Protecting your lenses.

[walkinTas]

The lens that spends most time on my camera is the 18-180. It suffers a little from chromatic aberration at the 18 and 180 ends but is reasonable in the middle. Its a standard lens not a high-end lens.

On a resent trip I had a lot of trouble focusing the lens and even more trouble getting a sharp image. When I got home I had a very close look at the lens with a hand-held microscope. Sadly the lens has fungi. A good look at the other lens that was in the camera bag and yes, fungus. Normally I take the lenses out of the bag, dry them off and sit them on a dry shelf in my heated office. Obviously I didn't take enough care this time.

Now I will just have to buy that new lens I've been eying off.

Which leads to the question, how do you store your camera lenses?

[stepbystep]

Without answering your question directly, you can get your lens serviced. Pulled apart, cleaned and re-calibrated.

[walkinTas]

Yeah, thought about it. I haven't enquired, yet, but my understanding is that 1) it's expensive, and 2) the fungus usually grows back anyway. They are cheap lenses and I can easily replace them.

[phan_TOM]

I discovered fungus in my lens a few years ago and had it sent away to be cleaned, it wasn't what I would call cheap, and I've recently discovered a couple more tiny specks that are also fungus and will need to be cleaned (the joys of living in the subtropics) before it eats into the coating on the glass but this time I'm prepared, I've recently been put onto this mob and bought a couple of these things. 40 grams, protects close to a cubic metre of space, mil-spec, lifetime warranty, etc etc and only $10 a pop, cheaper than a lens clean or a new lens

[tasadam]

Use it, care for it as circumstances allow, and fix it when something's wrong. And in that order.

1. Use it. It was bought to be used, so it shall be used. Not totally disregarding conditions, but not being stupid with it either.
2. Care. Wiping it dry if it gets drizzle on it. Not going from cold to warm, or warm to cold, but allowing the temp change to happen gradually. Making the bag it's stored in is also dry.
3. If something goes wrong, get it fixed... Still cheaper than a new lens. And, if they send back a quote to repair a lens that indicates it's not worth repairing, that's why it's insured. But I haven't had any real issues with lenses.
One place I have used for cameras in the past and that I would use again is Camera Clinic in Melbourne, just posted it over. They could have done a better job at keeping me informed, like, "yes they received it", or "it will be a week" or "it will cost this much"... But they did fix it and they did know about it when I called, so I guess that's just how they do things. It's been over a year so maybe they've got better at communication.
Lots of other service providers too, here are a few links that I just googled up.
http://www.cameraservicecentre.powerup.com.au/
http://www.canon.com.au/Support-Service ... ce-Repairs
http://www.ccdcameraservice.com.au/
http://www.andersoncamera.com.au/
http://www.cameracheckpoint.com.au/html ... rvice.html
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-re ... 86877&#r10 (a list of service providers there)
http://www.maxwell.com.au/index.html (These guys used to be the Aus Nikon distributor, apparently they service gear too.)

Do a ring around and ask for a quote for a lens clean, quoting the same lens, see what you get.

One note from one of the sites -

Cleaning and treatment of optics for fungus, haze and other foreign matter is performed as best possible, however, complete removal may not be possible and residual marks may be evident.

So best to get these things serviced regularly if they are copping any sort of environmental abuse.

[Strider]

protects close to a cubic metre of space

Not quite.

According to the website they protect 3 cubic feet; 1 cubic metre = 35 cubic feet.

3 cubic feet = 85L, so still plenty of protection for a large pack.

[walkinTas]

I've recently been put onto this mob and bought a couple of these things.

I bought one of those things too, slightly cheaper in their Fleebay shop. @Strider, I figure 85l is more than I will need - 25l will do to start with. I like the fact that it can be reactivated in an oven.

I was thinking of buying/making something like this...


I always have a couple of these in my camera bag. But they are no compensation for carefully caring for gear. @tasAdam - really my problem is of my own making. I left the lenses in the camera bag for too long. But you are right, they are made to use. I'll will check out a couple of options and get a quote on cleaning - just to see what it might cost.

Surfing around I found a couple of articles on how to build a DIY Camera Dry box. Do any of you use a dry box?

[north-north-west]

One place I have used for cameras in the past and that I would use again is Camera Clinic in Melbourne,

They've long been about the best camera service/repair place in the country. Used to give them a lot of work with all the underwater photographic gear. At one time they were the only authorised Nikonos service agents in Australia.

[wildernesswanderer]

Lenses if cheap are usually not economical to have cleaned, Fungus is one thing no service centre will quote and most will give no guarantee with a clean, fungus grows back. To protect lenses use moisture munchers, basically silicon gell packs, when home I have my lenses in a filling cabinet with moisture munchers.