Photography is a great hobby and for many people this hobby has also turned into a lucrative profession. But photography is also a relatively expensive hobby; accessories, like additional buying camera lenses, are expensive. That’s why photographers – both hobbyists and professionals – take a lot of extra care with their camera lenses. One of the problems that they encounter is cleaning off mold growth. Here’s what to do.
Is there mold on your camera lens?
One of the most common issues with improperly kept lenses is mold growth. Mold can be easily detected when you look through your camera’s viewfinder because you’ll see fine almost translucent hairs on the lens. Another sign of mold growth on the lens is your vide getting cloudy even though you have repeatedly wiped the lens. Fortunately, this is not a catastrophic problem. You can always clean your lens. Just follow these tips.
1. Disassemble the camera lens
You can clean the lens by disassembling it. But don’t do it without looking at your owner’s manual first so you’ll know the proper way of disassembling the lens. To make it easier for you, work on the lens in an area that has strong lighting. You can put a mat or towel on your work area to keep all of the parts together and prevent scratches on the lens. Also get your tools ready. Have a precision screwdriver on hand, along with a magnifying glass (to help you look at lens more closely), a spanner wrench, filter ring tool, lens ring remover, lens cloth, cotton swab and tweezers.
2. Clean the camera lens
The mold growth would usually be located on the lens inside the barrel, which is the reason why you need to disassemble the whole lens. When you have the lens disassembled, get your magnifying glass and look closely at the lens surface to determine where the mold is located. Prepare a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide – a tablespoon of each mixed together should be sufficient. Dip your cotton swab on the mixture and wipe the area where the mold is located. Be thorough in applying the solution – don’t just swab the lens itself. Clean the metal lens frame as well to make sure that no traces of the mold are left. To help you see the mold growth better, use your magnifying glass.
3. Wipe the camera lens
Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned the lens with the ammonia-hydrogen peroxide solution rinse the lens with plain water or lens cleaner to remove any traces of the cleaning solution. After thoroughly cleaning the lens, wipe it down with lens cloth until it is dry. It’s now time to assemble the lens and reattaching it to your camera.
To help prevent the growth of molds on your camera, put a few packets of silica gel on your camera bag.
Photo from faqs.org