Dent in the filter ring

[TarterTurtle]

Hi all, sorry for the second thread, but I have a bit of a problem, I bike with my camera ALOT, so I guess this was bound to happen, and I'm lucky it wasn't worse, but I recently fell of my bike.. at a very high speed, my camera bag was on the handlebars, and it flew off when I fell of, when it hits the ground the lens got a big dent in it, I know I can fix it with one of those lens wrench thingies, but they cost 25 dollars and I could get another lens for a little bit more then that, is there any other way to fix it besides that? Thanks
-Nathan

 

[Jeff15]

The moral of this story is you should be more careful with your gear......

 

[480sparky]

If it's only the threaded portion that's bent, you may be able to to CAREFULLY grind the bent portion off. There will be a gap, but it will function like normal. A hobby tool ('dremel') works best.

 

[TarterTurtle]

The moral of this story is you should be more careful with your gear......

Kind of, I think the moral of the story is don't go speeding down a hill and around a rotary with your gear

 

[zombiesniper]

If it doesn't affect the performance I would leave it alone.

If it does and you can replace the lens for around $25.........I can't even get a kit lens for that....replace the lens.

 

[compur]

It depends on how extreme the dent is. A photo of the dent would help.

I have "undented" many lenses and have never owned one of those tools. I've used padded pliers and other tools -- even can or bottle openers.

 

[Derrel]

Wrap needle nose plier jaws with three wraps of masking tape and get to work. Move slowly. A piece of hard wood can also be useful. Easy does it. A helper can be....helpful...

 

[Space Face]

It's a tricky one. If the lens as you say is not that valuable and the damage doesn't interfere with the images taken then it's no big deal. However, me being me, I'd use it as an excuse to buy something new

 

[Derrel]

If the lens is the one that I am thinking of the filter ring is actually fairly soft black anodized aluminum, not steel. When you are using black and white film is often quite nice to have a yellow or red or orange or green filter on but when you are using Color Film at normal elevations is often no problem to shoot with no filter at all, so in this case the dent in the filter ring is more a psychological problem than a real one. But as I said if it is the lens that I am thinking of that part of the lens is made of Fairly soft aluminum and it is not that difficult to get a dent out of that metal. You can use a very small 4in adjustable crescent wrench to actually bend the metal backwards which is often easier than using pliers.

 

[TarterTurtle]

I shoot on black and white film, but I have never used a filter, although i am planning on buying a set as soon as I can. its a rather small dent, so i can probably fix it with pliers, or a crescent lens, the lens is just the stock 50mm SMC Pentax,
Thanks for all the help
-Nathan

 

[compur]

... lens is just the stock 50mm SMC Pentax...

Those Pentax 50s are nice lenses.

 

[TarterTurtle]

... lens is just the stock 50mm SMC Pentax...

Those Pentax 50s are nice lenses.

They are, but I've seen them for cheap on eBay

 

[webestang64]

I shoot a lot with Pentax 50's and only use a filter (red, yellow....etc.) for BW. Instead of a filter all the time I use a metal lens hood. I have gone through a few hoods from dropped damage in the last 30 years and the lenses have all survived intact.