Bought a cheap lens spanner off a site for $25 and it bent on the first job

Tried to open a stuck filter ring on an old Canon FD lens and the tips just folded over. Had to order a proper one from a tool supplier for three times the price. Anyone have a go-to brand for small tools that actually hold up?

3 comments

3 Comments

cole_patel412mo ago

Been there. Those cheap spanners are basically just painted aluminum. For stuck rings, I warm the filter with a hair dryer first to break down any old glue or gunk. Then I use a proper steel spanner, the kind machinists would use. My go-to is from a company that makes actual hand tools, not photo gear.

patricia6341mo ago

Maybe it's just me but I swear those cheap spanners are a conspiracy to make us all go bald from pulling our hair out. Had one that literally bent like a wet noodle the first time I tried to get a stubborn UV filter off. Actually ended up using a pair of vice grips wrapped in electrical tape in a moment of desperation. Worked somehow but the filter looked like it survived a war. Hair dryer trick is solid advice though, I do that on everything now even jars of pickles.

the_drew2mo ago

Yeah... learned that lesson the hard way with a cheap spanner too. Felt like it was made of tin foil.