-time buy. That FD lens @the_ruby saved is probably sharper than a lot of new cheap glass now.

the_ruby9d ago

Totally get that "fixable challenge" feeling now. I just cleaned my first hazy Canon FD last week and it felt like a real win.