Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

Try to remove the filter by taking a rubber mousepad, turn upside down on a hard surface, then place your lens down on the mousepad, lens face first. Then, gently apply downward pressure on the lens, and turn the lens “counter-clockwise.” If it’s not too damaged it’ll come off. Good luck.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

It does not help the OP or answer his question by admonishing him for not using a strap, doubting that a camera repair service is closed for the time being due to the pandemic, or discussing the immigration policies in Germany.

I'm sure, unlike some of the PERFECT people around here, many of us have dropped or otherwise damage a camera- it happens! I use my camera professionally and worked as a press photographer for a time, and believe me, cameras can be subjected to heavy usage, can sustain damage, and be accidentally damaged. Me, I kinda dropped a $25,000 Fairchild Aerographic IR Cartographic camera out of an aircraft- it was tethered to the airframe by a steel cable but the slipstream ripped the eye-bolt right out of the anchor point. Lots of paperwork to 'splain that one but the Army paid for that accident. And, what's worse the had to send out a ground patrol in dangerous conditions to retrieve the remains because it contained classified imagery.

So...if the camera is functioning, there are no loose or shakey parts, especially around the lens mount, if the lens mounts and dismounts easily, if there are no discrepancies in focus across the field of view and all automatic systems are operating, you can continue to use the camera, as is, and send it in for a checkup after the repair facilities reopen. Usually, there is no hidden damage that will worsen with use. Make sure nothin or unfamiliar drag of friction n any of the controls. If any of those symptoms occur, shelve the camera until it can be repaired. If this accidental damage is not covered by your insurance or you are not lodging a lawsuit against someone else for causing the damage, there is no legal obligation to "mitigate the damage".

You can try to carefully remove a deformed filter ring. If the filter mount has been deformed, it is best to leave that job to a repair technician.

Also, while you are at it, check to see why the camera dislodged for the gimble- thigs like cross-threading, damaged tripod socket or sheered off thumbscrew, or and adjustment nut or washer not allowing enough thread depth into the socket.

I do make a habit of tethering the camera to the tripod via a decent neckstrap so if something goes south the darn rig will not hit the floor. Hindsight is always 20-20

Bankshot Loc: Henderson, NV, USA

I dropped my Nikon D7000, with Tamron 150-600 about 4 years ago. It hit the asphalt on the skylight filter ring, and busted the filter. I couldn’t shoot because of the broken glass and couldn’t remove the filter ring because it was jammed tight into the lens. I very carefully removed the broken pieces of filter glass and was then able to remove the ring. I wasn’t able to get a new filter for weeks because of where we were, but everything worked fine and has ever since. No damage to camera or lens. It was not easy to remove the broken glass, but it was the filter glass doing its job, even though it was sacrificied.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I have never had anyone try to grab my camera and run either in America or in numerous foreign countries I have visited. I am not sure why you would even bring that up. But in the same vein I have never fallen off a mountain in Colorado, never had a heart attack in Russia, never suffered a stroke in Mexico and definitely have never had a 4X5 stolen in Zimbabwe.

As for the blue state comment you might now know that even with the virus we still have the post office shipping packages, FedEx and UPS going strong.

Why did you write your post at all, is all I can think to ask. Was there a point?

Dennis

rando Loc: Rochester NY

I had trouble removing my filter recently and discovered one can buy a special wrench to remove the filter.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

My experience using those wrenches is that they don't work.

Cookie223 Loc: New Jersey

Living in the city gives you advantages that many visitors don’t have. You know where to go, and where not to go. You probably don’t look like a tourist, and know the signs to look for.
I was just there yesterday, and it’s a far cry from the city I know. Hope the summer goes by without any problems.
Take care

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

Unfortunately that does not prevent you tripping on the sidewalk like I did once. Like a true photographer, I checked out the camera before I got up.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Ed--I always appreciate reading your consistently comprehensive and rational counsel. I have historically been close to paranoid about keeping my cameras secure, clean, and away from harmful environments (except for the one that is reserved for those places). I do have one thought to add to your comments here, based on a personal experience a year ago...

I took my D500, which was still fairly new, along with my 18-200mm zoom to photograph a robotics match. Many of the kids at the school where I am a substitute teacher are members of the robotics team, so it was a good opportunity to visit with them and some of the school administrators and teachers while learning to use the camera in a moderately difficult situation (the gymnasium of one of the large local high schools). In addition, it was a good "stretching" environment, since the combination of security considerations and overall layout logistics leads to very limited shooting locations and mobility. (That combination did a surprisingly good job for me, by the way.)

Anyway, I found myself in the bleachers among lots of other folks for most of the day, and at one point I set my camera and lens down on the aluminum seat to quickly clean my glasses. It was just to be for a few seconds, but it turned out to be long enough for the 10 year old girl sitting on the row behind me to inadvertently knock my camera off the seat and onto the floor. Quick inspection showed not a mark on the camera or lens (not even on the lens hood), and further investigation revealed that everything was working just like it was supposed to. (The family was very apologetic, and we became friends and spent quite a bit of the remainder of the day visiting during idle moments.)

Some folks here may know that I'm pretty high on the SB-400 as a replacement "convenience flash." A few months later, I noticed that it was behaving strangely...the preflashes that usually occur very quickly were spread over a period of two or three seconds. I tried one of my SB-800s with the same result. Before long, the flash quit working completely.

Anyway, I went to NikonUSA's website and arranged to send the camera to them for repair, acknowledging what had happened. It was repaired and returned to me after replacement of the flash circuit board, several ribbon connectors (I think they must be one-time parts that cannot be reconnected) and a couple of other components. I was not charged for the repair, so I'm thinking that the shop didn't attribute the failure to the fall. But I'll never be really sure. I'll probably always lean to the feeling that it was related, and that Nikon USA gave me the benefit of the doubt.

My point here is that it is probably a good idea to be aware of the possibility that a drop can result in delayed failure, even if everything looks , feels, and works OK initially.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I went down once with the camera. Camera went to Canon, Lens went to Tamron Bill went to Stat Farm. Went to the office (have a rider for camera stuff) gave them the bills and they cut me a check. Interesting side point. Tamron told me that the lens shade was cheeper from B&H. When I gave the to State Farm I told them why 3 bills not 2 and they thanked me for saving the money.
Hope I don't need the insurance again.

Aldla Loc: Central NJ

I use a filter removing set of two plastic rings sold by B&H. Compact and requires less room in a camera bag than a filter.

Nikon1201

I always have my camera strap around my neck when my camera is on a tripod.

Gourmand Loc: Dallas

One more voice for Up Straps. When it comes to keeping the camera from sliding off your shoulder, nothing else has ever come close. The idea of removing a stuck filter with a mouse pad is similar to a trick that John Sexton teaches, which is to use a non-slip device held flat against the surface of the filter while turning the lens. He had found that gripping the filter with your fingers causes it to bow ever so slightly where it is not being gripped, and thus pinching tighter at those points. By using a "flat grip" you don't add any tension anywhere around the circumference of the filter, and yes, it's worked several times in the field for me.

no12mo

According to our unfortunate friend straps wouldn't have helped. It fell off the tripod gimbal head. It may or may not have had straps.

Never dropped a camera in my 60 years as a amateur / professional photographer and no I don't use straps. I wish I knew more about the circumstances surrounding the gimbal experience just what failed or how this horrible thing happened. I feel for you tuomi1947. Exactly how this happen? Just so we can make this a learning experience. Also, was the body / lens expensive and did you have insurance? You may have prompted my purchasing insurance on my cameras.

Your sympathetic friend, Alan

no12mo

Do you mean this place?

http://www.authorizedcamerarepair.com/

Alan