Help!!! What on earth?!

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I'm angry and frustrated and confused. I just got a new f/1.8 50mm Canon lens for my 350D. I bought also an adapter ring from 52mm to 58mm, so I could use all my 58mm filters on it.

I got the lens brand new. Put it on camera. Put on adapter ring. Put on filter. Shot many pictures. Got very happy. Put camera away.

Four days later, I take it out to shoot, and notice that AF doesn't work. The lens is jammed. I try MF, and the MF ring is jammed. I look more closely and see that my adapter ring (made of metal) appears to be on crooked! When I got these new things, I CAREFULLY put them on just right and successfully took pictures. Now everything's screwy! It looks like it got slammed into a wall or dropped! No one touches this camera but me and I assure you I have not let the slightest thing happen to it.

So, I tried and tried and tried for an hour and a half to unscrew the adapter ring. It is SO STUCK. Tried rubber jar openers. Tried with all my strength (and I'm a really good jar opener, I can always open them!) and that thing WILL NOT MOVE. What do I do? Take it to a camera shop? Ask my husband to try unscrewing it? Will something break? If I finally get it off, will my lens be jammed forever? :confused: :pale:
 
anyone? :( is it broken?

The only thing I can think of is that while in my camera bag, it got a bad enough bump (how?? I don't know!) and jammed the ring down on one side so now the threads are all not lined up. If I don't hear any replies I suppose I will at the very least hop over to the camera store and ask them what they think. *sigh* Perhaps I just need a meaty-handed PJ's Camera guy to unscrew it........
 
Try flat-palming the ring. When you try to turn it with your fingers squeezing the edges, it can make it very difficult to remove.
 
Oh my... that's awful!!! :-(

You've probably screwed up the thread for sure on the lens and your step ring so why don't you just try bashing it off. Try hitting it with something......the actual glass is pretty far away from the thread so you might be alright there. But the vibrations might cause more internal damage.

Or just keep trying to twist... Just make sure you're not wrecking the focusing ring at the same time.
 
Fear not, for the f 1,8 is a cheap lens... or should be ;)

You might want to try wrap the top of the lens (the thread part) with ice before you try removing it again, since you almost got nothing to lose here... condensation is the least you should worry about, since you can put some drying agent to suck out moisture after you've saved your lens. Trying to force the thread off will probably destroy the glass, not to mention the thread is useless anymore (it may already have). It could be that your thread must have gone burst due to assymetrical expansion of the thread because of the heat unless you're in the North Hemisphere, which I heard has been unusually cold for winter. ;) (because you did not mention anything about dropping the camera or anything. Besides, everyone here can relate to how protective of everyone of his camera ;))

Taking it to the camera shop is a last resort, as they probably can't do much as well other than recommending you a substitute lens at your own expense.

If that still doesn't work, well, you can always use it to make fire if you decide to do a barbecue or burn off trash ;)
 
:( Thanks for the suggestions everyone...I was afraid the responses might be something like this.

It must have gotten bopped in my bag, that's the only way it could happen...I put the camera in on its side and the lens was facing the outer wall of the bag rather than facing in....so it must have gotten bopped. Needless to say that's really stupid and I now store it with lens facing in.

When I take off the lens and put it facedown on a flat surface, the step ring is seemingly bent! It's so insane, I would have had to throw my camera at a brick wall to do that I would think! :( I don't want to try bashing it off......that terrifies me! I'll crack the glass!

Ugh.....I suppose I just need to order a new lens? This is so stupid, it seems so fixable. I feel like I should just be able to try a little harder and unscrew it. But I've bruised my palms trying. :grumpy:
 
As odd as this might sound, try to tighten a little more with the jar opener thing and then try to take it off. Remember, righty tighty, lefty lucy.
 
It doesn't sound all that odd, I did try righty tighty first. :confused: Thought maybe "when I first put it on it wasn't super tight and it got jammed in so maybe I'll try to tighten and straighten and THEN release," but no dice. Arghhhh! I am so angry. This lens is a week old. I'll just keep um, staring at it and pouting and maybe it will come loose. My husband also has a knack for making anything work, fixing everything, loosening the "unloosenable" :lol: so it's worth a try asking him before giving up. (I haven't asked him yet because he was in bed already when I discovered this infuriating problem).
 
That's why I don't like extension rings. Looks like the lens is toast.


Canon is one cheap company. It would never happen to an old lens.
 
Maybe taking it to a camera shop would be worth a shot. They might have some experience with it (look for an older person who looks like they have been there a while)...or, if it does get broken in the attempt, they may just give you a new lens.
 
Thanks Mike,

That's what I'm going to do. I have mentally resigned myself to the fact that I may very well have to order a new lens. But if I have to order one either way, I may as well have a guy break it trying. That way at least I know it REALLY couldn't be fixed. Who knows, even if he successfully removes the ring, the focus ring may be damaged. :(

My setup was this, stacked from camera body out:
camera body + lens + adapter ring + UV filter.

Would this work better in the future:
camera body + lens + filter + adapter ring IF AND ONLY IF I want to use my polarizer??
 
Ohhh-kay. Just got back from Helix. (It's kind of like Chicago's own little B&H). :)

Good people there. I made eye contact with the oldest dude I could find and he took one look and said "Yep...it's cross threaded." Tried tape and screwdrivers and brute strength, and finally removed my step ring from my lens. So I got all excited....but then we put the lens back on the body and discovered that the AF is ruined, and MF only works if you grab it on the right areas. SO. :( I got a new one. He was looking at the step ring itself and THAT is what wrecked things. :( Just bad threads. He was putting Tiffen step rings on with no problem, but mine wouldn't go back on.

So...I just bought a $9 UV Haze filter that actually FITS this lens. Cheap insurance against this happening again.

Thanks for your help everybody, we almost fixed it! :)
 
Give the UV filter back. Waste of money and image quality.

It only degrades image quality. And it's hard to scratch the front element. I tried really hard to!
 
A UV filter can be handy to have under certain conditions if you shoot landscapes. I shoot mostly portraits so I don't have any on my lenses. I agree that keeping it on by default isn't always the best thing to do, even though that seems to be a frequent recommendation. I can be good for beginers or clumsy people until they are used to handling the equipment.
 

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