15 years ago, on a whale-watching trip off the coast of Massachusetts, the rocking sea caused my father's camera to roll off of a table and hit the floor lense-first. Although the lense looked ok, the filter glass was shattered and the ring was bent out of shape. It was impossible remove it and it was also hard to tell if there was any damage to the lense barrel it's self.
It stayed that way until I inherited it a few days ago and figured, I could try and remove it my self. I had nothing to loose. As it turns out, with a little patience, it's actually quite easy.
It stayed that way until I inherited it a few days ago and figured, I could try and remove it my self. I had nothing to loose. As it turns out, with a little patience, it's actually quite easy.
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All you need is different sizes of plyers. I used a paire of long nose plyers and a pair of spoke wheel plyers. Most importantly you need safety goggles.
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for screws, you can superglue a nut or something to the stripped head, and use a spanner to get it out (rather than damage the expensive thing you are trying to open...) :)
thanks for the 'ible, handy to know, I am sure I will need this some day :)
(if the glass was not broken, but it was stuck in there good...) I have done it using my digital camera to remove the mounting ring bracket. seemed ok there, but obviously being very careful with the glue used...
Have you ever had an "easyout" snap off when trying to back out a broken bolt?
so yeah, it isn't for all situations, but possibly could have worked here (depending on how badly it was bent out of shape... :)
As a camera repair man I have to do such a job regularly. I always bent de filter ring inside using a pipe wrench, eventually on more than one spot. This way the diameter decreases and the filter comes off easily, or even falls off ;-)
I have a Nikon filter that doesn't quite look like metal. Have you ever encountered issues with filter rings breaking?
But it still is possible that the thread is damaged by the impact on the filter when it was dropped.
Modern lenses mostly have plastic bodies and filterrings... :-(
BTW, those pliers are also called water pump pliers.
As for cleaning the broken glass from the lens; DON"T BLOW IT AWAY!! Once you've dumped the big pieces out; lay a dry tissue loosely over the lens (single layer) then spray with water until it is soaked and drops down onto the lens face. let it set for a few seconds, or press in gently with a fine brush (you probably have a lens brush in your photography bag). Once you;ve done this, gently lift the tissue (and the glass fragments) off the lens surface. Any other remaining pieces of glass may then be removed by using a moistened Q-tip or cotton swab to daub the glass fragments off of the lens face. NEVER NEVER EVER move anything across the surface of your lense!
the way you show here is a distructive way - comonly used as a last resort.
but before anyone goes to this messure for removal you can try an it may have been suggested - facing the lens down on a piece of rubber - lens filter facing the rubber matt on a table face flat - then put downward pressure and turn the whole lens.
The problem with trying to remove the filter is the more you try an apply pressure the more it squeezes the filter and warps it which causes further binding of the threads.
The rubber matt will relieve that warping pressure by putting pressure along the front - and grip it enough to remove it.
- hopefully.
btw a rubber matt can be one of those jar opener rubber grip things. Just lay it down and postition the lens barrel over it - lens filter facing it.
I have had to do it the destructive way too - like you show here
- and one problem can be ruined threads if you are not careful - as you mentioned.
if you are lucky and you have a good filter - you can also just remove the inner ring to the filter and the glass will just come out with out breaking it or risk of further damage. Then take the pliers if you must and remove the lens ring itself - sometimes you can turn it off once the glass it out.
Sometimes not.
either way - happy shooting.
and nice instructable
- chase -
Also, this lens barrel is made of some kind of metal composite so the threads are quite strong. I'm not sure how well this instructable will work with a cheap plastic kit lenses that are sold today.
So, folks, you should definitely try the rubber band or rubber matt idea first.
The lens itself is fine and thankfully still in alignment. But the threaded filter ring has a "ding" in it...
Draw around a non-dinged bit of the filter onto a bit of wood (something like a 2x4 offcut) and cut it out leaving a shallow dish in the wood.
Put the ring into the hollow, take a stick (a bit of thick dowel or something), put it inside the filter ring and give the other end a hit with a hammer.
You're looking to knock it back into shape.
At your own risk, of course.
heavy pliers like yours to grab the edge of the filter (only!) and twist the filter ring bending the entire ring into something like a heart shape at which point it just popped out. The operation took less than a minute and there usually wasn’t any damage to the threads on the lens. If there was damage then more work needed to be done and we kept the lens.
So after 15 years, the genius in him is revealed to the world.
Well done Pete 33 ! And this tutorial is very well put together as well. You make me proud !
Now can I have my lens back? :-)
Yes, you can have the lense back as long as you think you truly deserve it.
Which reminds me…
In my next instructable I'll show you how to put a broken lense filter back onto a lense. :)