hcoley
Senior Member
First the auto-focus knob broke off my K20D and then I get an SMC 200mm f 4.0 lens in the mail purchased on eBay with lots of fungus on the inside of the rear lens element. What is your experience with lens fungus. I know it cannot be completely resolved and this one is inside and cannot be gotten to.
I got a really intersting response from the seller. Putting it mildly of course. I was instructed to spit on the lens.
I sent the seller this;
I just received this lens. Unfortunately the glass is not perfect as you described in the auction. The rear lens has considerable fungal growth on the inner surface which is easily visible. It covers about 25% of the lens surface starting on the outer edge moving inward. This amount of fungal growth will adversely affect image resolution especially at the maximum aperture and it will likely continue to grow which usually happens. I will attempt to photograph this and send it to you in email to an email address you provide. Due to the condition not meeting the auction description I must return it for a full refund. Please respond as soon as possible.
I received this reply from the seller;
I will tell you that I inspected that lens and there was no fungal growth on it EVER in my possession. I inspected it carefully prior to listing and again prior to shipment and there as no fungus at all. The lens was stored in a cold, dry, basement since it was purchased in December. There is no fungus on any of the lenses I own and there wasn't any on that one when I shipped it.
However, if fungus was acquired in some manner during shipping the remedy is quite simple. Open the lens, spit on the fungus, wait 3 minutes, clean saliva and wipe effected lens area with a micro fiber cloth, put lens back together. Fungus is only damaging to a lens if it was on the lens for a long time and had a chance to eat away at the lens coating. And I can assure you this was NOT the case with that lens.
And my last response just before deciding to open a resolution with eBay due to my concern about his response;
The fungus is internal and I would certainly not take the lens apart so I can spit on it. Spitting on a lens is not a solution to fungus and I would be surprised that it grew that fast. Please start a process of refunding my purchase. This lens certainly has a serious issue that was not disclosed in the auction. end of last response.
The package was not damaged nor did it appear to have ever gotten wet. It was received from New York in 3 days time, so it wasn't sitting around anywhere wet for a long time.
I got a really intersting response from the seller. Putting it mildly of course. I was instructed to spit on the lens.
I sent the seller this;
I just received this lens. Unfortunately the glass is not perfect as you described in the auction. The rear lens has considerable fungal growth on the inner surface which is easily visible. It covers about 25% of the lens surface starting on the outer edge moving inward. This amount of fungal growth will adversely affect image resolution especially at the maximum aperture and it will likely continue to grow which usually happens. I will attempt to photograph this and send it to you in email to an email address you provide. Due to the condition not meeting the auction description I must return it for a full refund. Please respond as soon as possible.
I received this reply from the seller;
I will tell you that I inspected that lens and there was no fungal growth on it EVER in my possession. I inspected it carefully prior to listing and again prior to shipment and there as no fungus at all. The lens was stored in a cold, dry, basement since it was purchased in December. There is no fungus on any of the lenses I own and there wasn't any on that one when I shipped it.
However, if fungus was acquired in some manner during shipping the remedy is quite simple. Open the lens, spit on the fungus, wait 3 minutes, clean saliva and wipe effected lens area with a micro fiber cloth, put lens back together. Fungus is only damaging to a lens if it was on the lens for a long time and had a chance to eat away at the lens coating. And I can assure you this was NOT the case with that lens.
And my last response just before deciding to open a resolution with eBay due to my concern about his response;
The fungus is internal and I would certainly not take the lens apart so I can spit on it. Spitting on a lens is not a solution to fungus and I would be surprised that it grew that fast. Please start a process of refunding my purchase. This lens certainly has a serious issue that was not disclosed in the auction. end of last response.
The package was not damaged nor did it appear to have ever gotten wet. It was received from New York in 3 days time, so it wasn't sitting around anywhere wet for a long time.
i'll even provide you with photographic evidence that there is no fungus