Help! UV filter stuck on 70-200VR.

[timbo]

Greetings one and all... it's been so long since I last submitted to this forum I feel almost guilty but I'm in desperate need of advice.

Last week my Hoya HMC UV filter got stuck on the end of my 70-200 VR lens. The outer ring broke off and the inner one has refused all requests to budge. I don't believe this would be covered by any warranty... is there any camera technician in Sydney recommended by any users?

I've tried everything within my power: even resorting to aone of those lid vicegrips. Any advice would be much appreciated.

TIA, Tim

[radar]

Tim,

Poraday is a Nikon authorised repairer, they are at:

Unit 6,
195-199 Bondi Road,
Bondi,
NSW. 2026

should be pretty close to you.

cheers,

André

[daniel_r]

Can you post a picture of the stuck filter?

If you can, do not apply any force sideways on the filter in case it deforms from a perfect circle (becoming oval). This will really make it stick in the lens-filter thread.

If there's some part of the front of the filter ring exposed, try the boot/shoe method - ie take a rubber soled shoe with not much tread and push down the tread against the front surface of the filter ring while turning. This applies equal force all over the filter and doesn't cause the shape to deform -- but be careful not to force it too much otherwise you could damage the alignment of the front element into the lens barrel

[fozzie]

Tim - I would endorse radar/Andre advice.


fozzie

[timbo]

Thanks for the prompt response radar, Daniel and Andre. I'll try the boot method first, then contact Poraday as he/they are just up the road from me. Whilton's quoted 2 week turnaround which is simply outrageous.

[gstark]

Hi Tim,

Do you have one of those wide mouthed jar opening thingamies? Note the accurate use of the technical nomenclature.

As Daniel suggests, the correct way is to apply even pressure all the way around, and a wide-mouthed appliance of some sort is the go.

Perhaps you can gat a grip on the inside of the mounting ring?

[timbo]

Hi Tim,

Do you have one of those wide mouthed jar opening thingamies? Note the accurate use of the technical nomenclature.

As Daniel suggests, the correct way is to apply even pressure all the way around, and a wide-mouthed appliance of some sort is the go.

Perhaps you can gat a grip on the inside of the mounting ring?

Hi Gary, long time no speak!

I tried that already. I even wrapped a teatowel between the filter and the thingumy (believe this is the correct technical spelling) which succeded in scratching the bejesus out of the filter ring and nothing else.

It's stuck!

[adame]

Box it up send it to me and you wont have to worry about it again , but serously how did the outer ring break off???? did you knock the lens or drop it or something?

The way i see it is that it may have probably cross threaded itself or half skiped a thread wich will make it verry difficuly to remove...I'm used to working with big heavy mining equiptment so you may not want to take my advise, BUT, i would probably try and give it a bit of a tap not so hard youl break the lens but just hard enough to loosen it....without having a look at it though its only guessing. Post some pics so we can have a look..

Cheers
Adam

[shakey]

WD 40


But...

I'm not sure about the heating properties of the metals in the filter ring and the lens thread but this may be worth a try...since summer is upon us...take it out into the sun...leave it on a bench or something...for 30 mins or so...if the metal in the lens thread expands more than the metal in the filter then you may be able to loosen it with the boot technique. If its the other way round then you'll have to sit in the cool room at the local bottle shop. I'll sure you'll get interesting comments there...

OK I know that these are desparate suggestions..but different metals do expand, and contract, differently.

Best of luck BTW..some folks recomend putting a miniscule amount of oil on the filter thread before attaching. Not something I've done however.

[timbo]

Adam, I didn't knock it at all and always take great care of the lens but fear that the filter may have become cross threaded. Avoid the standard Hoya filter if possible and go for the Pro version if you can!

Pics wouldn't show much as it looks like it's cleanly attached. The outer ring broke off as I was trying to remove the filter and it was proving to be stuck tight to the lens thread... I'm a bit reluctant to give it a tap as the VR mechanism is pretty sensitive.

Interesting theory about heating and cooling, shakey. Heading to the last day of Sculpture by the Sea this morning so I might leave it on an exposed bench near the Icebergs and see how hot it is when I get back from the walk

Hmmm... cooled by beer... now THERE'S a tempting thought! I'll try heating in the morning and cooling after the sun has passed the yardarm

Cheers, Tim

[seeto.centric]

just what i was about to post, shakey!

maybe sit the lip/remaining part of the ring of the filter on a block of ice or something flat and very cold? then try the boot method after drying it off?

now this gives me something to worry about- the green hoya i put on my XL2 lens.. i did it up pretty tight because the lens cap kept loosening it after taking it off and putting it back on a few times.

good luck with it.. oh and i guess leaving it on the bench and going for a walk would be an easy way to get a new one (provided youre insured )

-julz

[Matt. K]

Send an email to Hoya and make it their problem! Let them know 2000 forum members are interested in the outcome.

[shakey]

I just knew "Earthbound Light" would have some tips.

http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototip ... -lens.html

The "padded shelf liner" looks worth a go.

And "Cooling the lens" gets a mention too..

[glamy]

I do not use Hoya anymore. They get stuck and are the only ones I found to have the glass move inside the ring when you clean them. I use B+W, the ring is brass and does not stick like aluminium does.

[Gordon]

Heating or cooling it probably wont give any thermal expansion coefficient difference release, since I would assume the filter and the lens are both made of Aluminium.
The problem with Aluminium threads is the tendency to ball- small bits of Al come off the surface as they move past each other and and get rolled along, ending up as a ball. This will lock the threads in a fairly terminal way if the ball is large enough.
If you can remove the ring that holds the glass in place, it should be reasonably easy to remove the remaining ring by distorting it at the spot where it is binding. You may have to sacrifice the filter if its really stuck, but the lens wont be damaged.

[shakey]

Heating or cooling it probably wont give any thermal expansion coefficient difference release, since I would assume the filter and the lens are both made of Aluminium.
The problem with Aluminium threads is the tendency to ball- small bits of Al come off the surface as they move past each other and and get rolled along, ending up as a ball. This will lock the threads in a fairly terminal way if the ball is large enough.
If you can remove the ring that holds the glass in place, it should be reasonably easy to remove the remaining ring by distorting it at the spot where it is binding. You may have to sacrifice the filter if its really stuck, but the lens wont be damaged.

If the filter ring and the lens thread are made of exactly the same metal then my quick fix solution of heating/cooling will not work. However I have a back up solution...as we live in an ever expanding universe, it is likely that the outside thread will expand more than the inside thread .. In a million or so years it might just have shifted enough that the filter can be disengaged. Just be patient.

[timbo]

[quote="shakey"]If the filter ring and the lens thread are made of exactly the same metal then my quick fix solution of heating/cooling will not work. However I have a back up solution...as we live in an ever expanding universe, it is likely that the outside thread will expand more than the inside thread .. In a million or so years it might just have shifted enough that the filter can be disengaged. Just be patient. [/Gordon, you are brilliant! Now if I can just find a wrinkle in time then both the stuck filter and all my time management problems will be solved at once. Stephen Hawking wouldn't happen to be lurking here would he?

Seriously, I have the feeling that the threads may have shed some aluminium which has 'balled' and jammed the lens thread, as there's no way I can budge it at the moment. I'm going to contact Poraday this morning as I'm scared any further pressure exertion may damage the lens mechanism. Thanks everyone for your advice: I'll post the results.

[timbo]

I just knew "Earthbound Light" would have some tips.

http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototip ... -lens.html

The "padded shelf liner" looks worth a go.

Thanks Shakey... I finally tried the "shoe" method and it came out as smoothly as corn through a duck. I'd almost given up hope and was about to take it into Poraday, but looked this up again and thought I'd give it a go. I was blown away by how quickly it shifted. Would highly recommend this method to anybody who encounters the same problem.

Once again this group has come to the rescue. Love youse all!

Looking forward to catching up with old friends and meeting some new ones tonight...

[Critter]

wow great news, well done!

[Glen]

Well done Timbo

[gstark]

Tim,

Great news. Well done.