AE-1 Prgm with stuck lens

BobD · Apr 27, 2022

I bought what seemed like a very clean Canon AE-1 Prgm with the New FD 50/1.8 lens but soon discovered a major issue. The lens will not come off. The little chrome lens release button at the base of the lens fell off when I tried to remove it and there is nothing movable or "pushable" underneath it. I have tried twisting the lens with as much force as I dare and it will not move a bit.

This lens has accessible screws around the perimeter of its base and I'm wondering if removing them will be of any value here?

I inspected another lens of the same type to try to see how the lens mount lock works but there really isn't any part of the lock that is visible. I was hoping I could slide a thin blade between lens and mount but that does not seem like it would do any good with this lens.

Any ideas?

gone · Apr 27, 2022

Well, something will need to be removed, that's for sure. You have one of the rare problems that I haven't experienced.....yet. What a crazy problem too. Hopefully someone here will chime in w/ a way to get that lens off. Maybe, maybe you could dismantle the lens from the front and get to something? I am just at a loss as to what you should do.

Your camera doesn't sound like either of my 2 K mount cameras, they have a lens release on the body.

Try this:

Removing a lens from an AE-1 Program

Nikon guy here. I can't for the life of me figure out how to remove a lens from a Canon AE-1 Program SLR. I've gone to the PDF manual online, and can see how to mount the lens, but I can't figure out the unmount sequence. The lens in question is not a Canon, but a third party zoom: Kalimar 28-200...

www.photo.net

https://www.ephotozine.com/forums/topic/can-t-get-lens-off-camera--26411

Dan Daniel · Apr 27, 2022

What do you see from the back? Cable release, lock it open on B and see if anything is accessible?

BobD · Apr 27, 2022

Dan Daniel said:
What do you see from the back? Cable release, lock it open on B and see if anything is accessible?

Thanks but I tried that. No help.

I think, unless a bright idea surfaces, I am just going to keep body and lens together and use for parts. I already have a lens that needs a new front element and there are plenty of parts on the body that I can pull.

Or, I may try a more forceful twist on the lens since it seems the lens release button is in the release position -- the lens just doesn't want to budge. I suspect the camera was dropped giving the mount a slight warp.

reddesert · Apr 27, 2022

The original Canon FD lenses used a breechlock, a collar on the lens that rotates while the body of the lens remains stationary. This is what most of the link momus posted is referring to. It doesn't apply to your "New FD" lens.

The New FD lens mounts more like other camera's bayonet lenses, where the body of the lens rotates. But the lens release button is on the lens, and additionally the release button locks down once the lens comes off - it is freed somehow with a link that is depressed when you press the lens onto the body. The FD mount is a little complex in this respect, as you can't always tell what the lens is doing when it's off the body (it also locks the aperture).

To understand the internals of the New FD mount you might want to look at
https://learncamerarepair.com/product.php?product=716&category=2&secondary=1
I think if you take off the 3 screws securing the outer collar to the metal mount ring, you can probably pull the lens off the mount, but be careful because there is something under spring tension that tensions the release button, and you have to fiddle the lens into place to line up the screw holes to get it back together.

BobD · Apr 27, 2022

reddesert said:
To understand the internals of the New FD mount you might want to look at
https://learncamerarepair.com/product.php?product=716&category=2&secondary=1
I think if you take off the 3 screws securing the outer collar to the metal mount ring, you can probably pull the lens off the mount, but be careful because there is something under spring tension that tensions the release button, and you have to fiddle the lens into place to line up the screw holes to get it back together.

Thanks. I didn't know about this reference. I will study it.

John Koehrer · Apr 28, 2022

FWIW Don't laugh!

If the lens has been installed incorrectly it will cause something like this. Like Mr. desert suggests
put on bulb & take a look. it may be difficult but check this.

With the lens in place, there should be a red dot on the back of the lens visible.
I don't have a body here to verify but the dot should be about 10 o'clock.
Compare it to 'your other body, if they're not the same, those three screws are your only shot of
getting it off the body.
It's been too long since I dealt with one of these but the stainless steel ring should be the only thing remaining on the body
It should then easily rotate to remove.

I DON'T REMEMBER IF THERE ANY LOOSE PARTS WHEN THE RING'S REMOVED

AgX · Apr 28, 2022

Bob, I had exactly the same issue and disassembled the FDn mount to get the lens off.
It turned out a grain of sand (seemingly from a beach, as I found similar grains at other recesses of the camera) made the mechanism stuck.

The bigger challenge for me was the fiddling in getter the mount assembled again thereafter.

I guess the FDn mound is more succeptible to grains of sand than the original FD mount.

BobD · Apr 28, 2022

reddesert said:
I think if you take off the 3 screws securing the outer collar to the metal mount ring, you can probably pull the lens off the mount

Success! This did the trick. Quite easy, actually. Thanks!

BobD · Apr 28, 2022

AgX said:
The bigger challenge for me was the fiddling in getter the mount assembled again thereafter.

Now that I have the lens off, I can see that wouldn't be easy to do. But, I'm not going to even try to reassemble it. I have another lens that needs new front-end parts and I will use this one as a donor. I don't want to risk mounting this lens on a camera again.

AgX · Apr 28, 2022

The fiddling issue was getting the stainless ring again located right and fixed.

Otherwise you could test before on an extension ring. I my case the culprit was idenfied, that grain of sand blocking the twisting motion.

AgX · Apr 28, 2022

Imagine this happened during a commercial use. This made me a bit reluctant on the FDn mount.

If anyone else got an FDn lens stuck on the camera, please report !

4season · Apr 28, 2022

Someone gave me a 50/1.8 FDn for free because they assumed it was broken, but it had just been reassembled incorrectly. I recall that fixing it was kind of fiddly but didn't involve any special tools.

BobD · Apr 28, 2022

BTW, those 3 screws are quite tiny. I was surprised that they were all that was holding the lens to its mount.

gone · Apr 28, 2022

Glad to hear that worked.

My AV-1 arrived today, and the manual states that if it's a breech lock lens, then there is no lens lock. If it's a New FD lens, then "it is also possible to mount this type of lens when it is not perfectly aligned."

That may have had nothing to do w/ your problem, but it's an interesting thing to know.

dxqcanada · Apr 28, 2022

BobD said:
Thanks. I didn't know about this reference. I will study it.

I hope my doc helped.

flavio81 · Apr 28, 2022

BobD said:
I bought what seemed like a very clean Canon AE-1 Prgm with the New FD 50/1.8 lens but soon discovered a major issue. The lens will not come off. The little chrome lens release button at the base of the lens fell off when I tried to remove it and there is nothing movable or "pushable" underneath it. I have tried twisting the lens with as much force as I dare and it will not move a bit.

This lens has accessible screws around the perimeter of its base and I'm wondering if removing them will be of any value here?

I inspected another lens of the same type to try to see how the lens mount lock works but there really isn't any part of the lock that is visible. I was hoping I could slide a thin blade between lens and mount but that does not seem like it would do any good with this lens.

Any ideas?

remove the 3 screws on the perimeter of the base, nearest to the camera body and just pull the lens out. This will allow you to remove the lens with no problems.

flavio81 · Apr 28, 2022

AgX said:
Imagine this happened during a commercial use. This made me a bit reluctant on the FDn mount.

If anyone else got an FDn lens stuck on the camera, please report !

I have used the FD system for the last 22 years and have had no stuck lens.

On the other hand i never carry my cameras to the beach. Sand can cause many problems in lenses and cameras, not just with FDn lenses but with many kinds of lenses and cameras.

Sand is very, very bad for your equipment. Worse than water.

dxqcanada · Apr 28, 2022

I've also never had an FD lens get stuck either ... though I have never had the release button just fall off the lens.

AE-1 Prgm with stuck lens

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