Circular Polarizer stuck: So I put it on yesterday because it was really bright sun. There was not a lot of fall colr but the sky was really blue. Anyway when I went to put stuff back...

rick_n_wv Loc: Charleston WV

So I put it on yesterday because it was really bright sun. There was not a lot of fall colr but the sky was really blue. Anyway when I went to put stuff back in the bag the polarizer would not unsrew. Got home and tried some warm water, hot water, and then tried putting in the refrigerator, then even the freezer. No go. It went on easy and did not tighten hard. It is a Hoya NXT plus.
Any ideas?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

See if you can find one of these jar openers at a local store. Or, mail order.

https://www.oxo.com/categories/cooking-and-baking/tools-and-gadgets/can-and-jar-openers/jar-opener-with-base-pad-438.html

Ava'sPapa Loc: Cheshire, Ct.

That's happened to me before and I just use a rubber band to remove it . Never failed.

twowindsbear

Try wrapping a rubber band around the part of the filter that has the threads, NOT the rotating part. This should provide a better grip and allow you to remove the filter.

Good luck

Pistnbroke Loc: UK

The reason it wont come off is that your efforts are squeezing it out of round. I assume it has a ring for another filter ….grab this with a pair of pliers at 90 deg to the filter and apply a rotational pressure...sounds drastic but it always works and I never damaged the threads yet.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Save all of your answers/methods/tricks. etc. This problem will come up again within a month. In fact, there is another similar, running at the moment.

Bill_de Loc: US

Pistnbroke wrote:

The reason it wont come off is that your efforts are squeezing it out of round. I assume it has a ring for another filter ….grab this with a pair of pliers at 90 deg to the filter and apply a rotational pressure...sounds drastic but it always works and I never damaged the threads yet.

'cept that the ring for another filter spins freely on a polarizer.

---

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Bill_de wrote:

'cept that the ring for another filter spins freely on a polarizer.

---

Too logical...Bill...

User ID

Pistnbroke wrote:

The reason it wont come off is that your
efforts are squeezing it out of round. I
assume it has a ring for another filter ….
grab this with a pair of pliers at 90 deg
to the filter and apply a rotational pressure...
sounds drastic but it always works and I
never damaged the threads yet.

!!!!!! Go with the rubber bands. !!!!!!

The explanations offered that you put
it out of round by gripping it are quite
correct. It's made with two aluminum
rings and the stationary ring that you
need to grip is thinner than the ring
on an ordinary filter ... easily put out
of round by even a modest grip. The
rubber bands give you more purchase
with less pressure, allowing the ring
to remain round.

rick_n_wv Loc: Charleston WV

Rubber band worded. I did fail to mention it was not a lens but a UV filter which I figure made it even easier to go out of round.. After it came off tried it a couple more times. Why, because I have used it several times and want to use it in the future. I'm kinda like if I have to worry I won't use it so just replace it kind of a guy. Thanks all for the explanation. I figure when it failed to unscrew I just gripped it harder which only frustrated me more.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

rick_n_wv wrote:

So I put it on yesterday because it was really bright sun. There was not a lot of fall colr but the sky was really blue. Anyway when I went to put stuff back in the bag the polarizer would not unsrew. Got home and tried some warm water, hot water, and then tried putting in the refrigerator, then even the freezer. No go. It went on easy and did not tighten hard. It is a Hoya NXT plus.
Any ideas?

Went on with the lens warm from the sun? Polarizer cool from inside camera bag. So expanded lens threads, non-expanded filter threads. Now they are the same temperature and expand contract together - tight. You either need something to grip gently and twist with or figure out how to cool the filter and/or heat the lens threads while leaving the filter cool so it loosens.

rick_n_wv Loc: Charleston WV

robertjerl wrote:

Went on with the lens warm from the sun? Polarizer cool from inside camera bag. So expanded lens threads, non-expanded filter threads. Now they are the same temperature and expand contract together - tight. You either need something to grip gently and twist with or figure out how to cool the filter and/or heat the lens threads while leaving the filter cool so it loosens.

Coming from a HVAC background that makes sense too. It set over night and when I tried the rubber band thing it came right off. Think there may have been a combination too. When it didn't unscrew I did grip it pretty hard. Would have made it out of round if I had stopped to think.

twowindsbear

rick_n_wv wrote:

Rubber band worded. I did fail to mention it was not a lens but a UV filter which I figure made it even easier to go out of round.. After it came off tried it a couple more times. Why, because I have used it several times and want to use it in the future. I'm kinda like if I have to worry I won't use it so just replace it kind of a guy. Thanks all for the explanation. I figure when it failed to unscrew I just gripped it harder which only frustrated me more.

carefully clean the mounting thread on both the camera & the filter(s). The very least bit of dirt can make filters jam like that. glad you got the problem solved.

User ID

robertjerl wrote:

Went on with the lens warm from the sun? Polarizer cool from inside camera bag. So expanded lens threads, non-expanded filter threads. Now they are the same temperature and expand contract together - tight. You either need something to grip gently and twist with or figure out how to cool the filter and/or heat the lens threads while leaving the filter cool so it loosens.

Uh-huh. Mebbe refrigerate the rubber bands ....

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

And I always keep a plastic filter wrench in my bag...