Although many members told me not to do this I found it super simple to do. Anyone with a small screwdriver and semi steady hands can do this as described.
I had a large speck on the TOP of the 2nd element from the front. This procedure will allow you to get in to clean the top and bottom of the front element and the top of the 2nd element.
Step one:
Stick a small flat head screw driver into one of the two square notches in the seal around your front element in the front of your lens and pop it out. Do not twist, just bring it up all around in a circular fashion.
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Step two:
Take out the three top silver screws and pull off the 70-200 label ring. This is the one with the red ring.
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Step three:
Take out the three silver screws on the side of the lens. Be carefull not to drop them inside the side of the lens. Also take out the three small black spacers that the screws go into so you do not loose them. Now take off the first element and clean it with care.
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Step four:
Put it all back together in the opposite order. I would recommend adding a small drop of plastic safe BLUE lock tight to your screws before putting them back in. DO NOT use red lock tight, you will not be able to get the screws out again. If you do not use lock tight it will be OK. Just make sure the screws are snug without stripping the plastic.
