Fungal Cleaning and Decontamination.
Save your equipment. We eradicate the presence of fungi, spores, and mold on your camera lenses. Disassembly, chemical bath treatment with hydrogen peroxide, and complete sterilization with an ozone chamber.
What are fungi and why do lenses become contaminated?
Fungi are parasitic microorganisms that germinate on the surface of the internal lenses of the objective lens. They feed on components found inside the lens: organic dust, oil from the helixes, retained moisture, and they deteriorate coatings.
- Temperature and Darkness: Storing equipment unused for months in dark padded backpacks creates the ideal ecological niche for spores.
- High Humidity Index: An environment that repeatedly exceeds 60-70% relative humidity without ventilation.
- Serious hidden damage: If allowed to progress, its organic components secrete acids that end up degrading the anti-reflective filter of the glass, permanently etching the oxide onto the lens.
Types of fungi and how to check a target
Recognizing a fungal problem in its early stages will ensure that we can completely purge it before there is permanent damage to the crystal cutting.
1. Mycelium-type fungus (Cobweb)
This is the most aggressive and visible form of attack. It originates from the inner edges, hidden beneath the retaining rings, and moves toward the center. It presents as fine, intertwined threads or filaments that drastically reduce contrast and completely destroy optical sharpness.
2. Spotted Spore Fungus
Often mistaken for internal dust, dried oil droplets, or haze, they appear as small colonies and blurry white dots clustered together. They often create halos and degrade the colors captured by the sensor.
3. How to identify them by hand?
Open the aperture to its widest setting. Look through the rear lens while pointing the front lens at a strong, continuous white light source (or using your smartphone's flashlight). By subtly tilting the lens, you'll look for structures in the interior plane.
4. Risk of contagion to another team
We advocate for thermal insulation. If a lens with dampness and a huge network of mold is placed side-by-side in a closed, dark, and humid space with your best lenses made of undamaged glass, the microspores in the indoor air can take hold and spread the infection.
5. Precautions and Prevention
A prudent photographer uses "Dry Cabinets" (electronic drying cabinets) to preserve equipment after fieldwork, ideally between the 35% and 45% HR. Likewise, immersion in sunlight (natural ultraviolet light) and intensive use minimize mold growth.
6. Don't try to fix it yourself
At-home disassembly will cause undamaged lenses to become contaminated. Opening a contaminated lens in your studio will disperse millions of volatile spores that will float freely in your room or on your camera body uncontrollably. It must be handled professionally and in isolation.
Our Clinical Process of Total Decontamination
We don't use simple methods with cloths and alcohol. The glass and metal chassis undergo a rigorous, continuous cleaning process at DST's facilities.
Step 1: Disassembly and Clean Environment Analysis
We identify which aspherical groups have been colonized and isolate them with maximum airtightness from the electronic components and other optics in the installations. We extract the entire blocks and even access the diaphragm or OIS/VR/IS systems if they show infiltration.
Step 2: Chemical Neutralization with Hydrogen Peroxide
Infested lenses should never be rubbed dry (this would destroy the coatings by rubbing the mineralized fungus). They are treated with chemical formulations, notably... hydrogen peroxide and controlled bactericidal baths that completely dissolve the organic structure without altering the refractive index of the virgin crystal.
Step 3: Sterilization by UV Light and Ozone (O3) Chamber
Our primary objective is the non-reappearance of the pathogen. To ensure maximum sterilization, the components, helical cylinders, and mechanical lids of the photographic barrel are placed in airtight systems. Ultraviolet rays (UV-C biocidal spectrum) and subjected for hours to a sterilizing atmosphere of concentrated ozone.
Step 4: Verification by Collimator and Resolving Projector
Almost completely disassembling a complex telephoto lens requires recalibration. In the final stage, we reassemble it to factory tolerances, lubricate it properly to prevent future rust, and use our collimator and mechanical testing projector To state without a doubt that the lens concentrates the light precisely after the process. 100% of restored sharpness.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fungi and Optical Cleaning
Does fungus permanently damage the glass or lens of the lens?
Fungi feed on the organic matter present in lenses, as well as on synthetic polymers. The fungus often secretes aggressive enzymes or acids that can corrode the coatings or anti-reflective treatments on the glass if left for too long. If cleaned promptly, the glass will remain pristine. However, if the fungus has been present for years, it may leave permanent stains.
Is it worth cleaning a lens contaminated with fungus?
Absolutely. In the vast majority of cases, professional intervention to eradicate the infestations will save your investment. Buying an equivalent lens costs hundreds or even thousands of euros. A thorough cleaning by our technical service is always significantly more cost-effective and effectively extends the life of your equipment.
Can fungi spread from one target to another?
If one of your lenses experiences a very aggressive or spreading outbreak, it will release thousands of micro-spores into the environment inside your suitcase, closed bag, or drawer. Under favorable heat or humidity, these spores can land and colonize neighboring lenses. At the first sign of fungus, we recommend isolating the affected lenses.
How long does it take you to perform the procedure?
This is a meticulous process that requires chemical baths and sterilizing treatments, therefore it is usually more rigorous than a mechanical repair. The material may be available after 3 to 5 days depending on the degree of infestation of the lenses.
Preserve the value of your optical stores, without compromise
Send us your affected device and from the Technical Laboratory section we will prepare a free report confirming the lens pathology before taking any action on it.
Total eradication of mold and fungi for photographic equipment in Spain
Combatting fungus that appears inside camera lenses requires specific knowledge, as it can seriously damage the glass coatings. Removing the typical cobweb-like marks on a quality lens is common, and the main cause of fungus is almost always the same: improper drying of the equipment after use, storing it in bags or cases that don't protect it from moisture, and ignoring this silent problem that can ruin valuable equipment and prevent proper focusing due to accumulated dirt on the glass.
The expert technicians at DST Photography guarantee a meticulous process that won't damage your lenses. To achieve high-quality results in our anti-humidity treatments, unlike risky DIY methods such as using face creams, unverified cleaning products, or sun drying (which can permanently damage lenses), we use tried and tested techniques. We apply lens-specific hydrogen peroxide, perform air purging, sterilize both the glass and lens barrel with ultraviolet light, and seal with ozone to eliminate bacteria. Finally, we subject the lens to precise calibration with optical tools to ensure perfect focus.
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