Stuck step down ring on A1, help!
 

I`ve never seen a tool to unscrew stuck filters or stepping rings so please enlighten me how on earth can stuck stepping rings and filters be unscrewed?

Somehow I managed to screw a step down ring to my A1 so that it`s stuck now. I have had that problem all the time in my photography career too so I never use any filters other than stackable Cokin`s.
This time I made a stupid mistake to screw on a cold 72 to 58mm stepping ring to my camcorder and I cant throw away the lens on this camera.

Thanks in advance,
T

What I've done in the past is go to a grocery store or one of those places that sells kitchen stuff and get a stuck lid opener. That's a flat thin rubber disc about 6 inches in diameter. It allows you to grip jar lids without slipping. When you try to get a stuck filter ring off, it's easy to squeeze it or the lens, and that just makes it worse. What you have to do is lay this rubber disc on the surface and press down with your palm and twist. If you place your hand flat onto a table surface and twist--that's what you want to do. The jar opener will provide traction, and by not squeezing on the side you should be able to get the stuck ring off. If it's not stuck too badly, you may be able to do it with just the palm of your hand. If these get stuck a lot for you, you may be either cross-threading them accidentally, or using rings whose threads are too coarse or too fine for the thread pitch of the lens. Hope that makes sense.

Get into a very warm, almost "hot" environment and let the camera warm up. The threads should "expand" enough for you to get the filter loose. Avoid humidity though, but maybe get close to a fireplace, stove, etc. Use obvious caution and good luck!

Try to avoid putting on "screw on" filters when it's cold.

Recreate the conditions that existed when you put the filter on. Do not use a great deal of force as this will F! your camera up beyond repair and that's not covered under warranty.

If you cannot finesse the filter off you will need to take it to a repair shop.

Best of Luck!

So I went off to local Home Depot equivalent and picked up a rubber jar opener. Applied the technique that Bill suggested and off it came. It worked for all my other stuck UV filters and stepping rings too.

Thanks,
T

just to let you know. instead of having to buy one of those, just use the bottom of your mouse pad. it has rubber on the bottom. it works for me.

Good idea on the mousepad!