Tricks: how to remove a jammed filter

There is almost always some kind of filter on my lenses. Sometimes it becomes necessary to remove such a filter, for example, to replace protective filter on polarizing. And here you may encounter the problem that the filter jammed tightly in the front thread of the lens. There are many suggestions on the network to solve this problem, but I use my own method.

An easy and unusual way to remove a jammed filter

An easy and unusual way to remove a jammed filter

The method is very, very simple.

To unscrew a jammed light filter, just place the lens with such a filter in the refrigerator, preferably in the freezer. After 5 minutes, remove the lens from the refrigerator and unscrew the filter with a slight movement.

Usually all good and not even very good filters are based on a metallic black border, part of which is the filter thread. At the same time, a lot of modern lenses have a plastic thread for the front filter. Recently, in my reviews of lenses, I must indicate what type of thread the lens uses. Due to the fact that metals with decreasing temperature decrease in their physical sizes (thermal expansion), the following happens - the ring of the filter becomes a few microns in diameter already, which is enough to “tear” the filter out of place and unscrew it painlessly.

This method works a little worse with lenses that use metal thread for filters. But, due to the fact that the filter and the lens have different metals or alloys in their base, they expand differently with temperature, which sometimes also makes it easier to undock the filter from the lens.

The disadvantage of this method is the need to use a refrigerator (preferably a freezer) and condensatethat appears on the lens after such a manipulation. According to the instructions for most lenses (and according to my recommendations), after the filter has been removed from the “cooled” lens, the lens itself should be left in the case for 45 minutes to normalize. My experience shows that nothing bad happens with the lens from hypothermia, especially since I often I use lenses in the cold.

The method can be modified, for example, try to cool only the filter.

This method has helped me more than once, even in those cases when the filter was damaged (bent or initially screwed in with a beveled thread). At the same time, the methods of removing the filter that I met on the network, for example, shooting the filter with car clips / clips, did not give the desired result, or damaged the lens. Several times, along with the car clips, I also unscrewed the front of the lens barrel or the front lens.

In the comments, share your experience on what to do when the filter is jammed.

↓↓↓ Like the review and share the link in social networks ↓↓↓. Thanks for attention. Arkady Shapoval

Add a comment: Sanding

 

 

Comments: 82, on the topic: Photo Tricks: how to remove a jammed filter

  • Jury

    And if a polarik stuck?

    • Lynx

      VD40 will save you!
      You can still bury the polaric end in a plate of ice - cooling, all the cases.

  • Rodion

    Once a Soviet UV 49 jammed on an I-61 LZ. It was not screwed in on the thread (I do not know how - I did not screw it; however, you need to have a sickly one - screw it like that).
    The listed methods did not help.
    A familiar master, without worrying, put the filter on the thread normally and removed it. To do this, he picked up the frame with a screwdriver and, acting like a lever, with a characteristic click put it in its normal position.
    It took less than a minute and caused indescribable admiration)))

  • Andrey Super

    I transfer the lens to manual focus so that the front part spins. I put it in the middle position so that the focus ring does not accidentally rest in the extreme position, it is important for lenses in which the focus ring does not slip. In the middle position, the front of the lenses usually extends, zoom to the maximum in order to snap more conveniently (naturally for zooms). I take with one hand the focus ring, the second for the filter and confidently twist. I'm not afraid to make an effort after the described manipulations. More than one jammed filter could not resist!)

    • Andrey Super

      Something I blabbed, “… important for lenses where the focusing ring does not slip…” - do not read. “… I take the focusing ring with one hand…” read instead - I take the front of the lens with one hand…

    • Andrey Super

      All this is true for lenses with a rotating front lens. For lenses with a non-rotating front lens, everything is simpler and more complicated ... You need to be more careful and the front part does not always extend ...

    • Sanding

      Andrey, thanks! Your advice helped.

  • Artem

    Actually now (in cold weather). Unscrew at the same temperature at which they twisted. Give time to set the temperature beforehand.
    An example from life. Spin the filter into the lowering ring in a warm machine. Went to -10 taking pictures. He returned and I can not unwind the filter and ring. After 15 minutes in a warm car, it spun easily.

  • Alexey

    Thanks for the advice!

  • Dimchik

    Thank you very much, helped with the freezer !!!
    Easy to unscrew!

  • Amateur

    I bought clips of clamps in the form of a plastic split ring with ears bought on ebay, they have already helped a couple of times. We plant one on the filter, the second at the end of the proboscis. They are there with teeth, hold tight and do not deform, it is impossible to crush thin rings. Well, as an option, you can also cool during the operation.

  • Elizabeth

    THANK YOU!
    The first time I got into such a story. Dropped the camera. Light filter to smithereens. And it is simply impossible to unscrew. WD-40 doesn't help. Wire clamp - does not help

    Put at your advice the rim of the filter on the ice. And voila. Three minutes later, pliers unscrewed the rim (with effort)

  • NVision

    In general, the polarik "stuck". Tried to freeze, no use. As a result, the gas key helped. The lens is intact. Polarik is the same. Something like this.

    • Rodion

      On Ali, there are ways to straighten the thread of the lens after falling. Sometimes they also work well to remove the filter. You can still pry the filter with a thin screwdriver so that it jumps off the thread and flies off due to elasticity.

    • Valery A.

      The gas key is a tin (for photographic equipment). I was once helped by rubber gloves for builders.

  • Igor

    then it’s better to put the coffer there and hide immediately after unscrewing it in order to avoid a sharp temperature drop and the appearance of condensate

  • Polar 7

    Chinese pullers work very well
    range: from 37 mm 40,6 mm 43 mm 46 mm / 49 mm 52 mm 55 mm 58 mm / 62 mm 67 mm 72 mm 77 mm / 82 mm 86 mm 95 mm in diameter
    http://ali.pub/3npixw

  • kotofei

    The fridge didn't help.
    20 minutes in the freezer bag + wrap the filter with an electric cable = helped.

  • sergei

    ... ..everything is much easier ... ... take coarse-grained sandpaper, put the lens on it ... ... slightly pressing it, turn it lightly ... .. the day was fucking, I read well that I didn't put it in the freezer, the filter unscrewed in an instant ... .. about one thing please, don't overdo it

    • Victor

      No need for barbarity with sandpaper, everything is much easier to solve with a piece of thick rubber.

      • Gregory

        Rubber helped, thank you, Sigma 30 1.4 lens

  • Louise

    I can’t remove this damn filter, how will they remove it, I’ll throw it out and roll it and twist it and tap it, nothing helps how to remove this stupid filter and lens ???

  • Alexander

    Faced such a problem on the polarization. I was helped by a simple way without freezers and screwdrivers)
    I put a hood on the filter, wrapped both parts of the filter together with the hood in two layers with adhesive tape. It turns out a monolithic lever, which is easily unscrewed. The main thing is not to capture the lens itself when winding)

  • Stas

    Somehow jammed filter on 35/2D. I tried to unscrew it in different ways, in the end it turned out only with the help of heating with a lighter. Slightly overdone (it is necessary to warm literally 1 second) - a small swelling of paint appeared from the outer part of the trunk.

  • Alexander

    Stuck ND filter. Easily!!! Ice in a bag, a bag on the filter. After 10-15 minutes, he came out like with grease!

  • Zeus

    People, if the solutions above did not help you. My polarizing filter is stuck. I advise you to take cable ties and secure them around the stationary part of the filter, and then easily unscrew them. Until this hour, I had been struggling for 2 hours, with ice and wd40 and everything that was described above.

    • Zeus

      And if the existing ones are not long enough to wrap around the filter around the perimeter, then connect several in a row, it does not have to be solid and long. I personally assembled from 3 pieces and everything is fine.

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