benjeev
Sutro in Blue
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
- John Donne
Fungal infection, the bane of my life the last 3 months!
Let me start by clarifying that I didn't need a doctor for this particular infection. While shooting my previously posted image (see it here), I made the mistake of going from an air-conditioned room out into a humid day. Bad bad idea! My lens completely frosted over and I wasn't able to dry it out properly resulting in an explosion of fungus inside it, which I only discovered about 6 weeks later when I realized I wasn't able to take any sharp images anymore. Nasty stuff.
Two Canon services later, the lens seems good again. I hope it stays that way. I've put this lens through some harsh conditions, including shooting at -25C, in snowstorms and in rain, so it'd be painfully comedic if a lowly hotel air-conditioner is what finally takes it down!
Three things I've learnt from this yeasty affliction:
1. Temperature and humidity can be lethal! Be careful moving from a cold/dry environment to a warm/humid one. The key is to let your gear warm up before allowing the warm/humid air to come into contact. Leave it in your camera bag (or better yet, in a vacuum bag) until it has had time to warm up.
2. Use a dry cabinet to store your gear! Especially if you live in the tropics. I avoided this for 18 months and I paid the price.
3. Learn to identify fungus. Look through your lens against a bright light and fungus usually shows up as little patches of star-shaped lines.
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Sutro in Blue
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
- John Donne
Fungal infection, the bane of my life the last 3 months!
Let me start by clarifying that I didn't need a doctor for this particular infection. While shooting my previously posted image (see it here), I made the mistake of going from an air-conditioned room out into a humid day. Bad bad idea! My lens completely frosted over and I wasn't able to dry it out properly resulting in an explosion of fungus inside it, which I only discovered about 6 weeks later when I realized I wasn't able to take any sharp images anymore. Nasty stuff.
Two Canon services later, the lens seems good again. I hope it stays that way. I've put this lens through some harsh conditions, including shooting at -25C, in snowstorms and in rain, so it'd be painfully comedic if a lowly hotel air-conditioner is what finally takes it down!
Three things I've learnt from this yeasty affliction:
1. Temperature and humidity can be lethal! Be careful moving from a cold/dry environment to a warm/humid one. The key is to let your gear warm up before allowing the warm/humid air to come into contact. Leave it in your camera bag (or better yet, in a vacuum bag) until it has had time to warm up.
2. Use a dry cabinet to store your gear! Especially if you live in the tropics. I avoided this for 18 months and I paid the price.
3. Learn to identify fungus. Look through your lens against a bright light and fungus usually shows up as little patches of star-shaped lines.
Google+ | 500px | Twitter | Facebook