Question about antique lenses and fungus.

[Darren]

I am having a heck of a time finding a 25mm lens for my various 1920s thru 1930s 16mm Cine Kodaks that do NOT have a slight fungus issue inside the lens.

There is no way of taking these apart to clean them (I tried).

What effect will the slight haze have on the processed image?

Slight out of focus image or a brightness/darkness that I can correct digitally??

[doug]

If it's just fungus, usually the sharpness isn't affected too much I've found. But the contrast is lowered substantially. Maybe the effect could look OK depending on what you are trying to achieve. It could look a bit like you've used a fog filter.

[nikonr10]

I am having a heck of a time finding a 25mm lens for my various 1920s thru 1930s 16mm Cine Kodaks that do NOT have a slight fungus issue inside the lens.

There is no way of taking these apart to clean them (I tried).

What effect will the slight haze have on the processed image?

Slight out of focus image or a brightness/darkness that I can correct digitally??

Shoot a test film see what you get maybe it all ok ? best easy way to kill fungus is put the lens under Bright sunlight and leave it there . make sure you keep and eye on it from time to time , as you would not want a fire.

[Darren]

Will the sunlight make the white growths disappear or at least fade?

[nikonr10]

Will the sunlight make the white growths disappear or at least fade?

I don't how bad your Fungus is on the lens , It's one of those's tip's and trick's I picked up over the year's , If not pay to to have it CLA ,

[Darren]

What is CLA and do you have anyone that you can recommend?

[Mmechanic]

Will the sunlight make the white growths disappear or at least fade?

If it’s fungus, no. The spores have all the time been in the tree gum from which Canada balsam is made (balsam fir tree, Abies balsamea).
They’re sleepers. Once there’s enough humidity the fungus can grow on the least organic stuff it finds. The balsam is organic stuff. The point about the growth is that acids precipitate. These etch into the glass.

In case one wants to save a lens, it can be done. Cemented groups will be exposed to heat in order to soften the balsam. Then the elements are separated and cleaned in solvents. Only then one can judge on whether the glass is damaged or not.

If such a job is finished with success, the lens will produce images like new. The question is now what image character is one looking for. For sharp and contrasty pictures a modern lens is probably far better apt. Many people are after a so-called retro look. My opinion is: If it fits the purpose, why not. The rest is fetishism around brands.

[nikonr10]

Make a test film see how good or how bad it is/ maybe it add's a kind of character ,

[BAC]

I have shot with lenses with mold, as long as it's off to the side of the lens and not dead center it shouldn't have much of an effect on the picture. I have a Kern Switar 36mm with a little mold on one edge, it works great. I did leave it out in the sun for several hours to kill the mold. I find that haze or fungus on the rear element of the lens tends to cause the most image problems.