Fungus

I’ve just had to dispose of two lenses due to fungus,
both have been replaced. My other lenses look ok.
My question is, as they have been stored in a camera bag, should I give the bag a thorough clean. If so what type of cleaning solution is best.

I'm not sure how you could clean it to a level that would provide full confidence - is it an expensive bag? Could replacing the bag be an option?

Probably, unless a good cleaning solution will do the job.

It's very hard to get rid of fungal spores. Like bacteria, they're pretty much everywhere and the trick is to not give them an environment suitable for growth (like a dark camera bag).

Spores of all sorts are extremely resistant to everything and, as has been said, they are everywhere. Experience of trying to eliminate mould from bags used to store non-photographic things in unsuitable places is that you think you've done a thorough clean but it's still hiding there and will be back. I suggest you store lenses in a dry, airy place, get a new bag for photographic use only, only put lenses in the bag for transportation - then clean the old bag and use it for something else (no point in wasting an otherwise servicable bag).

Good luck

Steve

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned above... From my experience, fungus doesn't spread from lens to lens in the way people think it might. It exists everywhere (i.e. in the open air and inside all but the most sealed of lenses) and simply grows when the conditions are met.

This means your pristine lenses only need to sit in an old bag in a humid room for a few months for you to return to a nice spidery web of fungus.

Having said that, I'd love to take fungusy prime lenses off your hands!

As has been said above, fungal spores are everywhere, but wont grow and attack your lens coatings unless conditions are right (humid environment)

In your shoes I would ditch the bag and get a new one, but the way to ensure it does not happen again is to get plenty of silica gel sachets and change them regularly.

Whenever I buy an old lens that is advertised as "complete with original case" I am more wary of fungus, and the case is the first thing to go in the bin.

Hear hear!

The only time I've ever had a lens develop in my possession was when I cleaned a Takumar 135 and then stored it in it's leather case. I came back to it a while later and it had a faint covering of fungus over the front and rear elements.

You can tell these old cases are bad for the lenses - they even smell mouldy!

First thing I do with a 'new' cased lens is stick my nose in it. If it smells sweet it's fine. They all get a good dose of silica gel sachets which can be readily had in bulk off Ebay. They all live in an open bookcase in my office where the air can get round them - and certainly not in a closed photographic bag, which is only used to carry them around now and then.

Regarding those silica gel sachets...they can be quite expensive and are often quite small...which is fine for some applications...however you might be able to get them for free or a small charge if you get to know your local photocopier dealer.

A relative of mine runs a photocopier business...every copier he takes delivery of in his unit (as opposed to delivered direct to customer) results in one or two medium to large silica gel sachets...they come as part of the internal packaging. I've had loads of them...very useful. Every now and then I ask him or his staff to put them on one side for me and then pick them up when convenient. They were getting skipped otherwise!

Worth a go I would have thought.