Fix dent in GX filter ring

[koenrutten]

I bought a very nice black electro 35 GX (for 25 euro) but it has a dent in the filter ring. It's not that big and my 52mm lens cap still fits but it won't take filters.

Is there a safe way to fix this? Or should I just try bending it back with force?

PS. very nice camera, it's my first rangefinder ever. The viewfinder looks ok, but maybe I should clean it (looks a bit hazy, does a clean vf look as clear as my (eos 5d) slr's viewfinder?).
Now i'm waiting for the lab to process my first rolls of film. 🙂

 

[sevo]

There are rightening blocks from repair shop tool vendors, or you can make your own block from hard wood, and hammer out the dent with a plastic hammer and a rounded wood stake matching the filter diameter. Or use a vise with positive and negative templates exactly matching the inner and outer diameter.

Don't force it with pliers - or more generally, don't use tools that do not have the exact shape you want to unbend the dent to, or you will merely add more dents which are even harder to repair.

 

[btgc]

I generally agree with "Don't force it with pliers", especially while barrel part with thread is on camera - there's chance to damage whole lens barrel.

I have taken it off and then straightened small dent with pliers, BUT using paper padding not to damage thread and cosmetics. I tried also improvised wooden half-circle template, though Lynx 14 ring were too rigid to make impact by this method, so I opted for "tender pliers".

 

[payasam]

When this happened to my Canon FL 35/2.5 a quarter century ago (I was covering a demonstration and an over-excited cop pushed me on to a metal railing), I took a small "rat tail" file and removed the portion of the ring which had been bent inwards. After the shiny aluminium had been painted black, it was barely noticeable.

 

[b1bmsgt]

Check out this link. You might find it useful.

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/filterringtool.html

Regards,


Russ

 

[Roger Hicks]

Microtools sell a filter ring straightener, a sort of 'reverse vice' (it expands outwards to push the dent out). It pays for itself in one use (as compared with a professional repair) and after that it's free...

Cheers,

R.

 

[koenrutten]

Wow, thats a lot of good advice! tnx a lot 🙂
I'll start by trying this one: http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/filterringtool.html

I'll let you guys know how it works out.

 

[Beemermark]

If you can get it straighten out enough to get a filter on you may still find it very difficult to put on and remove filters. Get a cheap filter of the same size and remove the glass from the ring. Put the ring on and leave it there permanently, make require some glue.