Fungus-infested lenses are a nightmare for every photographer, more so for those who like to experiment with vintage gear. As such, most would rather throw away them away than attempt to clean or restore them. However, if you’re the relentless type who would give it a try anyway, we found just the right vintage lens video for you!
In his latest video, Paris-based Mathieu Stern shared one of his recent vintage lens finds: a rare Benoist Berthiot Cinestar 75mm f/1.5. The lens would typically cost around €599 ($581), but the one he spotted was going for only €30 ($29.14). At that price, it obviously came with a catch.
As a lover of cine lenses, however, he still thought it was worth the risk. Once it arrived, he set to work saving the fungus-infested lens, which also had a nasty dent. So, if you’re curious about what goes into cleaning and repairing vintage lenses like it, his video provides a quick rundown of the process.
Stern also did a lens test before cleaning it up to show how such an infestation affects the image quality. Then, we see that all the hard work was well worth it — his sample footage says it all!
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