Just a brief update to my lens saga: since the bend in the filter thread was substantial (1-2 mm), I ordered and received one of these lens repair vises. The vise has two jaws which are separated from each other by a screw. Needless to say, just as the bend is corrected, the opposite side of the filter thread is bent outwards, so this tool alone won't do it. Together with a hose clamp, however, and some elastic band between hose clamp and lens which prevents scratching I was finally able to restore the filter thread. While the bend is still very visible, I can screw in filters with little effort - after all that's what the repair effort was really intended for.
My thanks go to all here who helped me (and my lens
). For all those who want to know what this lens repair vise is and what it isn't: It is not an automatic repair tool (as the first paragraph describes), but it is certainly a very helpful tool for repairing filter threads. It has filter threads on the outside of its jars so it really won't harm the filter threads of the lens, even the black finish stayed intact. It is somewhat overpriced, especially here in Europe where the Euro amount charged is quite a bit higher than the dollar amount for the same tool in the US. The cheapest option would of course have been not to send my camera into a nose dive