What is Reddit's opinion of Neewer Professional Flat & pointed Tips DSLR Camera Lens Spanner Wrench Repairing Opening Tool for Most Cameras?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

I got a $14 one from Amazon; people pooh-pooh that and say you have to get the micro-tools one, but it works just fine, esp. if you'e not repairing lenses 24-7. I really can't see how one could be significantly better than this one, at the same size, etc.

I the beginning I used something like like this with some tape covering the pointy end. Later I switched to using circlip pliers.

I have screwed and unscrewed it many times now, in the beginning it did slip once or twice so the ring (not the light) has some small scratches. But with the experience I gained after doing it so many times, the slipping didn't happen anymore. I will probably get some new retaining rings next time I order a light.

The lens board depends on the size of the rear of the lens itself. Many are 39mm, so you just take your old lens off and stick the other one on if that's the case. A lens spanner is recommended to get the retaining ring off and on. If the rear of the lens (where the threads pass through the board) is bigger or smaller, you'll need a different board - and if you go back and forth between formats, it's nice to have each lens on its own board.

23C boards are just simple squares with a hole in the middle. I think they're the same board as the MX 4x5 series, too, and eBay is full of them. You can also get a square of 1/8" aluminum or thin plywood and a hole-saw kit and drill the hole size that works.

This is a spanner wrench. The minimum distance between holes or slots with this model is about 3/8". When I need to use it on smaller spans, I've had good luck with snap-ring pliers.

Get a good set of micro-screwdrivers, all over the internets - you'll strip way less screws that way. You might need a spanner too, but you don't need some pro-repair-level one, even Amazon has decent ones. As far as the glass goes, shop around - I'd much rather have an actual Canon FL or FD prime lens with a faster aperture than a so-so zoom that's F5.6 at the long end! You can get a 135mm FL that's like F3.5 for $30 or so for instance. Pro-level glass in the 60's, and still very good. (I shoot 4K video with Canon FL glass and it's kinda magical). A 28-135 from decades back is just a pile of consumer compromises vs. a well-made prime lens. I believe FL will work on the AE series bodies, and it's really nice glass for cheap (other than the 19mm, the 85mm, and the faster-than-1.8 stuff - gets pricey). The 100mm is tits, the 50, 28 and 35 are also nice. But check up on issues with the AE level bodies, might be manual-only and so on. FD glass gets pricier but is also good stuff. And the FL zoom is like 55-135 with a constant aperture, of 3.5 many people like that lens.

Thanks, the ring was easy to remove using something like this

 

^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger

One of the should do the trick. One is straight and the other is curved

​

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Professional-pointed-Spanner-Repairing/dp/B00J5F6O92/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3GWT5G7G7O1I0&keywords=lens+spanner+tool&qid=1640740438&sprefix=lens+spanner+tool%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-8

​

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Professional-Spanner-Repairing-Stainless/dp/B00J5F73GA/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3GWT5G7G7O1I0&keywords=lens+spanner+tool&qid=1640740469&sprefix=lens+spanner+tool%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-4

Try this video before you break it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmNA9yrVulk

Start around the 1:30 mark. Only since yours is the 124G, look for slots in the ring around in the inside of the knob, instead of holes in the middle of the knob.

Suggest you get a lens wrench like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Professional-pointed-Spanner-Repairing/dp/B00J5F6O92

The neg carriers are specific to the 23C, so you need the proper one for the neg size you're using (like 35mm or 6x6, 6x7 etc). I believe the lens boards are the same ones used for the MX-series, so that may widen your search. In a pinch you can make a lens board from 1/8" plywood if you have some tools, the edges may need to be sanded a bit thinner to get into the holder.

Lens board have a center hole for the enlarger lens, and in most cases the lenses have a threaded back end, with a round retaining ring - so the lens goes into the board butt-first, and then you screw the retaining ring on to fasten the lens to the board. (The hole in the board is a hair larger than the lens barrel). Most enlarger lenses use a 39mm leica thread, as lenses get bigger they may have different sized threads - a lens usually comes with the proper ring, but check before you buy. In a pinch you can use a filter step-up ring, with the proper inner thread and a larger outer thread. You can file a couple slots in it for a spanner wrench.

Regarding a spanner wrench - not 100% necessary but cheap and nice to have. Look at this photo of a retaining ring - there are two little slots. Now check out the spanner wrench; there's usually a side with 2 pointed tips, and a side with two slotted tips, and you can move the tips in and out to align with whatever ring you're want to tighten or remove. (Sorry if you already know all this stuff).

If you find a lens board without a hole, or with a hole smaller than you need - the boards are usually aluminum, and you can usually clamp them down and drill the hole with a woodworking hole saw and some oil. Don't know how safe that is, but it's worked fine for me (a wood board is no problem). You just have to be very careful since the hole saw isn't really designed for metal, but it'll get through (it may be a little dull after that though!)

I use this one and it works great.