Finally FED

[Pepe]

I bought me a nice FED2 from '65 some time ago, for the shocking amount of 50USD or so.

And I love it.

I was very much afraid of the viewfinder, seen as I wear glasses, but I simply stopped careing that I can't see the edges... Without parralax correction does it even matter ?

Looking through, the shutter seems to work, and the lens seems reasonably clear. But Now I'm waiting for work to end so I can pick up my four rolls of expired Agfa Portrait 160 and see if it actually works as it should....

Taking pics without a light meter or batteries or careing about "correct" exposure really relaxes me...

So let's pray and see tonight...

The only downside, I also won a canon serenar 135 f4, but research teaches me this isn't rangefinder coupled... if anyone wants it, please PM me, you can have it for what I paid for it.

 

[rxmd]

Hi Pepe,

congratulations on the FED. Now the virus has got you. 🙂

I also won a canon serenar 135 f4, but research teaches me this isn't rangefinder coupled... if anyone wants it, please PM me, you can have it for what I paid for it.

This is apparently quite an early lens. Some early 135/f4s were made in a lens mount with the wrong thread pitch; those may not mount properly on all LTM cameras, but are apparently quite rare.

A non-rangefinder-coupled 135 makes little sense because it is too difficult to focus, so as a user the lens won't get you very far, but it might still be a collectible. Can you post a picture of the lens in total, the rear lens mount and of the front of the lens?

Philipp

 

[payasam]

Pepe, I'd recommend that you do care about exposure.

 

[Kino Glaz]

Hello Pepe

I also have a new FED-2. When I first used it, I was also overly concerned about exposures. I was so worried that a slight misteak will result in loss pictures, that the negatives will either come out blank or too thick. I had to relie on the exposure settings given by a DSLR. DSLRs are so difficult to use as exposure meters...in fact in some of the shots I felt were important, I had to make a test-exposure digitally and look at how it came out.

But I grew tired of carrying a big DSLR, I tryed using the exposure table printed on the film carton. After some more films, I realized that a slight wrong exposure did not automatically mean lost exposures. Film can accept
some degree of misteaks in exposure setting, and the negatives that come out will still make good pictures in the end.

I also have a Canon Serenar 135mm f.4 which I recently got. It has rangefinder coupling, but I cannot put it on my FED-2. The thing which slides in and out at the rear of the lens, which I believe is the connector to the camera rangefinder catches on the FED-2's finger. The former owner of the lens used it on a Leica.

 

[wolves3012]

I also have a Canon Serenar 135mm f.4 which I recently got. It has rangefinder coupling, but I cannot put it on my FED-2. The thing which slides in and out at the rear of the lens, which I believe is the connector to the camera rangefinder catches on the FED-2's finger. The former owner of the lens used it on a Leica.

Just don't ever think about trying it on a bottom-loading FSU! If that coupler catches behind the sensor you will never get if back off...

 

[ray*j*gun]

You are right about that!!! I found out how that works......fortunately it was on my FED 2 which allowed me to get behind the sensor and hold it while I unscrewed the lens (Canon 135 also).

Ray

Just don't ever think about trying it on a bottom-loading FSU! If that coupler catches behind the sensor you will never get if back off...

 

[Pepe]

 

[Blake Werts]

Looks like it works! ;-)

 

[gb hill]

I used my Canon Serenar on my Fed 2. It's a lovely lens. The biggest drawback (besides the weight) is you can't take it off until you finish the roll of film. Never put one on a bottom loader or your going to be taking apart a camera.

 

[gb hill]

Very nice photos. What lens do you have on the Fed?

 

[gb hill]

I also have a Canon Serenar 135mm f.4 which I recently got. It has rangefinder coupling, but I cannot put it on my FED-2. The thing which slides in and out at the rear of the lens, which I believe is the connector to the camera rangefinder catches on the FED-2's finger. The former owner of the lens used it on a Leica.

Depends on which way the hook shape cam os pointing. I can screw the lens on my fed 2 but not on my fed 5. The cam faces different directions which I thought odd.

 

[holgaguy]

Well my canon 135 is now stuck on my Fed 2. Can i remove it after this roll from inside ?
holgaguy

 

[rxmd]

Well my canon 135 is now stuck on my Fed 2. Can i remove it after this roll from inside ?
holgaguy

Yes. Open the back, open the shutter on "B" and lock it there (with a cable release or by rotating the shutter button), reach into the camera through the shutter and disengage the rangefinder arm from the lens coupling.

On a FED-1 or any other FSU bottom loader you'd have a big problem now. 🙂

Philipp

 

[Pepe]

Yep it works.

I'm happy

my scanner however needs replacing...

I'm putting in APX100 (rated 200 for diafine since I have 10 rolls lying around waiting for my darkroom to be installed again) now....

I would like a collapsible lens or a faster one though, the jupiters don't have click stops do they (and turn the wrong way I think I remember) ?

 

[rxmd]

What's the "wrong way"? 🙂 On an Industar-61, f2.8 is left, f22 is right. On a Jupiter-3, f1.5 is right, f22 is left. The distance scales are identical in this respect: 1m is left, infinity is right.

The Jupiters don't have click stops. For that you need to go for an Industar-61, which limits you to f2.8, but is otherwise a very nice lens.

 

[Pepe]

coming from minolta, the only correct way is wide open at the left, infinity at the right ;-)

 

[wolves3012]

The Jupiters don't have click stops. For that you need to go for an Industar-61, which limits you to f2.8, but is otherwise a very nice lens.

Kiev-mount Jupiter 8 does...as does the Helios 103 in same mount. In LTM you're right, of course.

 

[wolves3012]

On a FED-1 or any other FSU bottom loader you'd have a big problem now. 🙂

Philipp

More than a big problem - you can't get the bodyshell off until the lens mount is removed. You can't get the lens mount off without removing the lens. Catch 22. Might be possible to get at the RF coupler arm by taking the top off though, that way it could be released.

Simple rule: NEVER attach a lens that doesn't have a full-barrel cam to a bottom-loading FSU.

 

[Pepe]

errr what cams do "modern" lenses from say cosina have?

i kinda want to use the fed with ultrawides and/or a fast 35 or 50

(my budget being what it is, I'd rather pay for 2 new lenses then one bessa body)

 

[rxmd]

All Cosina lenses have full-barrel cams.

The only ones with non-full-barrel cams are some Canon and Leitz lenses (e.g. Canon 85, 100 and 135 and Leitz 135 according to Jay).