Stuck Canon breech-lock FL Lenses

[agfarapid]

I just came in to a stash of vintage Canon cameras and lenses--a Canon Pellix and 19mm 3.5, 50mm 1.4 and a 35mm 2.5. They're in excellent shape--almost new and I can't wait to use them. One problem--the rear lens caps on a couple of these lenses are stuck & I can't get them off! Anyone else out there know how to un-stick these older breech lock lenses?

[MattKing]

Does the breech lock rotate on the lenses with the stuck back caps?

[steven_e007]

Silly point, sorry if I'm telling you how to such eggs: You are rotating them the right way? Yes?

I only ask because I once picked up a CZ Sonnar 180mm lens at a real bargain price because the shop, desperate to remove the 6 X 6 to 35mm adaptor, had actually placed the thing in a vice and chewed up the aluminium ring. I know they were twisting the wrong way from the gouged teeth marks in the ring.

When I got it home I turned the ring the right way and it came off fairly easily

Idea: Wrap the lenses in plastic (to keep condensation out). Place in the fridge for a few hours. Take them out, unwrap and gently apply a little heat to the cap with a hair-dryer. The differential expansion may well do the trick.

[holmburgers]

Ahh, the rear caps are stuck?

First off, don't do anything rash; they're plastic and I can't imagine that they'd really get stuck so bad that a little finesse won't pop them right off.

Make sure the breech "ring" is turned all the way to the right (clockwise), if you're looking at the front of the lens. This is in the "locked" position. Once it's all the way, then jiggle the cap around and see if you can get it to seat. To take the cap off properly you need to turn the collar counter-clockwise, then if the cap is in there properly it should effortlessly come right off.

It's possibel that it's jammed; like the collar has been turned hard right while the cap was not properly nestled into it's grooves, resulting in a jam. If that's the case, turn it counterclockwise while jiggling the cap around.

This might not be the proper "order of operations", but maybe it'll give you some way to think about it.

Best of luck, the 35mm f/2.5 is a lens I like quite a bit.

[agfarapid]

Thanks so much for the help & responses. To answer Matt, both the ring and the caps are jammed. Won't move in either direction. Steve, I've tried in both directions--no luck. I'm going to try the hair dryer trick and let's see what happens. I welcome all suggestions--no matter how crazy they might seem.

[akphot]

Check to see that the red dot is at the aperture index point at top of lens then remove.Ric

[John Koehrer]

You can also grab the locking ring with a jar opener(rubber pad) or wear a glove on the hand you grip it with.