Fed-2c close focus bugaboo :-(

[mike goldberg]

I have two Fed-2c's, and one had a recent CLA. The other is an eB@y purchase, with no CLA. BOTH are right on at Infinity.

Here's my close focus test, using a good quality J8 #73xxxxx... with the lens racked fully out, to just past the 1-meter mark.

A tape measure, measured the distance from the edge of the subject to the film plane:

*With one camera, it is .97 meter.

*With the other camera, it is 1.07.

That is too much of a difference, yes?!? Further, I know that the Fed+J8 at .97 of a meter, is more accurate than the other, from prior scans.

I love my Feds, but at the moment am Fed-up! 😱
Comments?
Thanks Mike

 

[fidget]

Hey, congratulations! I am too scared to check for this on mine.
Looks like you will be adjusting the cam follower. This could be a simple job, but strikes me as being potentially very fiddly.

 

[fidget]

so on the one that wrong (1.07m) the cam has not moved out far enough? So this means that the cam should be rotated so as to move out further. But then you will have to reset the infinity, and then back to the close focus, and then.......
i bet that plenty here have done this, I look on with interest...
Dave

 

[mike goldberg]

Hi Dave,
Which twin has the Toni, huh?

I'm NOT going to send the CLA'd Fed-2c back to Russia. The winding is soft & smooth, the shutter so quiet... that this max close focus at 1.07 meters stuff, breaks my heart, sort of. In fact, when I need Fed/Zorki repairs, I'm going in a different direction altogether... to Fedka in New York.

It is the Fed-2c, directly from a good B@y seller that is right on at .97. But that one is not so smooth and quiet.

Cam follower... adjust and readjust the R/F focus altogether?!? I don't think that I want to take this on.

Mike 😱 ... a little bent, pissed, but not broken. What is it in the grand scheme of things?... money, inconvenience and violation of Trust.

 

[ZorkiKat]

You CAN do it! 🙂

You CAN do it! 🙂

Hi Dave,
Which twin has the Toni, huh?

I'm NOT going to send the CLA'd Fed-2c back to Russia. The winding is soft & smooth, the shutter so quiet... that this max close focus at 1.07 meters stuff, breaks my heart, sort of. In fact, when I need Fed/Zorki repairs, I'm going in a different direction altogether... to Fedka in New York.

It is the Fed-2c, directly from a good B@y seller that is right on at .97. But that one is not so smooth and quiet.

Cam follower... adjust and readjust the R/F focus altogether?!? I don't think that I want to take this on.

Mike 😱 ... a little bent, pissed, but not broken. What is it in the grand scheme of things?... money, inconvenience and violation of Trust.

Mike

I think that's close enough. But if it bothers you, the fix is really really really simple. And it won't cost you a thing.

Yes, adjust and adjust and adjust again, both rf 'sensor'/follower and RF infinity. You CAN do it! 🙂 Small needle-nosed pliers and jewellers screw driver are all you need. And a bit of courage, plus some prayer. 😀

Considering the age of the camera, plus the lens changing that occured on it through the years- both proper, but maybe more of the improper (mounting the lens with its focus NOT set at 1 mtr)- will cause the rf sensor tip to loose its accuracy. That is something which the seller may be able to notice immediately. Even the more sincere of sellers can overlook it.

Jay

 

[mike goldberg]

Thanks to all above...
Jay, I always appreciate your clarity of focus in tech issues.

And it is the wolves3012 and Laika sticky DIY threads, I'll refer to. Yes, I'm handy with tools, and no I have never opened the top of any camera. So, I'm going to begin with the Z4 having a broken tongue spring... or worse. Remember that one? I just haven't gotten to it yet. Since I have no "investment" in the Z4, it's a good place to begin.

Then, I guess it'll be on to the Fed-2c... otherwise it's $65- for a Fedka CLA plus round trip postage. You'll be hearing more from me ;-)
Thanks & ciao...

 

[shadowfox]

Mike, as long as the rangefinder is aligned, what does it matter?
The only consequence is that you can focus closer with one body than the other.

10cm is probably not a problem unless you're taking a close-up picture wide open.

That or I am missing something obvious 🙂

 

[wolves3012]

Mike, as long as the rangefinder is aligned, what does it matter?
The only consequence is that you can focus closer with one body than the other.

10cm is probably not a problem unless you're taking a close-up picture wide open.

That or I am missing something obvious 🙂

Not quite - you are missing something, yes. The measured distance doesn't agree with the RF-measured distance, so focus will be off. It's not exactly a lot, but it might matter in some circumstances.

 

[wolves3012]

Thanks to all above...
Jay, I always appreciate your clarity of focus in tech issues.

And it is the wolves3012 and Laika sticky DIY threads, I'll refer to. Yes, I'm handy with tools, and no I have never opened the top of any camera. So, I'm going to begin with the Z4 having a broken tongue spring... or worse. Remember that one? I just haven't gotten to it yet. Since I have no "investment" in the Z4, it's a good place to begin.

Then, I guess it'll be on to the Fed-2c... otherwise it's $65- for a Fedka CLA plus round trip postage. You'll be hearing more from me ;-)
Thanks & ciao...

Mike,

The RF sensor tip and infinity screw are all that need be done. Yes, it's fiddly and very tedious. Adjust one and it throws the other out, so it's a case of "homing in" on the right combination. As Jay says - adjust, adjust, adjust. It's actually quite easy to do, though.

I'd just add to Jay's comment that it's a good idea to write down which way you adjusted and which way that moved things. That way you can be sure you're going the right way and not making things worse. After numerous tries it's very easy to be thinking "now, was it clockwise or anticlockwise I need to go?". I know, I've been there! The other thing is to make very small adjustments since you're not far off to start with. Always move the lens out & back in after adjusting infinity, to make sure the mechanism is in it's proper position.

 

[mike goldberg]

Good to hear from you, Will and wolves 3012. What both of you suggest makes sense. Before opening the Fed-2c with the 1.07 meter close focus, I'm for another test roll... this time only with the J8. The previous test roll was divided between a J8, an I-61l/d and Fed 50/3.5. Obviously, the 50/3.5 shots were the worst.

I'm coming to a conclusion here: It's great to spend for a CLA on a much loved camera. If we are going to be into FSU's 40+ years old, we've got to be mechanics
as well, at least to some extent.

 

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

Mike,
Just to offer encouragement,I successfully folowed Laika's process with my first Fed 2,with complete sucess,(and my DIY skills fall more in the concete mixing and bricklaying areas than fine mechanics😉 )

Laika's process used to be available as a printable PDF on Kim Coxon's web site,but last time I looked I couldn't find it.

Good Luck,

Brian.

 

[wolves3012]

Good to hear from you, Will and wolves 3012. What both of you suggest makes sense. Before opening the Fed-2c with the 1.07 meter close focus, I'm for another test roll... this time only with the J8. The previous test roll was divided between a J8, an I-61l/d and Fed 50/3.5. Obviously, the 50/3.5 shots were the worst.

I'm coming to a conclusion here: It's great to spend for a CLA on a much loved camera. If we are going to be into FSU's 40+ years old, we've got to be mechanics
as well, at least to some extent.

Mike,

Be aware that you don't need to "open" a FED 2 to adjust the RF, all you need is to remove (and remount, and remove etc) the lens and remove the screw that lies between the RF and VF front windows to access the infinity adjuster.

When you do the setup, use the lens you intend to use most on the body. Amongst the lenses I have, there is a small variation in RF calibration between lenses on a given body. Not as much as the 0.07m error you have but it's there all the same.

I agree with your sentiments on 40+ year old cameras. Either a bit of DIY is called for or else the cheapness of FSU gear evaporates into CLA bills! One of the attractions, to me, of FSU gear is that I'm a "natural" mechanic (or maybe I mean a compulsive tinkerer!) so I can usually sort the problems they inevitably have. Good luck with your task, I bet that afterwards you'll think it wasn't so bad and a worthwhile exercise.

 

[ZorkiKat]

And one more thing, Mike. If you do decide to calibrate the camera yourself- it's really simple to do- and succeed (most likely!) in doing it, one more step in the 'fix' can make the sensor tip stay in place better. Make it stay in place with some cyanoacrylate glue. Apply very sparingly, by using the point of a pin, to the gaps between the sensor head and its arm.

BTW, reading my previous post again, I meant to say, "That is something which the seller may be not able to notice immediately. Even the most sincere of sellers can overlook it."

Jay

 

[mike goldberg]

Thanks Jay,

I'm really appreciating the fact that you and wolves3012 are readily available for tech support. Since I have two Fed-2c's, I'm going to attempt the calibration via the DIY sticky thread, on the 2c whose max close focus is 1.07. Like you guys say, sellers of these cameras at modest prices, are not going to check this.

First steps including careful reading, then laying out my worktable space.
I have a small white tray to work in and 3 small stainless steel bowls for screws, parts. And there's the usual assortment of screwdriver sets, needle nose pliers, tweezers, etc. Another RFF'er has told me he followed the directions in the Laika thread, and the fine tuning was successful.

Adding a "spiritual note"... sometimes we just need to do the thing we are afraid of.
Cheers

 

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

Mike,
Another tip from this mechanical virgin,one which Noel(Xmas) gave to me.He advised the use of adhesive tape to 'store' the various screws,springs and the like,to keep them from straying or becoming mixed up.My version of that is to use pieces of Blu Tak,into which I press the tiny bits,in groups as they are taken off the camera.

BTW haven't heard from Noel lately,he used to be around a lot.

Brian.

 

[mike goldberg]

Fine-tuning Fed-2c R/F

Fine-tuning Fed-2c R/F

Hi All,
I got some help from Spyderman; since he's a student, I don't want to bother him with any more questions on this 🙄

One thing is the screw hidden behind the bigger screw on front near the letter F. The other thing to adjust is the tear-shaped RF sensor. Turning it slightly this or that way will change close focus, and slighlty also infinity, so you will have to reiterate through both settings. Check close focus, adjust sensor, readjust infinty, and all over again...

What is the "tear shaped sensor?" Is this the round, knurled dial around the rear R/F eyepiece? Otherwise, where is it?

Once I'm clear on these terms and location, I'm ready to take on the adjustments.
Thanks!

 

[wolves3012]

Hi All,
I got some help from Spyderman; since he's a student, I don't want to bother him with any more questions on this 🙄

One thing is the screw hidden behind the bigger screw on front near the letter F. The other thing to adjust is the tear-shaped RF sensor. Turning it slightly this or that way will change close focus, and slighlty also infinity, so you will have to reiterate through both settings. Check close focus, adjust sensor, readjust infinty, and all over again...

What is the "tear shaped sensor?" Is this the round, knurled dial around the rear R/F eyepiece? Otherwise, where is it?

Once I'm clear on these terms and location, I'm ready to take on the adjustments.
Thanks!

The tear-shaped sensor is the bit on the end of the RF arm. Take off the lens and look at the top of the mount, it's roughly in the middle. It's a kind of pie-shape on most cameras and like a teardrop on early FEDs and VERY early Zorkis. It can be rotated to adjust the near-focus RF alignment but doing so will upset infinity too.

 

[Spyderman]

And Mike - don't worry about bothering me. Feel free to email me anytime you need 🙂 I read my emails more often than RFF, so I can reply faster...

 

[mike goldberg]

Thanks wolves3012 and Ondrej. ZorkiKat has been offering a lot of support for this as well. Seems to me, it's just another plus for the Fed engineers some 45+ years ago, in that, R/F alignment can be adjusted without removing the top of the camera.

But what is the action required? Is it back and forth between the adjusting screw behind the letter 'F' of Fed... and the pie-shaped tongue, or "teardrop" ... and most of all, what do I DO with the teardrop, i.e., what does "rotate" mean?

Last night [3-AM], the srew behind the screw, was tuirned to the left a bit; it will NOT turn to the right. Then, I pushed the teardrop back & forth against it's spring tension.
NET RESULT
- Infinity is still OK.
- Max close focus is still 1.07 meters.

NOTE: I have detailed, illustrative, step-by-step directions from Spyderman. More later...
Mike ;-)

 

[Spyderman]

Mike, I hope this image will help you, and maybe also someone else.