Help Unscrewing lens filter on Phantom 3 4k

[Jennifer Little]

Can anyone with experience with DJI Phantom 3 drones please give me advice on how to unscrew the built-in lens filter that ships with the Phantom 3 4k? (It's the same camera and filter on the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 4). I need to remove it to attach ND filters or it is useless for shooting video in daylight. The filter that shipped with my drone is so badly stuck that no one can get it off.

I tried unscrewing it myself with rubber gloves, a rubber band, a rubber strap wrench, a rubber jar opener the same size as the lens, and finally with channel lock pliers. More recently, I tried lubricating it with silicone gel and repeating the above techniques. That just made it impossible to get a good grip on the filter ring itself.

I've also taken it to three local camera stores/repair centers, and they all tried to unscrew it with a rubber gripping cloth but didn't get anywhere. They weren't willing to try anything else because they were too worried about liability for damaging the camera or gimbal. I can't find any repair places that are experienced with drones or willing to break this filter off the lens with specialized tools. That is probably the only thing that will work at this point.

Does anyone know of a drone repair specialist in or near the San Francisco Bay Area who could actually get this lens filter off for me? I've already tried everything else I can think of or have read about.

 

[ray rokni]

The more pressure you put on it, as in pliers, the more stuck out will get.
Mine was very tough to get off too. I used rubber bands after I used a hair dryer on it for about a minute and then just using thumb and fore finger I managed to twist it off. Don't squeeze it! Good luck. Btw. You are not alone in this issue!!!!

 

[Jennifer Little]

The more pressure you put on it, as in pliers, the more stuck out will get.
Mine was very tough to get off too. I used rubber bands after I used a hair dryer on it for about a minute and then just using thumb and fore finger I managed to twist it off. Don't squeeze it! Good luck. Btw. You are not alone in this issue!!!!

Thanks for the tip! I'm afraid I already bent the filter with pliers and won't be able to get it off without breaking the glass and cutting into the filter with a drill or tiny saw. I'm trying to find a repair person who is willing to do that, but I can't!

 

[Jennifer Little]

Thanks for the tip! I'm afraid I already bent the filter with pliers and won't be able to get it off without breaking the glass and cutting into the filter with a drill or tiny saw. I'm trying to find a repair person who is willing to do that, but I can't!

I just tried the hair dryer thing, and that doesn't work either.

 

[Jennifer Little]

Has anyone had a good experience sending a drone with a filter that won't come off back to DJI?

 

[ray rokni]

Has anyone had a good experience sending a drone with a filter that won't come off back to DJI?

If you decide to break the lens, you can then, using two pliers grab the filter from the inside of the filter, one on each opposing side and twist it off. I suggest you get some one to help you grab the camera from the back so it does not move when you try to twist of the filter.

I hear dji California repair center is now pretty fast in returning repaired phantoms.

 

[Karanba]

Thats why I only want snap-on filters, I wish that more sellers make them with rubber ring and glass ND filter, now 80% of them are for replacement of the original screw filter.

 

[Fat Daddy]

I don't know if it will help now, but I just put on a latex glove and it got me the traction I needed. Broke the blade removal tool trying to remove it before I heard about the glove technique.

 

[Wolfiesden]

I used the wrap around motor grip prop wrench that came with one of my birds. Apply LIGHT squeeze pressure and the filter should unscrew easily.

This is the one I refer to:

 

[Emil Cost]

Can anyone with experience with DJI Phantom 3 drones please give me advice on how to unscrew the built-in lens filter that ships with the Phantom 3 4k? (It's the same camera and filter on the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 4). I need to remove it to attach ND filters or it is useless for shooting video in daylight. The filter that shipped with my drone is so badly stuck that no one can get it off.

I tried unscrewing it myself with rubber gloves, a rubber band, a rubber strap wrench, a rubber jar opener the same size as the lens, and finally with channel lock pliers. More recently, I tried lubricating it with silicone gel and repeating the above techniques. That just made it impossible to get a good grip on the filter ring itself.

I've also taken it to three local camera stores/repair centers, and they all tried to unscrew it with a rubber gripping cloth but didn't get anywhere. They weren't willing to try anything else because they were too worried about liability for damaging the camera or gimbal. I can't find any repair places that are experienced with drones or willing to break this filter off the lens with specialized tools. That is probably the only thing that will work at this point.

Does anyone know of a drone repair specialist in or near the San Francisco Bay Area who could actually get this lens filter off for me? I've already tried everything else I can think of or have read about.

I had trouble with mine too. I finally got it off by accident. That is to say that I found myself not squeezing tightly but only turning. Here is what I would try if I were in your shoes, and didn't want to break the glass. With a Dremel cutting disk, cut two very thin slots in the outer rim, about 1 mm deep. make sure the two slots are 180 degrees apart. Then take a steel machinists ruler and use it as a screw driver and gently turn the ruler once it's in the slots. This technique will leave only two small slots in the filter ring, so it won't look bad at all. I hope, if you try this approach, it will do the trick for you. Good luck!

 

[ikonane]

I had problems as well. The key is NO PREASSURE only rotate.

 

[royster]

The lens cover is so thin as soon as you exerted pressure at 2 points, it bent out of round, why its so hard to move now. As a last measure, the tip above is a good one: Emil Cost- ,Cut 2 shallow slots directly across from each other, then a thin piece of steel across the slots gives you the mechanical advantage, turn it (counterclockwise, eh!) off without doing damage to camera/lens.

 

[Matchlock]

Well, here's my opportunity to help someone after all the help I've received from all the great folks up here on this forum. Now you might find this funny but DJI didn't realize that they've actually given you two free tools with your Phantom 3 and it's as easy as pie to use.

You know that little plastic ring thingy that looks like a pair of tweezers with a rubber ring inside? Well, that's for holding the motors while you tighten the props on the motor shaft. Well, simply open the jaws of that thing gently, and just enough to wrap it around the outer area of the lens. Keep it right on the edge and just gently turn it with very little pressure on it at all. That lens will unscrew off of that camera just as easy as you please.

Can anyone with experience with DJI Phantom 3 drones please give me advice on how to unscrew the built-in lens filter that ships with the Phantom 3 4k? (It's the same camera and filter on the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 4). I need to remove it to attach ND filters or it is useless for shooting video in daylight. The filter that shipped with my drone is so badly stuck that no one can get it off.

I tried unscrewing it myself with rubber gloves, a rubber band, a rubber strap wrench, a rubber jar opener the same size as the lens, and finally with channel lock pliers. More recently, I tried lubricating it with silicone gel and repeating the above techniques. That just made it impossible to get a good grip on the filter ring itself.

Good luck, and don't force anything and it'll come righ off of there.

I hope that helps

Bud


I've also taken it to three local camera stores/repair centers, and they all tried to unscrew it with a rubber gripping cloth but didn't get anywhere. They weren't willing to try anything else because they were too worried about liability for damaging the camera or gimbal. I can't find any repair places that are experienced with drones or willing to break this filter off the lens with specialized tools. That is probably the only thing that will work at this point.

Does anyone know of a drone repair specialist in or near the San Francisco Bay Area who could actually get this lens filter off for me? I've already tried everything else I can think of or have read about.

 

[willavoy]

Happened to me also. I cut a very thin strip of duct tape, stuck it around the original lens rim and that allowed me more grip to unscrew it. Sure you would get the same result using masking tape or electric tape.

Sent from my SM-G925F using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Frank Candor]

HI KIDS! the prop wrench worked beautifully! (for me) i was gentle, yet firm(determined?) Thank Goodness i checked with you folks 2nd after waiting for DJI ! Thank You Thank You THANK YOU!!!

 

[Matchlock]

Excellent, and I'm happy that it worked out for you.

Good luck going forward.

Bud

HI KIDS! the prop wrench worked beautifully! (for me) i was gentle, yet firm(determined?) Thank Goodness i checked with you folks 2nd after waiting for DJI ! Thank You Thank You THANK YOU!!!

 

[Trinimon]

Coming from the camera world, that prop tool looked just like a stuck filter wrench for my lenses and figured it was worth a try and sure enough it worked. Good to see others have figured that out too. Gotta love this community.

 

[Skean]

Thanks to all you guys. I was applying too much force, but after going back to gentle twist I managed to get mine off. It was already out of shape due to my excess pressure, but with the removal tool I still managed it! Phew

 

[JD Warren]

So, a combination of these solutions worked for me... Luckily i hadn't bent mine. So i rolled up a regular piece of scotch tape and wrapped it around the filter. This allowed me to spin the filter with the lightest of touch... and she came right off... THANKS YALL!!

 

[Ronald Reedy]

So, a combination of these solutions worked for me... Luckily i hadn't bent mine. So i rolled up a regular piece of scotch tape and wrapped it around the filter. This allowed me to spin the filter with the lightest of touch... and she came right off... THANKS YALL!!

You need to use the lightest touch to remove the lens. Too much will squeeze the threads of the lense to the threads of the camera. It's hard to do with just a light touch because the lens is slippery if you take a rubber band and go around the lense twice that prevents your fingers from slipping and should unscrew pretty easily.