Spent $40 on a junk lens spanner and it wrecked a helicoid

Bought a cheap spanner off Amazon to adjust infinity focus on a vintage Nikon lens. The tips bent after two turns. Slipped and gouged the helicoid threads. Now the lens is toast. Anyone got a source for real hardened steel spanners?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_shah13h ago

two turns? on a $40 spanner? man that's brutal but not surprising honestly. most of those cheap amazon ones are just stamped chinesium with a black coating. i grabbed a set from "vintage camera repair" on ebay a while back, the tips are actual tool steel and they've held up fine on some tight helicals. you might also try a used lens doctor kit on keh if they have any left, those old ones are proper hardened.

skyler_jackson277h ago

Wait @jana_shah you seriously bent two tips on a $40 spanner tool?