Stuck filters

mercphoto

Hey all. I had stacked two filter recently for a shoot, and while I got them both off the lens, I can't get the filters off each other. Any tricks to doing this? Thanks.

aj986s

I've been able to separate sometimes by placing the filters in the open palms of both hands. Try twisting apart by placing pressure on the outside edge of each filter. I think when squeezing the filters between your finger tips, the filter ring bends slightly, and resists turning. By gripping the entire circumference in your palm, you prevent any bending.

Here's a crude illustration:

Try:

palm
________________
________________
palm

rather than:

__________________
finger __________________ finger

I hope this makes sense...

mercphoto

aj986s wrote:

I've been able to separate sometimes by placing the filters in the open palms of both hands. Try twisting apart by placing pressure on the outside edge of each filter. I think when squeezing the filters between your finger tips, the filter ring bends slightly, and resists turning. By gripping the entire circumference in your palm, you prevent any bending.

Nice idea but hasn't worked yet.

Scott_Quier

I've used a pair of rubber bands, one around the circumference of each. This allows you to get a better grip on the filters without exerting a lot of pressure - and this limits the extent to which the filter ring is distorted. Then, try to grip each filter with your fingers placed equidistant around the filter ring.

It's worked a few times for me when nothing else has worked.

As strange as it may sound, you might try a little warm water. With luck, this will cause the outer filter ring to expand more than the inner - thus loosening them up a bit. I would be a little careful with this, warming them up slowly so as not to cause more harm than good.

mercphoto

I'm going to drop it off at Precision Camera. Nothing is working for me. Worse, the glass in my B&W 3-stop neutral density filter is a bit loose now.

Designsmith

Inexpensive filter wrenches have worked for me when nothing else has. The problem is that you need a set for each size of filter. For some unknown reason I’ve always had more trouble with 49mm filters than other diameter so I keep as set of wrenches handy in that size.

Art Scott

I have had to use 2 very large channel lock pliers to get some apart and also off my camera and also had to use 2 of the large rubber disks for removing screw on jar lids.....after this I decided that filters were meant to be hand held in front of the lens and never actually attached.....so I use only very large and also cokin styled filters now..................

nightowlcat

A set of these to get better grip?

Tee Why

Get a thick rubber band. Put it around the ring of the filter and twist away.

mercphoto

Tee Why wrote:

Get a thick rubber band. Put it around the ring of the filter and twist away.

Tried that, too. I eventually went to Precision Camera in Austin, TX (a great store, by the way). They got them unstuck, though I didn't see how they did it. I'm happy again.