My boss swore by using a heat gun for every stuck lens element, but I think it's a bad habit.

For years, the head tech at our shop in Tacoma insisted the first step for any seized element was a low heat gun. He'd say, 'Just warm it up, the old grease will flow.' I followed that for a long time. Then I got a Contax G2 with a stuck focusing helix. I used the heat gun like always, and it worked, but a week later the customer brought it back. The heat had made the plastic internal spacer warp just enough to cause a new bind. I had to source a new part, which took a month and cost the shop about $80. Now I only use heat as a last resort after trying proper solvents and gentle mechanical persuasion. Has anyone else had a heat fix come back to bite them later?

2 comments

2 Comments

taraj117d ago

That Contax G2 story is exactly why I avoid heat on anything with plastic.

smith.blair7d ago

Totally. I read a camera repair blog that said heat warps plastic parts you can't even see. Once that happens, the whole thing's out of whack for good. It just isn't worth the risk.