Is it possible for ports to get fungus like lens? How to keep at home?

[stillviking]

Hello people,

My waterhousing has a few acrylic glass ports (dome port, flat ports, etc.) and I would like to know if I need any special conservation care (humidity, temperature, sun exposure, etc.) so they have not fungus or other problems like that (that happens in normal camera lenses)?

Thanks!

[TimG]

Ive never seen fungus on a port - I’ve sure had it on lenses - but I have had those weird drying marks on glass ports.
 

Washing with fresh water and then drying with a soft cloth helps but, at least for me, hasn’t solved it completely. I’ve had to use Mothers Glass Cleaner which worked pretty well. 

[stillviking]

6 minutes ago, TimG said:

Ive never seen fungus on a port - I’ve sure had it on lenses - but I have had those weird drying marks on glass ports.
 

Washing with fresh water and then drying with a soft cloth helps but, at least for me, hasn’t solved it completely. I’ve had to use Mothers Glass Cleaner which worked pretty well. 

My experience is that for "drying marks" toothpaste + water works perfect.

[TimG]

Any particular type of toothpaste? 

[Dave_Hicks]

I've used Novus #2 and a microfiber cloth to clean off water marks from a glass flat port. It's got some very fine grit that works just fine without marring the glass.

[TimG]

Thanks for that, Dave. Interesting. 

[stillviking]

14 hours ago, TimG said:

Any particular type of toothpaste? 

I think whitening toothpastes are the best.

[Chris Ross]

Prevention is better than cure. 

On the boat keep the port wet with a neoprene cover till you can rinse it.

When you get the housing back home or somewhere you can soak it give it a good soak then blow all the water off and dry off and polish with a micro fibre cloth .  Basially avoid water evaorating from the surface.

The water marks are not usually a deposit but tend to be bonded to or etched into the surface which i why they respond to polishing.

[ianmarsh]

My understanding is that fungus occurs between the lens elements in the balsam cement, which is an organic compound. It requires an inoculation and warm, moist storage, usually in the tropics. It can etch the glass as it is very acidic, but I don’t think it would occur on glass alone. Once a lens is “infected” it is usually toast.

[Chris Ross]

58 minutes ago, ianmarsh said:

My understanding is that fungus occurs between the lens elements in the balsam cement, which is an organic compound. It requires an inoculation and warm, moist storage, usually in the tropics. It can etch the glass as it is very acidic, but I don’t think it would occur on glass alone. Once a lens is “infected” it is usually toast.

It can also grow on the surface of elements, possibly feeding on residual organic matter, enough humidity for long enough can bring it on.

[ianmarsh]

Thanks for the update, Chris👊🏼

[TimG]

7 hours ago, Chris Ross said:

Once a lens is “infected” it is usually toast.

I can vouch for that. Lost 2 lenses after 12 months working in the Lembeh Straits. 

[ianmarsh]

Here is a good review on the subject.

 

https://richardhaw.com/2016/03/27/repair-fungus-cleaning/

[TimG]

11 hours ago, ianmarsh said:

Here is a good review on the subject.

 

https://richardhaw.com/2016/03/27/repair-fungus-cleaning/

 

I love the.... "take the lens apart and clean it" bit... yeah, I know, it's not quite that, but.....

[Davide DB]

3 hours ago, TimG said:

 

I love the.... "take the lens apart and clean it" bit... yeah, I know, it's not quite that, but.....

 

That article terrified me. 
Moisture aside, I keep the lenses to grow mushrooms perfectly 😄

Do any of you use silica gel bags in your lens drawers?

[Chris Ross]

21 minutes ago, Davide DB said:

 

That article terrified me. 
Moisture aside, I keep the lenses to grow mushrooms perfectly 😄

Do any of you use silica gel bags in your lens drawers?

Silica gel is only useful inside a sealed container, it has limited capacity and moisture will constantly diffuse in from outside unless there is a seal of some type.  The fungicide pouches in the link will work for a period until the chemical diffuses away.

[TimG]

I now keep all my lenses in a Pelican case with a bunch of desiccant packs inside. I dry out the packs about every 3 months.

 

 

[Chris Ross]

59 minutes ago, TimG said:

I now keep all my lenses in a Pelican case with a bunch of desiccant packs inside. I dry out the packs about every 3 months.

 

 

A pelican is good as it is airtight and the gel can bring humidity down to low levels when closed something like 10-20% relative humidity.  The humidity will go back to ambient levels of whatever is in the room very quickly after opening the case though.

[Davide DB]

A smart solution 😄

 

 

[Dave_Hicks]

I was actually going to suggest this. I have a set of sealed ziplock bags and a USB powered vacuum designed for 3d print spools. It is cheap, has about 20 bags, desiccant, and is fully reusable. It would fit all but your long wildlife lenses. Certainly all UW lenses.

About $20:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9MKSRJ1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

Edited January 8 by Dave_Hicks

[ianmarsh]

12 hours ago, Davide DB said:

A smart solution 😄

 

 

Beef is really expensive in Canada right now. Would a pork chop work?

[TimG]

I understand most butchery products are effective although cuts to rear the element usually work best. I believe these are known as bull cuts?