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Just realized a tiny drop of lighter fluid can free a seized aperture ring on old manual lenses
Had a Pentax 50mm f/1.7 come in last week, aperture was completely stuck. Tried the usual gentle pressure, but no go. Was about to start a full disassembly, but remembered an old-timer at a camera swap in Seattle mentioning naphtha. Put one tiny drop from a needle applicator at the base of the ring, worked it back and forth for a minute, and it loosened right up. Cleans the old grease without needing to take the whole thing apart. Anyone else have a go-to solvent for this kind of thing, or is there a better method I should try next time?
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taylor126mo ago
My buddy had the same issue with an old Nikon lens, total brick. He went straight for the heavy stuff and soaked the ring in mineral spirits, which honestly made a greasy mess. It did work in the end, but he spent more time cleaning up the solvent than fixing the lens. Your method with just a drop sounds way smarter and less likely to ruin the finish.
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martinez.kim6mo ago
Oh man, wish I'd known that trick before. I once tried to fix a stuck ring with some fancy "safe" spray cleaner and just made the whole lens slippery for a week. My hands smelled like a hospital and it still didn't budge. @taylor12's friend going full soak mode sounds like something I would have done in a panic. A single drop is such a better idea, way less chance of dripping into the aperture blades and causing a whole new problem.
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