Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Anyone know how to remove a broken filter from the camera lens? My friend dropped her 24-105 while the lens hood was off . Removed the glass shards but the metal ring is still stuck on the lens. Thankfully the front element was not damaged.

Pliers, and VERY careful/steady hands.
If you've bent the housing, you will need to try and normalize things to get it out properly.

I had the same thing happen to me. I've done this 3 times now. Much easier to cut the filter and then bend it off. You just have to put a slit on it. Let me know if you need help.

First, make sure that you clear any loose glass away from the lens. After that use a Dremmel tool to cut a couple of opposing notches in the front of the filter's metal collar, then use a butter knife to unscrew it.

Rubber shoe soles will get a really good grip. But, if its actually bent, then you'll probably have to cut it out.

+1

I would try one of those rubber lid grippers but if that fails you will probably have to cut the filter as recommended above.

Do u know what metal the filter is made of? Most are aluminum and putting the lens in the deep freeze may constrict the metal enough to loosen from the lens. If its a brass filter b&w brand then that option won't most likely work.

cut and remove. use hand tools to do this. more control. there is exposed glass after all.

I have done this with a hack saw. Cut notches into filter then use the blade in the notches.

Scary :S i would take it to a camera repair shop and see what they would do

A potato works on light bulbs... probably not so much here.

Won't sanding risk metal shards on the lens?

Anyways if the filter glass is already broken, first see if you can put a piece of paper or something over the glass to protect it and tape it to the inside seam of the lens ring (not the filter ring) with green painter's tape (minimum residue). Take a pair of vice grips (ordinary pliers tend slip more easily), hold onto one side of the ring, twist inwards and counterclockwise. The goal of twisting inwards is to bend a small "v" in the ring so it will shrink the diameter enough so you can spin counterclockwise to unscrew it. Or you could just keep twisting the "v" inwards until the whole thing pops right out...

Oh yeah, wear gloves and glasses, you never know if a stray piece of glass from the broken filter might still be in there and pop out at you. I've done this once to a stuck filter and piece of glass flew out and cut my hand...

Put the lens on the ground.
Encircle it with white quartz rocks the size of a chicken heart.
At quadrants place the four aces.
A recent naturally deceased queen bee should rest on top of the lens barrel touching the damaged filter ring.
Light 27 candles of beeswax or palm oil.
Strip down to a loin cloth, leopard print acceptable.
Ensure you have a black cat with you.
With the moon in perogee chant a Swahili prayer to the great She Elephant.
At the moon's nadir yell at the top of your voice "HDR is effin' awesome".

The broken lens filter will release.

.....



I hope this never happens to me, I only have soy based candles, allergic to cats and bees, and I sold all my loin cloths so I could get the best leather thong available.

@Donald Best. Answer. Ever.

@OrangeToast How did this turn out?

someone's lucky

very useful info.

Well we tried using pliers and grippers, but it's still stuck on. Looks like we'll need to make a trip to Home Depot and get a dremel tool to cut it off.

Thanks for all the advise guys!

Bending it inwards with vice grips didn't do it? You need to bend harder! I can't imagine the vibrations from a dremel tool are as good to a lens as just bending a filter out of shape...

has anyone tried using side cutters instead of a saw or grinder which leaves bits of metal dust.



snip the edge of the filter ring and bend it inwards towards the centre and slightly up away from the lens.