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

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

  • Murzik

    Really physically logical and practical) I'll share a little experience. Although the camera and lens according to the manufacturer's specifications are considered dustproof, I still avoid the risk and after shooting in the rain in the car I immediately turn on the windshield deflector to the maximum and dry everything thoroughly with a hairdryer. Air enters all inaccessible slots and in addition leaves no stains.

  • Vladimir

    Two plastic ties.
    Or such a penny thing.

    • Andrei

      for sure, but this thing needs to wait another 3-4 weeks.

      You can wrap the line or thread stronger around the ring and unscrew

      • Vladimir

        In any building program, in stock. :)))

        • Andrei

          I saw such things only on ebee.
          in the construction shop what are they called?

          • Vladimir

            No, I'm talking about screeds.

            PS
            As they wrote in the kamenty below - use a soft pencil to poke around the carving, then twist it a little and blow off the dust. Repeat periodically. But this does NOT work on plastic.

  • Jury

    and I shot the adapter so jammed

  • Sergei

    If the filter does not unscrew, move your thumb and forefinger (it is better to twist with two fingers) a little further along the frame, try to twist it again, no force is needed here, the harder you press, the more the frame deforms and “squeezes” at the point of compression. Here's the point: the frame is not perfectly round, you need to find the place of maximum bulge when you unscrew it, press it down, thereby aligning the oval to a circle, then it can be easily removed.

  • zengarden

    Really nobody advised WD-40 yet? ;)

    For "iron" lenses, the method with freezing is hardly acceptable.
    In filters, as a rule, the front (upper) edge is slightly corrugated. You can put it on a clinging surface (rubber, mouse pad), slightly press and turn.
    In general, there is a specially trained lubricant (for flashlights, like thick silicone), with which you can slightly lubricate suspicious threads before screwing up what is there.

    • Lynx

      and how do you wash vdshku?
      ....
      quite acceptable.

  • Alexey

    buy filters with a brass ring and not aluminum.
    will be a little more expensive but brass very rarely wedges.

  • anonym

    I read at some photo blogger about plastic clamps, and taking photos in the rain, in the cold and keeping lenses in the refrigerator), I recommend having a photo bag, a bag, a pair of linen bags with silica gel. I underline SACKS, NOT BAGS!)

    • Sergei

      Where is silica gel sold? I can’t find anywhere in stores.

      • Jury

        go to “cent shoes” and get stuck from any box)))

        • anonym

          In-in!

      • anonym

        Do you buy shoes? Ask your friends who buy shoes. There are small bags in the box labeled "silica". And you can also look for sophisticated optical equipment in various branded packages, from the military (gunners, flyers, in short, everyone who has optical measuring instruments, etc.). I wish you success.

        • Novel

          The Chinese in all the flashes lie too (Yongnuo, Shanny for sure, the rest probably too)

          • Lynx

            * PUT

            • Novel

              sori ... wrote quickly)

  • Sergey

    Advice from personal experience: in order for the filter in the frame to not wedge, you need to go through the filter thread with a simple pencil. The remains of the stylus must be brushed off with a Lenspen brush.
    This method saves even in the case of contact of aluminum alloys with coarse thread.

    • Alexander

      While I wrote the comment, you got ahead of me =). It’s done so myself, I don’t remove the filter very rarely, but there have never been problems.

  • Alexander

    I read somewhere that it is possible to prevent jamming of the thread of the filter by moving the thread of the filter with an ordinary simple pencil. Carbon remains on the thread and prevents the filter from wedging (plays the role of a lubricant). Well, there is no need to overtighten, there is no need for effort.

    • anonym

      Use only the softest pencil! The same "Lenspen" has a cleaner for glass with the same graphite.

      • Vladimir

        Soot. Not graphite. A slightly different crystal lattice.

        • anonym

          Soot should not be greasy if there is soot. I haven’t seen such in nature. I have a branded kit, so there is the finest powder, in my opinion, graphite, it is just visible. Maybe I'm wrong.

          • Vladimir

            Wash the spoon thoroughly.
            Apply a layer of soot on it with a gas lighter.
            Are you using ...

  • Iskander

    And I broke my filter while unscrewing it. Live and learn, you will die a fool ...

  • Alain

    In my practice there was a story with a polarizing filter. He sat tightly on the lens. Either crookedly twisted, or whatever. But he did not want to act in any. And to remove the polarik is much more difficult, since it has one part spinning by itself. Rummaged then all Internet. I also read about the freezer, but did not dare. I found the recipe even easier and more effective in the case of the polarik: Double-sided gallop! We wrap them with the filter attachment point, thereby fixing the rotating part from the inside of the gallop and, accordingly, the grip of the hand from the outside)), and it is easily removed. Easy and no side condensation.

    • Eugene

      Thank you very much! Removed polarik!

    • Andrei

      Thanks for the advice. There was just a problem with a polaric - it was a year old .. Then I found your review, I helped right away.

    • Alexander

      Her, finally unscrewed !!!
      It didn't help with freezing, apparently because the hood (onto which the filter was screwed on) and the filter frame itself are metal and their thermal expansion coefficient is either approximately the same, or the filter has a smaller one and after cooling the hood it “grabs” the filter even more. But with double-sided tape rolled

    • Andrei

      Thanks a lot! helped

  • Peter Sh.

    I knock him gently. If you get enough, it helps. I didn’t come up with anything else.
    Thanks for the tips!

    • Eugene

      I tried to knock on the polaric with a cleaning pencil - in vain!

  • Eugene

    I use a piece of foam rubber. If the filter is jammed in the lens thread, I wrap the first one with foam rubber along the outer diameter and, applying some force to the upper end of the filter frame, unscrew it. If the filter is a circular polaric, the force is applied around the circumference of the non-rotating part of the filter. The foam should be slightly higher than the height of the filter frame. The method has never failed. And for advanced users, special filter removers are sold on ebee, which Vladimir mentioned.

  • Lynx

    I wonder how many people manage to wedge themselves filters! Yes, and take off, put them 20 times a day!

    • anonym

      The main thing is that the brain does not jam! And so the hands are busy, and the head.)

      • Lynx

        Whatever the child is amusing ..

    • Victor

      But I bought a used lens with such a filter. It was possible to remove only after half a year, when it got colder. Hands. Nothing helped before that.

      • Lynx

        “Dear (s, s) gr… ..! We got
        and read your interesting letter. The facts you report are well known.
        science and interest are not. Nevertheless, we warmly thank you for
        your observation and we wish you success in your work and personal life. " Signature.

        • anonym

          Simple such rudeness.
          And to you, it probably seems witty ...

          • Ry

            Anonymous is worse than a fag

    • Andrei

      I have one polarizer for the maximum size and a couple of rings for smaller sizes.
      so a narrow filter from a narrow ring is not easy to remove.

  • Denis

    Thanks Arkady for the advice!

  • Pastor

    Thank you, Arkady, for the good advice. I will break 17-40 in this way. Otherwise, the protective filter cannot be removed at all. Although you don't really need to take it off, thanks to it, dust and moisture protection is preserved, but it's still a shame that I can't remove the filter. I remember on Nikon 70-300vr hoya got stuck. There I had to tinker for a long time, tried different options, with a collar and tapped ... As a result, anger seized, I decided, I’ll break it and stupidly began to twist it with all the foolishness - it unscrewed, even the filter survived :) But with the filter at 17-40 it’s generally a disaster, foolishness is not enough to unscrew. I will freeze ...

  • Sergei

    The filter can be easily twisted if it is clasped by a narrow strip of rubber cut from a bicycle camera.

  • wharfage

    in terms of condensate after the refrigerator, I would add:
    - put the lens with the filter in a plastic bag, tie it up, put it in the refrigerator and continue as planned ...
    remove the filter directly through the bag, leave the lens to warm directly in the bag in the case ...

    all the same, modern lenses are also full of electronics, and how it can oxidize - hz.

  • wharfage

    Arkady, I have two questions:
    The picture says “Photo tricks from Radozhiva, part 23”, but why is it not indicated in the title of the article and how to get acquainted with the previous 22 parts by name? ,,, ^ .. ^ ,,,

    Do not offer a sitemap))

  • Dmitriy

    I had problems only when the edge bent from falling. Once I had to cut with pliers.

  • WWW

    put on rubber gloves and unscrew any filter, naturally if you don’t drive nails into them

  • Vital

    I just took a Canon D500 from a friend, so there the filter jammed from a blow! Even it was evident that on one side it flattened slightly, I was surprised as soon as the whale lens remained alive. Although it was stuck on autofocus. How to remove such difficult cases? Has anyone come across?

    • zagurdoger

      In severe cases (if the thread is deformed by impact), only “surgical intervention” will help: remove the glass, bite / saw through the mandrel in a couple of places and break it with pliers. The filter, of course, is then destroyed, but the lens does not suffer.

  • Igor

    I press the lens with the filter tightly to the sole of the shoe (usually a slipper) and easily unscrew it)

  • Novel

    I had a case, I bought a new filter made in China; the city screwed it in and back in no way. What I just didn’t do, I thought already to pick it out so that the lens wouldn’t hurt, I took a knife to pick it up and, lo and behold, it got out freely. Once again I twisted it and he returned with his hands no matter how but with a knife for a notch freely. That is, if fingers do not press on both sides, then it warps.

  • Sumsar

    It can be pressed to linoleum, it unscrews easily.

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