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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Broken lens filter removal
Jim Pierce, Photographer
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Waltham | MA | USA | Posted: 10:09 AM on 01.31.10 |
->> OK I just noticed at a T&I shoot yesterday that my lens filter on my 70-200 is cracked across the entire diameter. No big deal but I can't get it off.
Any ideas on how to remove a stuck filter? I am worried about breaking the lense in some way.
Jim |
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Steve King, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Ann Arbor | MI | USA | Posted: 10:15 AM on 01.31.10 |
| ->> I had a similar issue with my 70-200, and it was successfully removed by NPS in Melville when I sent it in. It's back and no worse for wear. |
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Jim Pierce, Photographer
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Waltham | MA | USA | Posted: 10:34 AM on 01.31.10 |
->> Steve,
Hoping I don't have to send it out, far too much to shoot the coming two weeks!
Any home remedies with little to no risk?
Jim |
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David Manning, Photographer
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Athens | GA | | Posted: 10:38 AM on 01.31.10 |
->> The last time that happened, i broke out all the glass of the filter and eventually got the filter ring off.
Of course i was wading in a river and was in the middle of shooting a feature at the time. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 10:48 AM on 01.31.10 |
->> A few methods to consider.
1) You can buy a rubber gripper (about 4x4 sheet of textured rubber) from wal-mart, etc. which is used to provide grip in opening jars. Lay it on the counter top, press the lens down on it and turn or simply grip and turn.
2) A filter wrench - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/251749-REG/General_Brand__Filter_Wren...
3) A small strap wrench (basically a belt of rubber attached to a handle that is wrapped around an abject and passed back through the handle. When turned, it uses friction to turn the item.) If you have a slim filter on this likely won't work - but you could simply use the rubber strap as a gripper like in #1 above.
4) (This one is better for filters that are shattered or the threads are bent out of round) Remove the glass from the filter. Take a pair of vice grips and secure the filter. Rotate the vice grips toward the center of the lens - bending the filter ring inwards and away from the front element, thus making its diameter smaller and lift it out. You obviously have to be quite careful with this as you are so close to the front element.
I've used methods 1, 2 & 4. #1 works quite well. |
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Jim Pierce, Photographer
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Waltham | MA | USA | Posted: 11:37 AM on 01.31.10 |
->> Thanks guys just got it off. Will be buying a filter wrench with the new filter, did not even know they existed.
I was very surprised at how hard it was to break the remaining filter glass to remove it but once I got the glass out used some wire cutters to cut the ring and bend came right off.
If you do this the front element is VERY close to the underside of the filter much closer than I thought. This was a succes but not something I want to repeat.
Thanks again!
Jim |
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Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
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Boise | ID | US | Posted: 11:53 AM on 01.31.10 |
->> I've consistently used a pretty homegrown version of the filter wrench - you take a flat power cord (unplugged obviously), put it around just the filter, and hold it such that when you use it to turn the filter, it tightens.
http://www.sportsshooter.com/brianshirk/remove_filter/images/1.jpg |
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Steve King, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Ann Arbor | MI | USA | Posted: 6:58 PM on 01.31.10 |
| ->> Good to hear you got it removed Jim, but you're a braver man than I Gunga Din! I didn't have the guts to try your method because of the close proximity of the front element, but due to the shot Israel posted I might try his next time. |
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Jim Pierce, Photographer
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Waltham | MA | USA | Posted: 7:17 PM on 01.31.10 |
->> Steve,
I tried the home made filter wrenches as well as the rubber jar opener also mentioned. Once I started to break the glass and relized how close the front element is it was too late. If I was going to damage the lens it would have happened then. I got lucky and probably would not do this again.
The filter was hit by a puck a couple of years ago so it was out of round, hence it was not coming off by unscrewing it.
So everyone be warned the front element is VERY close to the underside of the filter and I would not do this again knowing what the risk was.
Jim |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 9:55 PM on 01.31.10 |
->> I would never try it myself, but I've seen NPS techs go after a stuck filter with a wooden hammer -- kind of like the ones you get at a crab place to crack the shells.
Seems to get them unstuck with no damage. But they are trained professionals. |
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Will Powers, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 4:59 PM on 02.01.10 |
| ->> With the lens upside down you take less chance of crap falling onto the front element, but you still need to be careful. |
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