Hi Gordon,
Fungal spores are everywhere. They got in to the lens interior carried on the
air moved around probably during focusing. Expand a lens while close-
focusing, and air moves from outside to the lens interior. Focus on the
distance, and the air is expelled as compression inside the lens as it
shortens and reduces the internal volume causes the air to seek the same
pressure as outside.
Once in there, something in the environment on the glass - nutrient,
moisture and a warm enough temperature (that's all they need) enables the
spores to germinate and grow.
In tropical climes, people operating cameras and microscopes routinely keep
those items in dehumidifiers to deny the fungal spores one of the essential
life requirements, thus saving the gear-with-glass from expensive damage
that may well be non-repairable.
If there really was a danger of spores (not hyphae, note) spreading from lens
caps to lens interiors, a simple thorough wash would sort that out.
But, as I wrote above, fungal spores of one sort or another, are ALL OVER
the place. They are floating about in the air. That's how they disseminate.
The trick as a lens owner is to deny them favourable germination and growth
conditions.
Brian
>
> Hi David and Brian:
>
> A question to think about- lens and body caps from a lens that has fungus
> growth- would you trust them to not spread the spores to whatever lens that
> you
> put them on? What disinfectant would eradicate the possibility?
>
> Gord
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|