If it looks like a leaf, I suspect that you have fungal growth. In some
very old lenses I have seen what looked like a leaf starting at the lens
edge but it was where the optical cement was breaking down. I'm guessing
you have the former. Humidity is the likely culprit. Fortunately you
folks in Hawaii only have high humidity 360 days each year.
I've no personal experience with infected lenses, but I believe the
fungus feeds on and etches the anti reflective coating. Step one would
be to take special pains to get all your gear into a low humidity
environment. Then get the afflicted lens into the lens hospital. You
might considering a quarantine of that lens. I don't know if it is
contagious, but I wouldn't care to test the theory.
A quick google:
http://www.chem.helsinki.fi/~toomas/photo/fungus/
http://lensn2shutter.com/fungus.html
See if you can get your hands on some larger sized desiccant packages
that are marked as being MIL-SPEC. (Most commonly found brand name is
Desiccite 25 by Filtrol.) The military uses Bentonite clay (not silica
gel). Bentonite clay works well, is not corrosive, and can be
reactivated over and over again in your oven at home. (Of course if you
have as many cameras & lenses as I suspect you do you will need a bucket
of Bentonite and a couple 55 gallon drums to seal it all up inside.)
With any desiccant, consider that you are drawing moisture out of the air
AND any porous material. For instance if you put a lens in a zip lock
bag you might dry it out with a small desiccant packet. But the same
lens inside a fabric lens bag might take three or four packets. Inside a
leather case it might take ten packets and still not ever get dry. If
you do choose this approach, avoid the Tyvek bagged units if you have a
choice. Fabric bags are good, and paper is good, but the Tyvek ones will
melt if you try to reuse them. (The advantage to Tyvek is that they can
be used in clean rooms where ordinary paper is taboo.)
Another possible approach would be those air dryers they sell for boats
and RVs. They are cheap and absorb lots of moisture, but are calcium
chloride based and are corrosive as hell if the chemical gets out of
control. I personally would avoid them unless you have already been
using them in other applications with good success. I have never used
them, and therefore don't trust them.
P.S. Are leather shoes turning green in your closet?
****************************************************************
Edmund Leavitt KL7EFL / AFA5AH / KPS654
Lakewood, WA Ph: 253 582-5034
****************************************************************
On Mon, 12 May 2008 03:32:06 -1000 Pam Haley - Auntyfrog
< auntyfrog%40gmail.com">auntyfrog
gmail.com> writes:
> I always wipe down the body and outside of lens with a macro cloth
> and
> remove and clean filter after an outing. Tonight when I went to
> clean
> up my camera and lens, after our Mother's Day outing, I noticed
> some
> large flecks of dust IN the lens - on the inside of the front
> glass
> and a few pieces on the blades. The one on the glass is huge and
>
> plainly visible - it looks like a small leaf!
>
> I am so careful with the lenses - do not change lenses in dusty or
> salt
> spray areas. Keep the lens in a case when not in use - put rear cap
> on
> as soon as I remove lens from camera. I do not walk about with lens
> in
> the extended position. I am just sick that, in spite of the above
> precautions, debris got in the lens
>;
> Does Nikon clean lenses? How does one go about sending lens for
> cleaning? The thought of boxing up my favorite lens and sending it
>
> across the ocean is giving me palpitations!
>
> Insights and recommendations appreciated.
>
> --
> Aloha,
> Pam
>
> See the world through AuntyFrog's eyes:
> http://www.pbase.com/afrogie
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
****************************************************************
Edmund Leavitt KL7EFL / AFA5AH / KPS654
Lakewood, WA Ph: 253 582-5034
****************************************************************
.
