Heads up on those cheap lens spanner wrenches from online marketplaces

I bought a $15 set off a popular site to save cash, but the tips bent on the first tough lens ring, nearly scratching the glass. Switched to my old $80 set from a real tool supplier and it popped the ring off clean in seconds. What's your go-to brand for spanners that won't let you down?

3 comments

3 Comments

viola2634d agoProlific Poster

Saw a video where a camera tech said those cheap ones are basically made of pot metal. They said the good ones use hardened steel and have the tips machined as part of the tool, not just pressed on. My old set from the hardware store is similar, just feels solid in the hand.

lee_grant972d ago

Yeah, I used to grab whatever was cheap too. Bending a tip on a stuck filter changed my whole view on that. Now I just save up for the good stuff, it's not worth the risk.

dylanbarnes4d ago

Man, @viola263 is right about the pot metal thing... but honestly, the real scare for me is the cheap ones slipping and gouging the lens barrel itself. That's a way worse fix than a stuck ring.