How to Clean a Vintage Lens with a Huge Fungus Infection

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[@rady_angkorian]

Not only did you clean the glasses of the lens, you also restored the entire lens and reuse this amazing piece of vintage gear. Keep these kind of content coming, Mathieu!

[@sirflimflam]

The photos with the fungus still present reminded me of old faded photographs. Actually kind of liked it. Restoring it is absolutely the right move though.

[@berner81]

Did the same with my Biotar 75/1.5 last year. The fungus damaged the glass permanently leaving some marks. Still, the lenses performs great and I paid basically nothing for it. Always worth trying to save these beauties. Good job, sir!

[@berner81]

@@nathanwatson3298 i was totally aware of it. That's why I jumped on the rusty lens I found online. Here in Germany there is a good market, but even here the prices for those old treasures are really crazy everywhere.

[@nathanwatson3298]

@@berner81 How tricky was it to clean? I've heard the old Zeiss lenses-especially one like that-are so intricate it's best to leave to a professional.

[@JasonQueue]

incredible what images were produced after you cleaned the fungus off. the lens itself has so much character

[@hewhofilms9578]

We really need people like you more on such platforms. Thanks a ton for doing what you do 🌹

[@diegomartinez4451]

Marvelous! Only thing i can say is: Instead of sharpie to paint the lens, try to use matte black to avoid light reflections, and ensure your body is still fully black in the inside to (again) avoid weird light effects. I'm pretty sure you already know this because you are way more aknowledged than me, but still, just in case. Cheers!

[@addltd]

@mathieustern did you replace the balsam glue? I assume the glue was used to chemically bond two of the glass elements. Were you able to get those results without gluing them back together? If you did glue them, did you use balsam glue or UV sensitive glue? Thanks in advance.

[@XXX-vy6xv]

Interesting question..

[@LostbySoul]

Le dot..... Just want to ask the same question...

[@DeannaAllison]

I absolutely love that you gave that old lens a new life! I didn't even know that such a restoration was possible. Thank you.

[@RIPbiker13]

First, I love your channel and style. I have a love for vintage lenses and have amassed quite the collection. I find them so much fun to use. This lens was incredible though. Unlike anything I've seen. It gave the footage such a dreamlike quality and really changed the mood. Incredible job on the restoration as well.

[@Babsdoproductions]

Be careful with lens vise tools! I recently cleaned up a couple of Canon FD 50mm 1.4 SSC lenses and one had a warped rear element tube that needed to be stretched to get the glass out to clean and it gently cracked the last doublet element which now gives a slight rainbow flare on the side, not a bad effect as it’s otherwise fine with no light flare. However, knowing what I know now, I may have taken some taped pliers to it instead which could have given it more of a shot of being safely removed. Stuff happens though and I’m just glad it wasn’t a more rare and expensive lens and really just be extremely careful with lens vise tools, they work but can do real damage if taken too far.

[@aromaticsnail]

Would love to see more lens repair videos, specially how to deal with lens' coatings. Also, your tool list in the video's description didn't include the lens vise tool you showed on the video (some else in the comments asked about it).

[@dahobi]

Beautiful work! It's great to see an old lens "shine" again, close to it's original glory.

[@mikeno62]

Great video Mathieu with a great result!, I think it's always amazing to see what can be done with old and much newer lenses when they have a lot of Fungus. And I'm also surprised what can with just Hydrogen Peroxide 3%. And there are so many interesting cheap (or expensive) old lenses out there that can be adapted to new camers, and in that way get really different pictures with a lot of nice bohke. best regards Kenneth

[@ConcealedWeapon]

I waited 12 years for this video. Thanks!

[@MathieuStern]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@grantross2609]

the fungus waited even longer.........

[@manugeee]

That was nice to see with how much passion you went into cleaning this lens. Well done. 😄👍

[@MathieuStern]

Thanks a lot

[@huskeyfosterfail4980]

Impressive! Your patience and skill paid off. I am inspired by videos like yours that reject a throw away old items culture.

[@knoptop]

That little lens sucker tool is cool!

[@samsen3965]

Great job. The final result videography is impressive. I do not doubt the price of the lens & you did an exceptional restoration job but IMHO, my cheap Chinese adapted Fujian (or Fujinon) 35mm f/1.7 CCTV C Mount Lens has a very similar look to the footage I see here, minus lots of CA that this expensive vintage lens has none.

[@SayaAmirulSyamim]

Woahhh keep on uploading the good stuff!

[@supercompooper]

Doesn't the fungus eat the coating?

[@foto]

ZWIEDZAJCIE ZOO😂😂!!

[@MathieuStern]

zoo grzybów ?

[@PamelaBrandonChromeFoto]

I love the ring you printed, that was an awesome idea, it’s great that you are saving this beautiful lens.

[@MathieuStern]

Thanks so much!

[@jaym5938]

Amazing! Nice job. I was of the impression that lenses needed to be calibrated if you remove/adjust the elements? :)

[@tylerhuttosmith]

The lens was probably rated Excellent ++

[@hifispec01]

Outstanding video and lens restauration project. Thank you for sharing this. Keep up the great work!!! 👍

[@uncannyfriedchicken]

It was terrible the general condition of the lens but the restoration process and the final result is really impresive 👌🏼👌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@jbbrochard]

C'est un projet magnifiquement exécuté. Félicitations pour cet ajout à votre collection !!!

[@jj963963jj]

What a big difference of before and after, thank you for sharing 🎀

[@roehaus1]

Excellent video Mathieu... very informative. How do you record the sequence and correct positioning of the various lens elements for correct reassembly?

[@whynospoon]

that is an entire fungus farm there... :O

[@thomasfx3190]

Fantastic work, I’m starting a project on some old Pentax lenses that I could not afford if they weren’t fairly wrecked.

[@ashsphotolounge]

The correct way to use a 'lens vice' is to clamp it with the flat outer face opposite to the filter ring defect then tap that flat 'hammering face' gently with a copper face hammer or similar, pushing out the dented rim without putting pressure on the other side of the barrel. You work the clamp by loosening and changing its position and then tightening and tapping till the dent is gone.

[@sneakingelephant]

Loved this. Seeing this is pretty inspiring. I feel there’s an art to giving old things a second life when they seem like they were non functional. This makes me want to give this a try in the future if I come across any cheap lenses that I like

[@francescomazzarella4601]

Come dici Tu . Io provo sempre a dare una seconda vita alle cose : "è il mio rapporto Etico con il Mondo e con le mie emozioni passate" .saluti da Mailand

[@samsen3965]

If Mathieu can make water into Ice Lens, salvaging a fungus-infested lens is only a piece of cake!

[@adden2242]

wow you got all the tools for cleaning!! very nice!!

[@omenaccipio]

I have a Orion refractor with fungus in the objective. I'm concerned about the coatings. Will the soap or the peroxide wash out the coatings? Is there anyway to get rid of the fungus and prevent from washing the coatings out?

[@quite1enough]

congrats with 300k!

[@MathieuStern]

Thanks a lot John

[@NullStaticVoid]

interesting lens. I'd put it kind of between a Yashica 50 F1.7 and Helios 44-2. Not quite as extreme as a Helios though.

[@biswajeetsingh4994]

I don't know why I loved this video.

[@JoseGustavoAbreuMurta]

Incroyable! J'ai utilisé du peroxyde d'hydrogène pour nettoyer certaines taches internes (je pense causées par l'humidité de la plage). Et ce fut une réussite ! Merci beaucoup pour votre précieux conseil !

[@SiggyPony]

I love repairing fungus lenses :)

[@luxdalet]

Fantastic video and process! And very brave to handle all without gloves :D

[@gualtieropugliesi7552]

It would be interesting to know where to find the tools you use and at what price. Wouldn't a strong UV light lighting not be valid to eliminate fungus infection only?

[@richardpetit6738]

Bravo et merci pour ces précieux renseignements.

[@warpspeed9877]

This can only happen only if the glass is completely uncoated. If the lens had coatings the fungus would have destroyed it. Especially THAT much fungus. Time is a key factor for repairing coated lenses with fungus. The faster you do it, the more chances you have to completely restore it.

[@knobs_matrix]

6:45 witam, chyba jesteś z Polski, pozdrawiam 😊 Bardzo fajny i nietypowy bokhen ma ten obiektyw. Super robota i filmik 👍🏻😉

[@BobReed1]

Nice work!

[@juna61]

Could make a shortfilm of witch rituals with that 75mm lens

[@SyntheticFuture]

I really need to get some of these really weird lenses. My old Pentaxes and Helios are cool but hot damn some of those shots in the opening are insane!

[@levibaruch]

Hey, I have a small question, doesn't the acetone attack the coatings on the lens?

[@musiqueetmontagne]

A great video, thanks so much. Love this... ❤❤❤

[@perspektywamaolata]

wait. that polish poster. im proud of you

[@itsmelchior]

Question: What did you use to get back the white letters on the lens?

[@dysproduction4560]

Tipex 😉

[@sir_john_hammond]

You could say "Fungal infection" and it would both sound more correct and also indicate you're not trying to clean a lens with fungus.😀

[@jamiazad4750]

No need for a funny emoji if it was a genuine advice.

[@sir_john_hammond]

@@jamiazad4750 no that's just your weird hangup

Incroyable ! Très beau travail, ça donne envie de nettoyer mes vieux objectifs

[@Skipsul]

Do you have any suggestions for also dealing with damaged lens coatings?

[@creepyloner1979]

do nothing.

[@alun7006]

Use a hood!

[@pravpa]

Very Nice 👌👌👌 This is very important information... Thank you 👍

[@YgorAngTattoo]

Você é incrível, obrigado por esse vídeo, sou iniciante na fotografia, me ajudou muito

[@coskuarsiray]

just use pure acetone to clean fungus. if there is a balsam seperation between elements use UV windshield repair glue. surprisingly easy.

[@ScottJWaldron]

Great job on the cleanup!

[@tomtaylorguela]

Thank you

[@hertsman5]

Excellent !! Many thanks for this !

[@edwinzapataalvarado]

¡Qué trabajo más increíble!

[@madog1]

There's a fungus among us.

[@amermeleitor]

Is there any helicoid adapter WITH aperture control? I mean, and adapter with aperture blades and a ring to control it

[@raficknaseeven1352]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I just noticed a small 5 mm ring on my lens and was looking around for professional help. My expert friend discouraged me from opening the lens as he claims I will never be able to put it back. So far I have seen 4 videos of lens cleaning and no one talks about the likelihood of misalignment. Today I gave me 24-105 f4 a good sun treatment after covering the non infected part. I would like to send you the picture of the fungus. Some people treat with hypochlorite and some with ammonia. I want to know what you would advise me. Thanks a lot.

[@MathieuStern]

Hydrogen peroxide works great and is easy to find

[@raficknaseeven1352]

@@MathieuStern Thanks for your kind response. I will go with the peroxide which is available in pharmacy. Would you recommend soaking in peroxide over to ensure that it does not come back.

[@phillean]

Great information, thanks for making this video.

[@orln]

that is actually amazing

[@urdnal]

This fungus must've been late the day they were assigning infection hosts. Trees, fruits, skin, even toenails; all spoken for by the fungi that got there on time. What was left? Glass lenses. You get to infect glass lenses.

[@davehandelman2832]

Fantastic job!

[@JachtingMotorowy]

Świetna robota brachu.

[@Playerdue]

Reaaly great video! I really like the new life you give to all these vintage lenses! I think I will give another go to my old m42 lens, I must buy an adapter for the x-mount (I used it on the EF-M before). I have a question for you and all your community, the outer ring of my Canon EF 100mm macro (non L version) is broken and I can't find where to buy a replacement part, is there a shop in Europe that has this kind of parts? I don't want to send it to the official repair centers, because they will bill me at least 100 euros for a very simple repair.

[@beekeepingsouthafrica]

What a lens!

[@constantinf.5764]

The "glue" that you mentioned, is this the balsam cement between the lenses?

[@captivatethem]

love love love this thank you for sharing xo

[@mariusz7213]

Bardzo dobra robota. Te grzyby na soczewkach o których piszą to nie są czasem te super powłoki które po latach się utylizują i rozkładają pod wpływem światła UV ?

[@gregoryoutdoors]

I bet you are super glad you got it for 30 deal and fixed it no problem :) Zwiedzajcie Zoo haha bardzo smieszne lol pozdrowienia

[@cristianlaorga7528]

awsome Mathieu

[@jtktomb8598]

Merci ! J'avais besoin d'infos à ce sujet !!

[@TrueFork]

would flooding with UV work to kill any remaining spores in hard to clean corners?

[@jaa1969jaa]

How do you work out the f-stop of a vintage lens like this, if it’s not written on the barrel?

[@vincentgraffeo9030]

Fantastic video, so interesting.

[@willsnyder8735]

So good! Great job!!

[@MathieuStern]

Glad you like it!

[@ivanzivojinovic1606]

Hmm, two things i am not ok with here. Acetone is very bad for the coatings and hydrogen as well. When dipped in hydrogen optics should be checked every couple minutes. Some use a mixture of hp and ammonia but i find ammonia to be abrasive for coatings so avoiding it at all cost.

[@silekiernanphotography]

Wonderful work! What is the white liquid you used to clean up the name of the lens?

[@billthetraveler51]

That was remarkable

[@felixromero5907]

Nice work!!!

[@salilsahani2721]

Thank you :)

[@akanbilincoln1307]

Nice one sir.

[@Veptis]

I have several lenses with various levels of fungus. Not quite as bad as this, but bad enough to not being fun to use or store next to other lenses. I am not sure if I will ever attempt to fix the lenses since they are small and intricate, not as big as those projector lenses

[@rossmansell5877]

Acetone enters the blood stream very quicly when handled with bare hands/fingers..so wear surgical type gloves!

[@philmash641]

This is Great!! Could you tell me which Helicoid adaptor you used? Thanks!

[@paulwomack5866]

The abberations away from the middle in the final post-cleaning shots are ... extreme. I assume you're using this lens way outside the application/optics it was designed for.

[@IZOGRAPHproductions]

Where to find the adaptor for such lenses?

[@legoworks-cg5hk]

Try looking at the fungus in macro

[@potatofuryy]

How do you adapt projector lenses to cameras? I would love to try using projector lenses.

[@Readbetweenthelines1]

Could you please share a link to the place where I can purchase a lens vise?

[@panther105]

Do we never try to reglue (rebalsam) a lens...?

[@uhohwhy]

yes but not for a long time

[@DoofusMeme]

Is potassium hydroxide can kill fungus too??