Cleaning a Summicron-R 35/2.0 E55

[asterinex]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Dear members,

 

I can buy a Summicron-R 35/2.0 E55 model(with build in sunhood) for a good price but the lens suffers from starting fungus .

 

Is it easy to clean this lens ?

 

Thx,Gert

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Hugh 38]

Chances  are  the    fungus  is  inside  the  lens  ,  which  means it  has   to  be  dismantled  to  be  cleaned. 

I  have  had  two   lenses  cleaned    and  each  cost  about  £90    to  be  cleaned , about   two  years   ago .  Unless  you  do  the work  yourself   which  I  would not  recommend  , unless   you  are  happy  doing  so.   You  also  have to  find  some one   able  to  do  the work  which  can  be hard. 

[jip]

Dear members,

 

I can buy a Summicron-R 35/2.0 E55 model(with build in sunhood) for a good price but the lens suffers from starting fungus .

 

Is it easy to clean this lens ?

 

Thx,Gert

 

 

The fungus can be a surface problem inside the lens, which is easily cleaned but the excrement from some types of fungus eat away the glass and coatings of the glass leaving permanent damages even when removed. Also the fungus from said lens can spread if it's an 'aggressive sort' and contaminate other lenses. 

 

I would stay away from fungus infected lenses, if you do buy it make sure you send it to a adequate service center. (Will van Manen is good) 

[lct]

R 35/2 lenses are easy to find out at decent prices on e**y and elsewhere. I would stay away from fungus.

[dpitt]

I know from experience that Will is good with fungus and is not afraid to work on lenses with fungus at all. According to him the air is full of spores anyway, so the only thing one can do to prevent fungus growth is to store the lens in a ventilated place that is not too humid.

[Hugh 38]

I was  just  going  to mention  the   damage  possibility  ,  but  see it has  been  mentioned  above .

 

I  think it is  a  case of  ' You pay  your  money  and  take  your  choice '   .  I  bought  my   lenses  with   fungus inside  and  the price  was   low . It  was worth  having  them  cleaned.  You  could  buy  a    clean  lens  and   later it  develops  another  fault  , as  gads  happened  to  me . 

[dkCambridgeshire]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I have a 35/2 Summicron R version 2 (55mm filter thread) which discovered has interior 'issues' i.e. internal haze so  dismantled it for cleaning - took out the front two elements and cleaned them - and then reassembled. They fit back in easily and no collimation required. Tools required are a watchmakers screwdrivers, rubber ring to fit and compress onto the front bezel to unscrew it, and adjustable ring wrench to remove front element retaining ring.

 

The fungus can be prevented from spreading by exposing to UV light e.g. leave lens on a sunlit window sill for a fortnight - UV light should kill the fungus but will not eradicate or remove it. 

 

 If the fungus is on the front elements it's a relatively easy task to remove them and clean off the fungus with Iso Propyl alcohol. If the fungus is recent it will likely not have etched into the lens coatings and glass. 

 

dunk

[spydrxx]

If it has etched the glass, for all practical purposes, the lens is junk. After using and cleaning a variety of lenses for over 50 years, yesterday I hit my first one with the glass etched...thank goodness it was really inexpensive, but now having had the opportunity to experiment, I'll advise you to "take a pass" unless you're knowledgeable enough to be able to tell the difference by visual inspection between etched glass and non-etched glass.

[MarkP]

Don't touch a lens with fungus.

 

If you take your time another lens is bound to pop up for sale.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Don't touch a lens with fungus.

 

If you take your time another lens is bound to pop up for sale.

 

 

A lens with fungus is not necessarily a write-off or not worth buying. Contrary to some opinions the fungus will not spread onto other lenses; the fungus was likely caused by spores present on or in the lens at time of manufacture or airborne spores present in the atmosphere. If fungused lenses are cheap they can be worth buying and sellers will £$€negotiate;  Even if the fungus has caused etching the % of the glass surface affected can be minimal. If etching is e.g. on the perimeter of the front element and the fungus can be cleaned off, some matt black paint applied to the etched area (maybe less than 2% of the surface area) will cover the etching and not affect the image - and when stopped down the area is outside the aperture. The lens might not be a re-saleable item with a blob of black paint applied but if it's a usable optic, i.e. provides as good results as a perfect example, and if £$€cheap as chips, it can be a very cost effective purchase. 

 

Similarly with lenses showing signs of balsam separation - few want to chance buying and using them because they look awful - but they will produce good images and if the price is right can be £$€cost effective purchases. i'm just about to investigate a Leica R lens with front elements showing perimeter balsam separation - it's less than 1/3 the typical secondhand price - but I know when stopped down the separation will not be visible - and that at full aperture the lens will likely still provide a usable image. And on a mirrorless camera it can be easily focused at any stopped down aperture.

 

Some knowledgeable dealers regularly send fungused lenses to specialists for cleaning and if necessary repolishing and recoating and have no hesitation offering their normal 6 month guarantee when the lens is sold. There are several specialist lens repairers offering the service. Not all fungused lenses are worth the cost of the refurbishment but can be good DIY propositions if the asking price is right. 

 

dunk

[MarkP]

Oh I agree with you Dunk and I certainly I wasn't referring to cross-contamination.

 

I think it's one thing trying to clean a lens one already owns or perhaps a special or rare lens, especially someone with knowledge and expertise.

I think it's a different thing to do this with a common lens which is as yet not purchased.