custom filter fabrication DIY or otherwise

trythis · Feb 15, 2015

I have a Tamron SP 51B 17mm 3.5 lens and the tiny, I mean to say, tiny internal filters are not in perfect shape. I removed them and tried to clean them but they have spots that are in the glass,
Any way to make them or buy or have them made? They are thin but are actual glass, perhaps layered...

I could try cutting and grinding some, I have glass grinder but where to get thin lens glass? from bigger lenses?

I would probably take out the clear one and use a spacer for the clip but the others arent really that bad, so maybe just the clear and sky 1A.

Last thought is do you think there would be any point? Would it make any difference in image quality?

snapguy · Feb 15, 2015

good one

Boy, this is a good one. How small are the filters? I understand they are for b&w. Do you use them that often? What does the spots on the one filter do to the image? Film at 11?

trythis · Feb 15, 2015

I don't have anyway to compare the effects of the problem. Its a major pita to get to them. If If I open the lens again it will be only once more...not going to test without and take it apart again....

Also no filter threads on lens or I would open it back up and just remove them

Fixcinater · Feb 15, 2015

This is hearsay but I read somewhere about this lens (I have the same hence the internet research) that someone tried removing the clear filter due to glass issues and it lost some sharpness. Put a clear filter back in there and it gained it back.

My copy has fungus on almost all of the filters except for the clear. I didn't notice any ill effects when using the others, so I don't worry about it anymore.

Nodda Duma · Feb 15, 2015

Measure the thickness and diameter, then look in optics supply companies like Edmund Optics or Thorlabs. Also Sunex has some thin filters. Semrock too. You'll have to look around, there are more.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Feb 16, 2015

you can send it to factory to get it repaired , 17mm lens must be excellent and not cheap.

AgX · Feb 16, 2015

trythis said:
I could try cutting and grinding some, I have glass grinder but where to get thin lens glass? from bigger lenses?

I would measure their thickness and if apt grind some substitute filter from glass taken out of a regular, threaded filter.

A alternative is to inquire at a filter manufacturer as Heliopan.They for sure can cut a filter to size. Technically they also can grind and polish a filter to apt thickness, as could a workshops specialized on plano-optics.

benjiboy · Feb 16, 2015

I have the later model 17 mm Tamron SP without the built in filters that isn't threaded for filters, the 82 mm filters screw into the dedicated lens hood and cost a small fortune.

John Koehrer · Feb 16, 2015

microscope slides are thin and a bitch to cut. And I only want straight edges.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Feb 17, 2015

wrong place

custom filter fabrication DIY or otherwise

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