After being forced to retire early due to injuries I lost my way a bit. Don't get out much. And I then had an epiphany. And I got into my photography once more. More specific, 35mm or SLR photography. And what led to this epiphany was the realisation that if you take a Digital camera like my one
(canon EOS 5D M2) and attach a vintage lens to it the results can be stunning. I have a taste for some of the older Nikon Nikkor lenses, the metal ones are delicious. They also have the manual focus and aperture rings. But a lot of these lenses have mould and particles in them, requiring cleaning. I have followed your excellent video and have followed it very closely, I find the pace of the video spot on, very clear audio, and so informative. At one point after my incident I thought I was going to be house bound and just wither away. But after watching this video it inspired me so much, it gave me direction. Some might think ' hold on, it's not a religious  video' and that would be true. But a man without purpose is no man at all. This video was very influential in getting me going again, and get me interested in something, instead of withering away in my own cesspool of self pity. To date I've got a collection of Nikon lenses, all of which are now in pristine condition. I now have so far a few Helios, Carl Zeiss, Rodenstock, Makinon, and Rollei lenses, and a lot more taste numbers. All of this inspired by you and your excellent video. Thank you so much for being so instrumental in my recovery,  its been a rough ride at times. But now I'm immersed in my new found re-interest in photography. Many thanks to your good self. And I wish you well. Thanks.😊

"Fungus Among Us"
- U got me w/ that

I have been cleaning lenses for 40 years +, and whilst your video is informative for a general introduction to lens cleaning, it's very simplistic and most lenses can be a sod to actually take apart.  Those rubber bungs are great for lenses which are co-operative to dismantling, but if that front ring won't budge you have to resort to drilling two holes  and using a lens spanner with points to loosen them.

You should clean the retaining rings too, this is where fungal spores lurk if lenses are infected.

This is weird, I just opened youtube to search for videos on fungus removal from lenses, and there was your video on the front page of my recommended.

A really interesting video - I wasn't even aware you could clean fungus off of old lens.  Thank you Vintage Optiks

Next time, take before and after shots, of the same subjects. Just for impact.

Probably better to put the cleaned lenses in a different spot. You put the cleaned lens on the spot where it was dirty with fungus previously. Might not make a big difference, but maybe put it on the cloth instead.

Brilliant!  I have a few ‘bargain’ lenses on the way from Japan that need treatment badly.

This is the best lens cleaning video I've watched, and there are some excellent comments with additional tips, so this is a resource I'll return to for sure. Only the other day I was watching a photography channel, a big one at that, in which he ran his glass under a tap using washing up liquid, and proceeded to rub it with kitchen towel. You could hear half the viewers gasping in disbelief! It's important to leave those lenses to soak. We're fighting mold in our boat in the tropics all the time and the key thing is to spray and then leave for ten minutes. This ensures the mold is actually killed. If you don't leave it long enough, after wiping it either hangs in the air or settles and starts growing again. Fortunately I store my lenses in a dry box that runs off 12v (stepped down to 5v).

I want to add a few notes if anybody is interested in cleaning and restoring manual lenses :
1. Make sure to clean that room thouroughly, and also to wear a shower cap if you have long hair. Also a mask that we now wear outside for covid is good to prevent you dropping saliva on you lens.
2. Make sure that you have researched how the lens is built and how it can be dismantled. If you find videos ,play them at 50% speed if necessary.
3. Primes are easier to clean than zooms. Some lenses will have glass elements cemented together and in time that "cement" will turn into weird spots.
4. Make sure that you fix the lens in a well lit room, that you have enough time to spare. Getting interrupted while fixing or cleaning a lens is the most frustrating thing. Do not let anybody touch that desk were you have the lens elements
5. Ponder if the lens worth the effort. Some lenses are cheap and can be found in very good shape. If you are a beginner it's best to practice on very cheap lenses.
6. Some lenses will need re-lubricating. Having a spray of WD40 and just putting one or two drops of this will make the helicoid turn easily. Spray into the cap of the spray can and then put the drop on the helicoid. DO NOT spray directly on the helicoid , it will spill on the lens assembly
7. Cleaning lenses is addictive and well rewarding. It can be a profitable venture. fix'em and flip'em if you are good at this

Thanks!  Tool advice was worth the price of admission.  Since there is no price of admission, fixed that.

This video couldn't have come up at a better time. I literally just picked up this Hanimex lens at a thrift shop for 5 bucks last weekend. And that first test photo you showed at the end... WOW. Thankfully, my copy doesn't have fungus, but I do have a few other vintage lenses with fungus that need to be cleaned. I appreciate this video, and now I'm VERY excited to get out and shoot with my Hanimex.

Thanks for taking the time and sharing this very useful information! The video itself is excellent as well, a clear and comprehensible demonstration of the steps involved. And a thank you to the numerous users who provided excellent add-ons in the comments.

I have one that had slight fungus starting, it didn’t affected the image at that point. Dropped it of at my local nail parlor and tipped them a tenner and asked them if they can put it under their UV lamp overnight. That completely killed it and it never grew any more over the last decade. I’m not saying that you should do that, but you certainly can. My lens had a full metal body tho, I wouldn’t have done it with any plastic or rubber parts on there.

I live your channel. Very useful and stylish. I'm quickly falling in love with vintage lenses and building up quite a collection.

That lens lives on. Thanks to you!

Excellent. Informative and clear, nicely paced with clear diction.  A masterclass in how to present and produce a youtube video. Many thanks.

Fascinating video.  Great to actually see the steps of disassembly and reassembly of a lens.  I have an Olympus 50mm that bought used years ago that now has fungus appearing.  Could be a good DIY project.  Thanks for another great video!

Balsam separation in lenses can, in theory, be addressed by heating the cemented elements, melting the Balsam cement to reform and attach to the glass surface.  If it's a lens you can afford to scrap then have a go.  The Canadian Balsam will melt but the whole process has to be done gently, with  slow heating and slow cooling.  I have yet to try it, but that's the way the manufacturers do it.