flat metal automotive feeler guages (in conjunction with repeatedly pressing and releasing the lens release on the body)might work if there's any wiggle room to get it in there.
in fact you might try just pressing the lens release on the camera body and allowing it to snap back. the idea is to wiggle the lens back and forth and get it centered so the pin in the lens will hopefully have some slack to move. then snap the button on the body and simultaniously turn the lens.
the idea is to allow the af drive shaft (which moves up and down with the lens lock, to push up on the lens pin.

3 tips for finding lost springs...for those with loose screws also:

1) Magnetic Bingo Wand.
2) sticky tape lint roller.
3) good flashlight (torch) laid right on the floor to provide strong sidelight.

in business image is everything.
We'll help you make sure they're fantastic.

Do feel free to ask for tips on lighting and other ideas to help you with your project and from one small business enterprise to another...GOOD LUCK!
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never hurts to let the athorities check this guy out...that's thier job...if he's legit, no harm done, I'd sooner lose a "deal" than let a thief go unchecked...what's to stop him from reverse checking the phone #'s/Emails of everybody who contacts him, and knowing some are photographers, targeting THEM/YOU?

what you said abot film is true but in practise most people don't store properly and the life expectancy is about ten years before noticable degredation occurs.
then there's situations like mine where our seperation enraged my ex to the tune of tens of thousands of slides and prints and digital files being burned or destroyed. along with pretty much everything else I owned.

the 10-17 mm fisheye is threadeded. 58mm filter.
my cokin rings fit it and are visible in the frame at 10 mm but not 17 mm.
I could rig a filter holder to use the larger filters to mount on the base of the camera I suppose, but not sure why I'd do that...
this lens controls flare incredibly well...
the multi coating looks (looks can be decieving) as if it had a polarizer built in, giving the most vivid blue skys I've ever seen without a filter.
I can't imagine needing to use filters with this lens....

You're right in that "I don't have one" isn't reason enough to buy one, but expanding your versatility, and creative options was reason enough for me.
I just can't easily justify buying sometihng that covers focal ranges I've already got.

Thankyou for the compliment.
My take is simple.
I don't do much arcitecture. Mostly people.
I only use wides for group shots. seldom wider than 28mm(35mmequiv)
I have one digital cam that covers 28(equiv)mm.
I got another digital cam that covers 35mm(equiv)
I didn't have a fisheye.
I'm looking at some software to "straighten" fisheyes to give me some control over how much bending I want.
I hope to get the 14mm in the future, but only if arctecture shots get more demand for the business.

if trying another cable doesn't work then a different card is the next step in the "process of elimination". if that works, you'l need data recovery software to get your pics off the old card, then reformat the card, which you should be doing as part of a maintence routine every so often anyways.