PaulWhiting

Well, thought I was going to close down. One last question: Removing the metallic strip leaves a shallow groove... several comments have mentioned how to soften and remove the left over residue here and there. Turns out it may be become some time before I can clean it out. Which solvent can tolerate some time without hardening? Thanks, again.

Sorry to say I've made my choice of a different approach so won't be able to consider Matthew's excellent suggestion. However I plan to add it to future possibilities.

Well, I did it. I removed the metallic strip, just took one end between my fingers and .... zip. Thanks to all, in spite of my various mistakes. I must say it looks good, better, even. I've got some Goo Gone around here somewhere, just to remove the residue.

By the way, we're talking about my 18-55 lens, not 55-105! Shouldn't change the conversation any. SPSF

Thanks a bunch, Mary. Actually that option was mentioned in my initial post. Now there's common sense for you! I was hoping someone would come along and agree with me.;);) PS: Thanks to you also, photomemory. You were too quick for me!

Yes, I do. Sorry, I was a bit lazy!

Thanks, everyone, but a lot of this is more than I bargained for. Well, I asked for it! I managed to photograph it, however. Does this help? The strip is a bit out of focus but the groove it goes into is sharp enough.

Just ran into something: if you have access to page 233 on David Busch's D90, look at the photos of two lenses. The one on the right, a 18-55 like my lens, shows the metallic ring around the lens but the one on the left, a 18-105, shows no such ring. Guess that helps answer my questions.

Thanks rodeo_joe, but... wouldn't having two sides adhesive make one side be exposed to dust etc? Just wonderin' !

My Nikkor 55-105 has a very narrow metallic strip around the lens that's beginning to come unstuck ... only about an inch for now. Part of me says it's ok to intentionally pull it loose the rest of the way. After all it appears to be primarily decorative. An alternative would be to find the right kind of adhesive and stick on the loose end. Would be very tricky to maneuver. This lens is a Nikon re-con. If the strip is totally removed the groove left behind is narrow enough to look intentional. PS: Can someone help me delete this post from Canon? I don't know what made me put it there!

My Nikkor 55-105 has a very narrow metallic strip around the lens that's beginning to come unstuck ... only about an inch for now. Part of me says it's ok to intentionally pull it loose the rest of the way. After all it appears to be primarily decorative. An alternative would be to find the right kind of adhesive and stick on the loose end. Would be very tricky to maneuver. This lens is a Nikon re-con. If the strip is totally removed the groove left behind is narrow enough to look intentional. PS: Is EOS the right forum? I'm new to Canon!

I take your point, kmac. I've heard good things from Epson R2400 owners, even to this day. As for the configuration of cartridges in my iP8720, you are spot on. Thanks for adding those carts to the conversation. What mystifies me is how the subject matter, ie text or image, weighs in: how does the printer know what it's looking at? My main interest is printing b/w photos... do I have any way of changing the tint of a photo? I'd prefer a pigment for its life expectancy.

I appreciate both messages. 1) I'll need to check the Canon specs again, I may have missed something first time around 2) I've looked with envy at the "Eco Tank" ! I'm reluctant to mix the two myself unless I knew what I was doing but thank you for your suggestion.

(and a related question, which forum should I be in? This one?) I have just acquired a Canon iP8720 and enjoy the very satisfying black and white photos it produces. I know this printer has two black cartridges, one with a dye black and the other pigment. Which black ink does the printer use for text? One or the other or a blend? I hope the printer uses pigment black because of its longevity. My understanding is the printer uses pigment black for text. Just for reference sake I have a history with pigment black used for, to be specific Paul Roark's 6 cartridge setup. Looking forward to some discussion on this one!

Jochen, I've never had to define third party, but let me try... first party would be the manufacturer of the printer, the second party would ink made by the same company, and third party would be a company manufacturer other than the first two. Some third-party companies take great pains to get as close as they can to the manufacturers' specs. Myself I use about four different dilutions of black in my six-cartridge Epson so I do mix my own inks with a base fluid made mainly of Eboni black and glycerine. That's the best I can describe third party! Since my first post I've done some experimenting. By chance I happened to use two grades of paper, one white and one a rather warm white. The latter is all the warmth I need, it's the KISS principle in action. No need to get into the complications of different inks, just change the paper. I wonder how that stray sheet of pure white got into my paper source. Paul