Drool-worthy lens repair tools...

[Kino]

Wow! Forget those cheap rubber tools on Ebay! Hubba, hubba!

https://www.ducloslenses.com/collections/service-tools

 

[jim10219]

I'm always surprised to see tools that are (to me) ridiculously priced for what they are. Especially when you could do practically the same job with much cheaper tools.

Then I think about every hobby I've ever had, and how they all have their super expensive "tools" that don't really do much more than the basic stuff, but everyone who's into that hobby or profession seems to be convinced that they need the best.

So no thank you on those friction spanner tools. I'm still saving up for my hand forged Bob Kramer 101 layer Damascus steel chef's knife to bisect my grilled cheeses.

 

[cramej]

Looks like they specialize in cine lenses. Anything cine related has a special tax - batteries, accessories, shades, tools, lenses, etc.

 

[Kino]

I'm always surprised to see tools that are (to me) ridiculously priced for what they are. Especially when you could do practically the same job with much cheaper tools.

Then I think about every hobby I've ever had, and how they all have their super expensive "tools" that don't really do much more than the basic stuff, but everyone who's into that hobby or profession seems to be convinced that they need the best.

So no thank you on those friction spanner tools. I'm still saving up for my hand forged Bob Kramer 101 layer Damascus steel chef's knife to bisect my grilled cheeses.

The value of the tool is in the eye of the owner. Sure you can do the same job with cheaper tools; I do it all the time. If I had to repair cine lenses day in and out, I'd think it worth the price.

Over priced? Like a Leica maybe? Or a Zeiss Lens? A Petri lens can do the same basic function as a Zeiss lens, but somehow the comparison will draw heated denials.

Sometimes it's just fun to look at tools you can't afford, but can appreciate for their beauty...

 

[btaylor]

Hey, the cotton swabs are only $2.99.
Of course if you are servicing cine lenses that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars (as Duclos does) you should use the best tools.

 

[Kino]

Hey, the cotton swabs are only $2.99.
Of course if you are servicing cine lenses that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars (as Duclos does) you should use the best tools.

Yeah, a hell of a lot more money/time/effort rides on getting those lenses perfect than some hobbyist rebuilding a Nikkormat to shoot shots of a tree in a pasture.

 

[David Lyga]

OK you now have permission to hang me. For 'spanner' wrench I use a very pointy barber scissors that I bought at a flea market a dozen years ago. It does the job but when it slips I either get a nasty cut or a mark on the metal, sometimes both. (Fortunately, I have a repository of four letter words at my disposal.) - David Lyga

 

[Kino]

Well, I use a set of Harbor Freight dividers with the ends ground down to a slot and a cheap optical spanner from Ebay.

Both are great at removing finish and totally destroying the lens if you are not super careful. I'd like to have a mini lathe and mill to make my own lens tools, but circumstances dictate otherwise...

 

[BobD]

"spanner wrench" = 2 needles held by long-jaw locking pliers

 

[Luckless]

"Cine-tax" pricing on tools and equipment is a whole lot easier to swallow when someone else is the one actually footing the bill...

Values on some of it can also be a real pain to judge, as some of it is mostly justifiable due to precision machining involved and the limited scope of the market, but I've handled some god awful cheap junk during my short dives into that world over the years.

Possibly some of the worst offenders might be things like cheese plates. [Or 'custom memory' that is just a cheap adapter stuck on an off the shelf consumer part...]

Sadly it seems there is little pressure in the industry to actually correct things like that.

 

[Kino]

"Cine-tax" pricing on tools and equipment is a whole lot easier to swallow when someone else is the one actually footing the bill...

Values on some of it can also be a real pain to judge, as some of it is mostly justifiable due to precision machining involved and the limited scope of the market, but I've handled some god awful cheap junk during my short dives into that world over the years.

Possibly some of the worst offenders might be things like cheese plates. [Or 'custom memory' that is just a cheap adapter stuck on an off the shelf consumer part...]

Sadly it seems there is little pressure in the industry to actually correct things like that.

Yes, I have fallen victim to that as well, but that tends to happen on high-pressure, quick turn around shoots with ad agencies. In those instances, the production manager usually will claim (and often rightly so) that it's cheaper to pay the extortionist prices than to hold up the crew on set, do the research and get a better deal. However, most of the well-controlled Indie shoots I have been on don't fall victim to that, because they plan in advance and are ready for just about any emergency.

 

[David Lyga]

"spanner wrench" = 2 needles held by long-jaw locking pliers

You beat me in the frugality game. - David Lyga

 

[AndyH]

You beat me in the frugality game. - David Lyga

I actually got a rather nice spanner set on Amazon for about twenty bucks. Much better built than the first set I purchased a number of years ago, which was only a few dollars cheaper. I actually think that amateurs of my skill level have more need for a proper spanner than more surehanded professionals. I love watching Chris Sherlock repair videos, but I cringe every time he pulls out a pair of ground-down neeedlenose pliers to remove a retaining ring on a relatively rare piece of glass. He may be able to do that with style and aplomb, but I don't trust myself that much.

Andy