Tamron 14mm f/2.8 Lens Fungus Cleaning Service
Fungus branching between the elements of a Tamron SP AF 14mm f/2.8 after damp storage is fully cleanable. We strip the lens, clean every affected group and kill remaining spores in a UV chamber.
Symptoms
- Spider-web or branch-like growth visible inside the lens
- Hazy, low-contrast images from a lens stored in a damp place
- White filaments between lens elements
- Fungus appeared after the lens sat unused over winter
Finding branch-like growth inside your wide-angle after a winter in storage is alarming, but a Tamron 14mm fungus cleaning is a routine job for our lab: for a fixed €60 we disassemble the lens completely, clean every affected optical group and neutralise the remaining spores in a UV chamber so the problem does not come back.
The symptoms
Lens fungus on the Tamron SP AF 14mm f/2.8 typically shows as:
- Fine white filaments or spider-web patterns between the elements, visible when you look through the lens against the light.
- Branching growths that were not there the last time you used the lens.
- Hazy, low-contrast images in the worst cases, as the growth scatters light.
What causes it
Fungus needs humidity and still air. The classic scenario — exactly what happened in this case — is a lens left for months in a cupboard that is not particularly dry. Spores are present everywhere; given moisture and darkness they germinate on the glass surfaces and spread in the characteristic branching pattern. Age plays a role too: a lens bought in 2005 and used across many camera bodies has had plenty of opportunity to collect spores. Left untreated, the growth keeps spreading and can eventually damage the coatings permanently.
Can you fix it yourself?
Wiping the front and rear elements only helps if the fungus is on the exposed surfaces — on this Tamron the growth was between the internal elements, which means full disassembly. More importantly, cleaning the visible growth is only half the job: if the spores are not destroyed, the fungus can reappear within a few months. That final step requires a UV chamber, which is why home cleaning of internal fungus rarely stays fixed.
How we repair it
A customer brought us a Tamron SP AF 14mm f/2.8 Aspherical IF in Nikon mount with extensive fungus branching between the lenses. He had bought it new in 2005 and used it heavily for landscape work; over the last winter it had sat in a slightly damp cupboard, and when he took it out for spring the branching was there.
Our technicians clean film-era and digital lenses every day, several times a day, and this one responded quickly. First the lens was examined and tested thoroughly to rule out any other faults — there were none. It was then disassembled completely and every optical group touched by the fungus was cleaned until no trace of the growth remained. The final step was the UV chamber, which permanently eliminates all spores, including invisible ones — without it, internal fungus can return within months; with it, that possibility is excluded. After reassembly the lens went through our standard final check, with internal cleaning included, and every optical group came back as clear as it left the factory. See our other Tamron repairs for similar cases.
Price and turnaround
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Fungus cleaning, full disassembly + UV chamber | €60 (fixed) |
| Internal cleaning | Included |
| Final test & calibration | Included |
Typical turnaround is 5 working days, plus €20 flat return shipping anywhere in the EU.
Ship your lens from anywhere in the EU — diagnosis is free and the service is covered by a 6-month warranty. Here's how it works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Tamron 14mm fungus cleaning cost?
Our fungus cleaning for the Tamron SP AF 14mm f/2.8 is a fixed €60, including full disassembly, cleaning of every affected optical group, UV chamber treatment and a final functional check.
Can lens fungus be removed completely?
Yes, if it is treated before it etches the coatings. We clean every trace of the growth from the glass and then pass the lens through a UV chamber to destroy remaining spores, including invisible ones.
Will the fungus come back after cleaning?
Not if the spores are properly neutralised. Without UV treatment, fungus often reappears within a few months; the UV chamber step rules that out. Storing the lens in a dry place prevents new contamination.
Does fungus inside a lens affect image quality?
Yes. As the branching spreads it scatters light, reducing contrast and sharpness — and left long enough it can permanently etch the lens coatings. The earlier it is cleaned, the better.
