fungus and mold on CD's and lenses

for at least 3 of the last decades I've been aware of the issue of mold attacking the optical surface of things like lenses and CD's. I have been in the past involved with a few discussions, as well as published a little information about the topic on my blog (here).

The other night I pulled out a CD from my collection to play which had remained untouched there for some years (probably at least 10). While it was in its case, it had not been opened (although had been moved and even packed away in boxes while I was in Finland for a few years) and was in generally good condition.

The fungus I spotted (perhaps many would not have even spotted it) was so good a sample I just had to take this series of images to show you just what can grow on your lenses (and CD's) and why you should take seriously

You may just be able to see it as a small speck to the right of the pen cap clip.



getting in closer you can see it more clearly ... and what a classic specimine it is.



lastly a crop from the center of that image above showing the fungi "mycelium", and the fruiting body in the middle.


Aside from the fact that it's a speck on your lens you really should do something about this as they do actually etch into the glass surface (or plastic).

An excellent image of this can be found here and here where great examples of photographing the after effects of the mold on the surface of glass.



so my advice to you is that if you live in a humid climate (near the sea for instance) then to keep your valuable lenses in a dry container and perferably one which has been made humidity free.

As you will see (reading my above reference to my 2008 post) using silica gel is only patting yourself on the head and has no effect. Here is (reproduced) the graph of how the humidity went in a sealed container with some high grade indicating silica gel in the jar.


Figure 1: humidity measurements

Lastly don't leave your camera in its case; that is a sure fire way to get the best possible fungus infection you can (short of leaving it in the bathroom or in a damp room in the basment).

If you are interested in some more information on this subject, try reading this article of mine.

overfishing

I just thought this was worth sharing



simple, clear and to the point

employment and unemployment over time

Wow



i just want to re-tweet this great tweet by Matt Cowgill (and put the image here incase it falls off twitter).

something I never understood

back when there was the GFC in 2008 I wondered why the USD went higher and the Australian Dollar (which was less exposed) took a hammering?

Seen in context here some years later it still seems odd

that the EURO continued to slide against  the USD after 2009 makes sense to me.

I notice that the Australian dollar is now more or less back on track to the rate of change it would seem to have been on before the GFC.

People say the AUD is overvalued, perhaps it is ... but isn't the USD too?

Illiterate, ignorant and bigoted

Always seem to go together like they are the three pillars of being a bogan.

Its the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit.

Cast in concrete for all to see

Quick hack of my E63

One of the few weaknesses of my Nokia E63 is the blinking alert light. To be honest its a bit marginal in its strength and can only be seen well from the right angle. Especially when compared to my E72.

Sure viewed front on in a darkened room its clear, but sitting on the table from across the room its just limp.

I had an idea (looking at a replacement phone shell I bought) that it may actually be clear plastic under that black plastic exterior. So I took a punt and pulled out my dremel tool and ground off a small patch.

Well wouldn't ya know it I was right! Now it blinks so brightly its visible across the room. So I can see if I've missed a call as soon as it comes into my sight. Just to make it a little less strange feeling I've filled the dent from the grinder with some clear nail polish.

Fantastic. It makes me pause for a moment and reflect that only Nokia could make such a good idea as the blinking alert light fail by putting their light under a cover. I mean this is so old a concept that even the Bible has a reference to its stupidity.

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

[photo taken with my E72 and posted from there too]