My filter somehow cracked....

esc2476

....while my camera was in a case.

Now I can't get the filter off. Any homespun recommendations? It is on my 24-70 and I am about to go out to shoot Cherry Blossoms.

esc2476

I have already tried to use the rubber grabber things made for hard to open tops.

fldspringer

Try placing the lens, filter down, on a tabletop covered with terrycloth. Press down and turn the lens with one hand and keep the cloth from spinning on the table with the other.

Good luck.

Airedrifter

Stop by Penn Camera or Ace or Falls Church or ... and they have little strap sorta pipe wrench thingys and you can get a new UV filter too.

ziggy53

If you have another filter of the same size, use an automotive hose clamp to clamp onto both filters. (The second filter just creates another surface to keep the clamp from distorting. The 2 filters are not attached together, rather the second filter is just placed on the opposite edge of the hose clamp before completely tightened.) Once you have a firm grip with the clamp on both filters, use a percussive device, a small hammer or other improvised device, to tap on the circumference of hose clamp in the direction of removal.

A local camera shop will often have the correct filter wrench in their service department or for sale.

Ric Grupe

There is no need to over tighten filters...a lesson for all.

Not that it does you any good right now, filter wrenches are cheap.

insanefred

Depending on the material the filter ring is. stick your lens and filter in the freezer for 15 min. Other wise I have had good success with just a needle nose pliers, gripping some of the outer threads and turning the filter ring to loosen it.

esc2476

Ric Grupe wrote: »

There is no need to over tighten filters...a lesson for all.

Not that it does you any good right now, filter wrenches are cheap.

That's always good to keep in mind. I am pretty sure it has to do with whatever happened to the filter because I no longer tighten my filters very much.

racer

insanefred wrote: »

stick your lens and filter in the freezer for 15 min.

probably not a good idea, condensation can ruin the lens! (stick it in the oven instead )

DsrtVW

I have used big o rings to give me extra grip when I have had stubborn filters.
I have had better luck staying with brass than aluminum

Art Scott

a large pair of channel lock pliers and make usre the next filter is made of brass and not aluminum or steel ...... steel &alum. filters can stick even when less than finger tight....they somehow will actually fuse together......that is 1 reason i no longer like to use screw in filters.....my adapters are plastic so no chance of fusing to the lens threads......

Allen

I keep a pair of latex gloves in the bag. Hold the filter and turn the larger
diameter lens. If the filter won't remove with those I think you'd have to
saw it off. Or get someone with a stronger grip.

Never over tighten a circular polarizer. Rubber bands around the non-spinning part might work.

RocketNewYork

I am sorry to say that your best bet might be to knock out the filter glass then saw into the filter. I had to do this last week on a Canon f1.2 lens.

This is the most time consuming and risky approach. It should only be used when everything else has failed.

1, Take the lens off the camera.

2, Tape up the body with masking tape. This stops dust getting in.

3, Tap at the edges of the glass (not the center) until broken. Using a glass cutter first to score the edges helps this.

4, Remove glass by pulling the parts outwards.

5, Pack the exposed glass lens with cotton pads or balls. Anything soft will do. You are wanting to stop metal filing getting in.

6, Using a fine, metal hacksaw cut into the filter metal. Make sure you don't cut into the lens! You should aim to make at least 8 evenly spaced cuts. This helps the filter flex and bend.

7, Using clamps, twist the filter until it pops out.

8, Remove all dust using a blower (not compressed air) and remove the tape.

TylerW

Many ears ago 70-200 f/4 hit the ground filter first. Filter completely shattered. I carefully picked the glass shards away from the front element until the filter glass collapsed, making the rest easy to dump away. tricky bit was getting rid of the glass tust and micro fragments. Here I used eclipse fluid and a LOT of pec-pads. Never put pressure on the front element, just let the moisture allow the glass shards to adhere to the pec pad and ten use it to lift the shards away from the front of the lens.

Once the glass was gone, I still had to remove the filter ring, which was dented so far out of shape it was impossible to unscrew. In this case I had to cut through the filter ring with some metal cutters, and then use needle nose pliers to bend it inwards until eventually it came free.

It was a nerve wracking couple of hours, but the lens still works perfectly.