Filter stuck/seized on lens

Dwilly

Cannae get me polariser lens off my zoom. It's stuck, somehow. :mad:
Any advice? Don't want to resort to a vice grips..

dakar

Type 'rubber strap wrench' into ebay. Those things should do the job. Most good sized hardware shops should have one.

City-Exile

Just get a wide rubber band & gently keep trying to coax it off.

Covey

A small (very small) bit of butter on the thread of the filter.

City-Exile

I wouldn't put any lubricant near any lens.

quilmore

I had a similar situation
got the filter off the lens with some little help of WD-40
it didn't go to the glass, just small enough to reach the thread and then clean it off

also, rub the filter against something rubbery (while holding firmly to the lens), the soil of a runner will do

sunny2004

forget the butter. its time to help out at home and do the dishes..
when you are finished place the lens face down into the Gloved palm of your hand.. and push hard while twisting your palm.. you need to push hard in order to get the rubber to grip the inside ring of th polarizer as we know the outsize will keep moving.. Polarizers must be the hardest of filters to get off because of this.. Long term get the filter release tool off ebay..

Not sure if pink or yellow gloves are best but let us know !

DotOrg

i simply use the sole of a shoe (something rubbery like a converse) and rub the filter edge on it using quite a bit of force

sunny2004

DotOrg wrote: »

i simply use the sole of a shoe (something rubbery like a converse) and rub the filter edge on it using quite a bit of force

Wont work witha polarizer because the outside moves..

The trick is uniformed pressure around the edge, otherwise you are gripping 2 edges and applying more pressure due to the buckeling effect to the other areas on the filter, in fact locking it further...

Nobody has ever had to sell a lens because the filter would not come off so its just a matter of getting the technique down..

Fajitas!

Lol... How many photographers does it take to change a filter...

Hugh_C

I woulda thought gentle warming would help - heat = expansion

DaireQuinlan

Hugh_C wrote: »

I woulda thought gentle warming would help - heat = expansion

no no no ! Its a CIRCULAR polariser, so you have to COOL it. jeez. don't they teach anything in schools nowadays ?

Alternatively you could just bring it into any camera shop in town and they'll take it off. Its one of those things thats irritatingly difficult without the proper tools, and laughably simple with them (a filter wrench).

Dwilly

Thanks guys. Was all set with the Flora and a pack of Marigolds but may just bring it into the camera shop to save any damage to the lens.

Hugh_C

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

no no no ! Its a CIRCULAR polariser, so you have to COOL it. jeez. don't they teach anything in schools nowadays ?

Cooling = contraction => it'll be stuck on even harder! Like duh.

Or at least that's hat happened when I were a lad.

Dundhoone

Okay bright sparks, I've got a circular polariser stuck to a setup ring.

Any ideas?

Im thinking I'll need to get a couple of those jessops filter wrench things . Its just too tricky to grip and turn.

Thoie

I saw a thing in Homebase today for taking lids off jars. Usually those are a V shape with teeth, which aren't any good for filters, but this was a relatively flat thing with smooth rubber all across one side - looked like it might be good for this kind of job. It was about 2 euro. I think it would work a bit like sunny's idea, but might be a bit easier on the palm of the hand.

FinoBlad

A big thick elastic band for a bit of grip always does the trick for me. Squeeze your grip on the filter and twist the lens and filter simultaneously and sharply and it will work. Consider a dry lubricant like the 'lead' in a soft pencil on the thread when you get it off.

DaireQuinlan

Hugh_C wrote: »

Cooling = contraction => it'll be stuck on even harder! Like duh.

Or at least that's hat happened when I were a lad.

Ah well, that was back when YOU were a lad maybe :rolleyes:

Masada

From a mechanic to a photographer, wrap a leather belt around the filter in a coil shape until the belt is fully wrapped around it, then you have a much larger surface area to grip with your hand and the leather grips nicely to the lens with uniform pressure all around.,:)


i wouldnt touch a lens with heat since it might get condensation inside it or something, other than that it would work in theory since the metal gets softer with heat and becomes easier to unlock. it would be silly to cool it since it would lock up the threads and the metal would abviously be harder.,

Dwilly

Got the missus to hold onto the lens and I used two sets of fingers to get the filter off. Hurrah!