While most folks might find the idea of living and photographing in Hawaii as paradise, for a photographer living at the edge of a rainforest, the battle to protect his cameras and lenses from fungus is a constant threat.
After losing a 300mm 2.8 lens to the stuff, Maui photographer Zane Mathias decided to get proactive to win the battle. He created a camera/lens storage box, powered by a 60-watt incandescent bulb, to keep the fungus at bay.
Mathias started with an old steamer trunk that doubles as a coffee table in his tiny jungle home. He gutted the interior, then drilled some holes in the back – one for an electric cord and the rest to dissipate heat.
The next step was to affix extra lens butt caps onto a board, one per lens, and placed the board at the bottom of the case. Each lens stores vertically, attached to its own butt cap.
“Make sure you test the spacing,” he adds, “and leave room for future purchases.”
The final step is to install a shop light with a regular incandescent bulb.
“Sixty watts will do it,” says Mathias. “Don’t use fluorescent lights. They don’t give off the heat required to stop the fungus.”
Then close the case and turn on the light, which burns 24/7. That’s it.
“Since creating this storage case,” he adds, “I’ve been fungus-free for more than eight years. Living in a place where it rains every day, that says a lot.”
January 29th, 2010 at 10:36 am
This is such a great idea! I’m in the virgin islands and just had my 70-200 2.8 L USM IS our of commission for a few weeks while it was being “defunged” at Canon. Fungus is an annoying problem for me as I shoot a lot “on the water” (and underwater, but that is generally not a problem). I have one question: If you build an enclosure like this, I would imageine that the 60 wall incandecent bulb wuld make the eclosed space very hot. Wouldn’t this be harmful to the lenses? What would be the ideal temperature? I am now ispired to build somehting like this out of an big old server enclosure – maybe include some fans into it. Thank you for a GREAT idea!
February 1st, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Hi Marjo: You don’t need to add fans. That heat from the 60w bulb creates it’s own fan!(no fluorescents!) That’s the whole idea. I drilled a dozen or so 3/16″ holes in the back of the trunk to dissipate any excess heat. I was going to drill a hole in the side to install the shop light OFF of the floor but after checking the heat levels I leave my light on the floor with no problems. We live on the wet side of Maui & it’s very moist here.. I use most of the lenses in the trunk on a regular basis & I don’t worry about fungus any more! If you open the trunk & thrust your hand in.. It’s not like an oven. you’re going to feel a subtle change in temp.
January 29th, 2010 at 11:26 am
So does he leave the shop light laying like that? Is that all the lenses need to prevent fungus? I need to set something like this up, thanks for the great article!
February 1st, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Hi Soren: I NEVER turn off the light. I may have to replace the bulb twice a year. For me the shop light is a safety thing. If you’re concerned about the heat generated by the bulb….you might drill a hole in the side of the trunk to elevate the light off of the floor. Be sure to drill a series (a dozen or so) of small holes (3/16″diameter plus or minus) in the back of trunk near the bulb for heat dissipation. After running it for a while check the heat around the bulb just to assure yourself there’s no problems. Now get out there & find a really cool old trunk & get to work! Aloha, Zane
February 1st, 2010 at 8:42 pm
How can you tell that you have fungus?! Yuck!!!!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Hi Angela: That’s a great question to ask under the “contact us” column. It’s so gradual that it creeps up on you! It looks like a miniature leafless tree growing in your lens. It gets bigger & bigger & it eats the glass! Aloha, Zane