Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Hello,

I have a an excellent condition 70-200 2.8 non-IS Canon L lens for sale, but during the first few months of owning the lens, I bent the filter slightly that is currently on it, so it won't come off without me cutting it off. Here's the thing, it's a fancy-pants B+W filter that cost $130 and it works perfectly, so even though I haven't taken it off the lens in something like 3 years, there's no real reason to cut if off that I can think of, unless you want to use a polarizer. Sun Camera charges $40 for this service.

So... do I cut it off, thereby ruining the filter and sell the lens as is, or explain all this in my FS post? I feel like if I say all this, people will assume the lens is defective in some way and lowball me, or it wouldn't be an attractive purchase at all. I'm totally willing to drop the price to a "very good deal" level, but I also don't want to be taken advantage of, just because I don't want to ruin a perfectly good filter.

What should I do?

Thanks for any input!

If you pay Sun, will your filter be compromised?

I would say cut it off. As a buyer, I would assume the camera was dropped or hit pretty hard against something to cause that sort of damage.

If you cut it off will the lens still fit a filter or are the threads damaged?

Yes, they'll cut it, thereby destroying it.



Nope, the threads are ok. In fact, I don't even remember hitting the filter part against anything, I just tried removing the filter when I decided to sell the lens, and couldn't.

Basically it's a mint lens with a great filter and the only thing that's wrong is the filter, but to a buyer that will only use a UV filter on their lens, this is a perfect setup.

Then get a filter wrench if you don't already have one and try again. The trick to getting a stuck thread is think of moving a 100 Kg only 0.5mm Alcohol makes a good temporary lube. Also carefully warm the lens barrow and cool the filter and visa versa.

Try and apply even pressure on the filter. You can try putting the lens (filter side down or course) on the back of a mouse pad on a flat desk. If you have no alternative but to cut the filter ring, save the actual filter, buy a cheap 77mm filter and replace the filter with the B+W one.

You'll probably get more money for it if you get it removed, but in all honesty, you can just let the buyer know. They probably won't care if they want a decent filter on it anyhow.

I know "I" would probably just take it at a reduced cost if I saw this posted for sale somewhere since I'd assume it was dropped.

I would cut the filter. If the filter's threads are already damaged, you don't want to wreck/repattern the threads on the lens whilest forcing it off.

For some reason when even i sell a lens, no matter what filter I include or charge extra for, it never seems to fetch me more money. What you can do is tell them filter was on since day x... but you would not be including the filter so atleast they know the front element has always been protected.

show a pic of the filter

I would cut the filter off. Having a bent filter on the lens may indicate to a prospective buyer that the lens has been dropped and that will lower your chances of selling the lens at a good price.

Great news!

Took it to Sun Camera. They cut four notches in a criss cross fashion at the top of the filter, inserted this wrench and it came right off. No bent in it anywhere, so both filter and lens are perfect. Tech said that maybe there was some debris between the filter and the lens barrel that got caught when I was putting it on.

Main thing is the filter is now sitting on my 70-200 2.8 II

So this baby is for sale... check BST

Thanks to all for your replies.

~Phil