Pam,
I am glad it is not fungus, and it should be fixable.
Scott in tAcoma
--- In Nikon-D50%40yahoogroups.com">Nikon-D50
yahoogroups.com, Pam Haley - AuntyFrog
<auntyfrog...> wrote:
>
> Tonight as Iwent through the NEFs from yesterday's trip to the
coast and
> then to the botanic garden, the spot is not on the beach photos but
> shows up about half way through our walk at the botanic garden so I
am
> pretty sure it is something that got in the lens in the garden.
>
> I tried the percussive maneuver that Edmund suggested and the speck
> moved a bit but did not fall out. <G>I seriously thought about
opening
> the lens up all the way and putting a vacuum to the back of the
lens...
> but I'm too chicken to do it! The lens is still under warranty but
> there is no Nikon repair in Hawaii so it will have to be shipped to
the
> mainland. I will call B&H to see what they recommend.
>
> Edmund: I would be very interested in your Bentonite research -
the
> silica packets that I have been getting are $4.00 a piece and are
not
> reusable.
>
> Aloha,
> Pam
>
> See the world through AuntyFrog's eyes:
> http://www.pbase.com/afrogie
>
>
>
>
> Edmund F Leavitt wrote:
> > A. F.,
> >
>; > ...Have you tried "percussive maintenance", meaning thumping the
lens
> > judiciously? If it is debris that is not firmly attached you
might be
> > able to dislodge it/them and hope that they lodge in some less
important
> > part of the housing. Just a thought.
> >
>; > Regarding desiccants, I just looked at B&H's stock. It seemed to
be
> > mostly silica gel based. That stuff can be reactivated, but only
with
> > rather carefully controlled heat. Bentonite, which I prefer, is
simpler
> > to reactivate. You can't hurt it. If you are not able to reuse
your
> > desiccant I submit that you are paying too much, especially
considering
> > the usurious shipping fees to Hawaii.
> >
>; > Give me a little while to experiment. In the past I dabbled with
finding
> > a "dirt cheap"; source of Bentonite. It is only clay, so it
should be
> > dirt cheap. The stuff I've been reusing came from bags of MIL-
SPEC
> > desiccant where I overheated the bags while reactivating them.
So I
> > put the material in a steel pan and use it that way.
> > Bentonite never wears out. I was using about two pounds in a
shallow
> > metal pan to keep my gun safe below 40% RH. That's where I keep
my
> > camera gear and other toys. Every few weeks when the humidity
started to
> > climb I'd pop the pan of Bentonite in a toaster oven at 450°F for
a
>; > couple hours.
> >
>; >
> >
>;
.
