Old repair guy told me to freeze stuck filters, ended up cracking a $400 lens

I was working on a vintage 50mm f/1.4 that had a UV filter stuck on the front threads. Tried everything - rubber jar opener, filter wrench, even some light heat from a hair dryer. Nothing budged. Then this older guy at the local camera shop said 'just throw it in the freezer for 20 minutes, the metal contracts and it'll spin right off.' Man I was DESPERATE so I tried it. Pulled it out after 25 minutes and sure enough the filter loosened up with barely any effort. But when I checked the lens under a bright light? A hairline crack running from the filter threads halfway across the front element. The glass couldn't handle that sudden temp change I guess. Now I have a donor lens for parts. Has anyone else had bad luck with freezing lenses?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice33620d ago

Oh man, that's rough! I actually read somewhere that the problem with freezing is it only works if the lens and filter are different metals that contract at different rates. But if they're both aluminum or something similar, the whole thing shrinks together and you just stress the glass instead. I've also heard stories about condensation getting inside the lens when you pull it out of the freezer and wrecking the coating or causing fungus later. Sorry about your 50 1.4 though, that's a painful way to learn that lesson.

jadew6320d ago

My dad tried the freezer trick on a stuck filter for his old Pentax and when he took it out there was frost inside the lens that took days to fully dry out. Never had a crack happen but that condensation scared him off from ever trying it again.

piperb9320d ago

jadew63 your dad's right to be cautious, I've seen that frost mess up coatings on old lenses pretty bad.