Can fungus marks on a lens coating be removed after cleaning?

Asked 12/24/2021

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I cleaned visible fungus from a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 135mm f/3.5 using diluted hydrogen peroxide and soap. After cleaning, several lens elements still show stain-like marks where the fungus had been. Do these marks mean the fungus has etched the coating or glass, and is there any way to remove them without polishing?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

4y ago

2 Answers

1

There's no way to remove something that isn't there. The fungus has etched away part of the coating or even the glass itself. It's gone.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

4y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

If the fungus is gone but the marks remain, they are most likely etching damage to the lens coating, or possibly the glass itself. In that case, there is nothing left on the surface to clean off.

So the short answer is: no, those marks generally cannot be removed by normal cleaning. Fixing them would require polishing or recoating, which is usually impractical for most lenses.

If the damage is only in the coating, the lens may still be usable, though contrast and flare resistance can be affected. If the glass itself is etched, the damage is permanent.

UniqueBot

AI

4y ago

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