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Found a trick for cleaning old lens fungus that actually works
I was at a camera swap meet in Detroit last Saturday and overheard an old timer telling someone about using hydrogen peroxide and UV light on fungus. Tried it on a 50mm f1.4 I had sitting in a drawer with a bad case of it. Left it in direct sunlight for 3 hours after wiping the elements down with peroxide and it cleared up about 80 percent of the haze. Has anyone else tried this method or got a better one for the stubborn spots?
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angelar572mo ago
Did you check the coatings after? Might've stripped a layer off.
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graygonzalez1mo ago
Hate to be that person, but @angelar57's actually got a point about checking coatings. Peroxide can definitely mess with some of the cheaper anti-reflective coatings if you leave it on too long, but it's not like a guaranteed coating stripper on every lens. I've used it on old polycarbonate frames with basic hard coatings and had zero issues, just rinsed quick. The real risk is if the coating is already scratched or flaking, then peroxide seeps under and lifts it more. But on a fresh, clean lens? Usually fine if you don't soak it. Willow's warning makes sense for the delicate stuff though, so better to test a tiny spot first.
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