Fungus Question

[LGTEC]

I apologize for posting another subject so quickly, but I want to make sure I do the right thing here. 

Today I was at a used Camera store and I was trying out a lens on my camera (Maybe 5 minutes most). After looking at the lens, I noticed there was some fungus on the very middle element. Of course I didn't put the lens back on the camera after that. I should of checked before.

However, I'm hoping it didn't contaminate my camera body. Should I get the sensor cleaned? or is there something else I should do? 

Sorry never delt with fungus before. 

The camera sensor looks new still, but I've heard fungus can spread easily. 

[Waddizzle]

If yo have never had your gear cleaned and checked by Canon, now might be a good time.  Tell them about your concerns. 

[wq9nsc]

Fungus growth is generally growing on the inside of the lens so your quick check is highly unlikely to have caused problems for your camera body.  Infection typically occurs when a contaminated piece is stored with the other gear in a dark place for an extended period of time.

If you want to be a little more sure:

Use a "pocket rocket" or similar to blow out the camera.  Keep it pointed downward.  Wipe the external surfaces of the camera with an alcohol wipe.  Let it dry completely before storing it in a light environment sealed up with a desiccant pack.

Fungus needs moisture and dark to grow.  Keep your camera in a low humidity environment, use silica desiccant packs if you have them available.  I don't like using rice or other "home" remedies because they have their own dust and biological agents.

I keep large silica packs in the Canon cases with my large white primes and my smaller lens stay in a big Pelican case with more silica packs.  The camera bodies stay in a separate case with more desiccant packs.  The type I use and what is best are the industrial type that change color when they are approaching saturation, they can be baked in a low temperature oven as needed to drive the moisture out for reuse.

Rodger

[TCampbell]

B+W used to make a device called the B+W UV-Pro.  It was a UV-C light that mounted either on the lens or on the camera body ... you'd treat the lens or body for approximately 1-2 minutes.

UV-C is light is a high-energy wavelength strong enough to qualify as "ionizing" radiation.  It is enegetic enough to break molecular bonds and doing this effectively kills the mold and/or mold spores.  This doesn't "clean" the lens (the mold is still there) but it does kill it so it can't continue to spread.  (UV-C isn't as strong as X-rays ... which will knock electrons off atoms, nor gamma rays ... which can knock alpha particles (an alpha "particle" is really two protons and two neutrons) out of the nucleus of atoms (the most deadly form of ionizing radiation).  But *any* form of ionizing radiation is dangerous and you don't want to be directly exposed to it.  The B+W product mounts to the lens or camera in a way that all the light is contained (you wont see the UV light in the room).  (If you were to use such a solution, I highly recommend you read all safety warnings and follow all instructions.)

But I'm not certain if they even make this product anymore.  I've mostly only seen it advertised in regions with heavily tropical environments where mold is a bigger problem.  I don't see it sold by anyone in the US.

[ebiggs1]

"However, I'm hoping it didn't contaminate my camera body."

I highly doubt you hurt your camera, 1 in a 100 chance perhaps ever 1 in a 1000.

[ebiggs1]

"I keep large silica packs in the Canon cases with my large white primes and my smaller lens stay in a big Pelican case with more silica"

Wow, Rodger you take storing lenses seriously! I have had 50, 60, 70 lenses just sitting on a shelf in the formerly stop bath stained shelves of my old darkroom. There is probably 30 down there as we speak. I just counted five sitting right here with me on my computer desk. Oh, well. 

[Peter]

Fungal spores are everywhere. You probably already had spores in your camera before. The important part is to store the equipment correct to prevent spores from growing, RH> 70%.

[kvbarkley]

RH > 70?

Isn't drier better? I was hoping that being in New Mexico was a good thing for storing equipment!

And Ernie, maybe all the acetic acid from the stop bath stains act to kill fungus!

[ebiggs1]

"...Ernie, maybe all the acetic acid from the stop bath stains act to kill fungus!"

[Peter]

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@kvbarkley wrote:

RH > 70?

Isn't drier better? I was hoping that being in New Mexico was a good thing for storing equipment!

And Ernie, maybe all the acetic acid from the stop bath stains act to kill fungus!

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My bad. RH below 70%.