That $30 lens spanner I bought off eBay actually worked for my stuck helicoid

2 comments

2 Comments

Have you actually tried turning that helicoid with your hands after using the spanner? I've had a couple of those cheap spanners slip right off and scratch up the lens barrel, so I always put a thin layer of rubber or a piece of an old bike inner tube between the spanner and the metal now. The fit on the pins is usually pretty loose on those, so if you're not careful you could end up doing more damage than good. Just something to keep in mind if you haven't already checked the grip.

jordanc6810h ago

Disagree completely. Those cheap spanners are fine if you know what you're doing. The whole point of a metal spanner is you get a solid bite on those pins, and wrapping rubber around it just makes it harder to feel when you've got a good grip. I've stripped more threads trying to turn helicoids by hand after using a spanner than I ever have from a spanner slipping. If your spanner is slipping, you're probably not seating the pins all the way or you're using the wrong size. Scratches on the barrel are a cosmetic issue, not a functional one, and if you're that worried about it, put some tape on the barrel, not on the tool.