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Buying an Enlarger? Check the lens !!
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I went to buy an enlarger kit today [not advertised here], I won’t mention any names to avoid embarrassment. A quick inspection of the lenses showed fungus inside the lens elements. Lots of it.
If anyone is in the market [here, ebay, anywhere] for an enlarger, please ask the seller if there are any marks on the lens or if its ‘coudy’
Sadly in this case, a professional with 35 years experience has been storing the most expensive rodinstock lens money can buy mounted on an enlarger in a damp garage with a blanket over it.
If you are checking the lens, open the aperture to the widest, hold up to a bright light. If it looks dirty, clean it properly with a blower, brush, fluid and cloth. Hold it back to the light. If it looks ok, tilt it so you are looking at it at an angle. Rotate in the lens all round in this position. The fungus starts at the rims and works its way inwards so looking straight through might not show it growing across.
Walk away from any lens with fungus, repair people can be have the fungus reduced, rarely eliminated and it will probably cost a lot to do so.
Remember its growing, so if the lens has a little fungus now, it will have a lot in 6 months or a year. Search google images for fungus on lens if you are unsure what to look for.
Fintan
Fintan wrote:
Sadly in this case, a professional with 35 years experience has been storing the most expensive rodinstock lens money can buy mounted on an enlarger in a damp garage with a blanket over it.
:-O
unbelievable.I’ve been buying a lot of used lenses recently-
projection lenses mostly-
but have come across an enlarger lens also-Two of them have damage-
The enlarger lens shows what looks like fungus to me-
long growths with radiating clear patches, joining up with each other-
and on one of the rear elements,
a large patch starting at the edge-One of the projector lenses has marks on the outside of the rear element that wont rub away-
and I tried-
Pictures from that lens showed some CA,
though I’m sure those spots didn’t cause it-
No matter, a replacement is on the way-
will be interesting to compare the two samples-This is the first time I’ve had experience of it-
there are recommendations for containers to store lenses-
and I think I should look into implementing some of them-I’ve never come across it before-
and would quite like if it didn’t happen to any of the lenses I’ve had forever-One question though-
given the correct storage of an optic,is it contagious?
can it be spread through careless use of a lens cleaning tissue?
Can one of them, introduced to some of your other glass, cause an epidemic?Should I throw out my dead?
ok, four questions-
j
They can of course infect your other lenses if you store them in the same air space and the conditions are right… in a damp, not well ventillated corner fox example. I was living in a flat before, where I could have grown mushrooms for some extra income, and it is a problem in Ireland in general. Try putting your stuff on a shelf in a textile bag or something similar. The further from the ground and from outer walls of the house, the better.
If I was you, I would dispose of that lens cleaning cloth that you may used… but don’t worry they won’t eat all the glass that you have in the house just yet…
Sorry for hear from your bad luck, JB.
jb7 wrote:
I
One question though-
given the correct storage of an optic,is it contagious?
can it be spread through careless use of a lens cleaning tissue?
Can one of them, introduced to some of your other glass, cause an epidemic?Should I throw out my dead?
ok, four questions-
j
Personally I would keep the lens with the fungus well away from your other optics, if these spores are tiny enough to get into your lens then they are tiny enough to pass from one to another. I dont think this would be Dustin Hoffman Outbreak kind of scenario, just keep them separate and dont cross contaminate.
I don’t think you need throw out your tainted one though….
I think enlarging lenses are particularly vulnerable because they dont see sunlight too often.
I should point out that I’m not at all angry with the seller, I’m not venting, I do have an enlarger I’m very happy with but I am adding 2 or 3 more into my darkroom for friends to use and for some intro workshops.
I really posted this in case someone was setting up their first darkroom or returning to one and came across a [badly stored] bargain.
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