FED 5B/5V -- rangefinder adjustment -- "spring clip"?

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KoNickon

Nick Merritt
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A while ago now (well over a year), I pulled out a 5B that I had bought new in the box. I haven't put any film through it yet. It was a better machine than I had remembered, but the infinity adjustment was off. That's probably why I put it away in the first place.

I followed instructions on the web on how to remove the nameplate to get at the adjustment screw; easily enough done and adjustment made. But I realized that the nameplate was a little loose when I put it back. The same writeup said "don't lose the spring clip." I swear I didn't even see such a thing when I removed the nameplate -- if it went flying off somewhere, I didn't even know what it looked like in order to search for it! So I was rather annoyed with myself that I seem to have messed it up, but the nameplate at least seemed to stay in place well enough. I put it back in its box.

Fast forward to just a few minutes ago, when I noticed a little piece of metal sticking out of a folder on my desk. (My desk doubles as a workspace sometimes; not a good practice, I know.) I'm wondering if this is the missing spring clip -- it's 1cm long, 2mm wide, slightly bent/arched, with two prongs on either end (i.e. cutouts at either end forming the prongs). If so, it ended up almost 3 feet from where I was working on the camera(!).

If this sounds right, then my question is, how is it supposed to be installed? I haven't pulled out the camera to see if I can figure it out for myself, but if I have the right piece (fingers crossed), I'd appreciate instruction.

Thanks.
 
My camera had been previously and inexpertly disassembled by someone else, but I don’t recall any prongs on the tips of the spring, so I have said spring positioned so that the bowed-out side faces the edge of the nameplate. But your mention of prongs at the ends of yours makes me wonder if I’ve got it backwards, and whether the prong side ought to be pointed towards the nameplate.
 
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I haven't had to take the faceplate off my FED 5 for many years, so I just slid it out to check. The flat spring goes into the slot the faceplate slides into with the prongs and curve pointing at the faceplate, not into the slot (if that makes sense).

I don't know how you fired it out that far, though - it's not exactly the most springy of things!
 
Coldkennels said:
I haven't had to take the faceplate off my FED 5 for many years, so I just slid it out to check. The flat spring goes into the slot the faceplate slides into with the prongs and curve pointing at the faceplate, not into the slot (if that makes sense).

I don't know how you fired it out that far, though - it's not exactly the most springy of things!
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I think I have it -- will try later. I have no idea how it went on such an "adventure" either!
 
Just make sure you don’t drop it inside the camera. I used a litle piece of tape and it helped.
 
I was very afraid of somehow doing that -- I didn't see any obvious places for it to disappear but you never know. It was really tricky to get the clip into the recess in the correct orientation, but I finally got it.

I realize I must have lost it initially because I was totally unaware it was even there -- I removed the nameplate to adjust the rangefinder and it must have fallen out as I picked up the camera to go find a distant object and it dropped out. Can't believe it resurfaced all by itself!

Sadly, the I-61 L/D has problems on one of the interior surfaces of the rear group -- not fungus but some extensive deposits. Looks as if it was dipped in liquid that left deposits after it dried. No way to open it up that I can see.
 
The Industars are pretty simple to work on. If I remember right, you just lift out the shroud/baffle marked A here:

IMG_6714.jpg

(It's a friction fit - you can pull it out with your fingers)

And then you'll have access to remove the ring B, which will just need a standard spanner wrench with flat tips. The rear element should just drop out at that point.

A clean I61 L/D is a surprisingly good lens, provided it's used on a body that can focus it correctly. In my not-very-scientific tests playing with lenses on various Fuji X mirrorless cameras in my living room, I think I prefer it to the two 50mm Jupiters in terms of sharpness and clarity at f/2.8 - and it even holds up relatively well compared to a collapsible Summicron. It's just a shame the body the optics are housed in is so poorly made!
 
Yup, I did A and B and the rear group comes out. The problem is that the crud is on an interior surface of the rear group, like maybe the front of the rear element. I was hoping there'd be a way to unscrew the rearmost section from the group, but no -- looks like it's pressed in and there's no way to remove it that I can see.

The lens is a 1993, based on the serial number. The body is of the same vintage I'm sure, though the serial number is six element, beginning with 150 I believe.
 
Ah, my mistake. I understand the problem now. Sounds like you'd need to separate the rear group (which would probably entail dissolving some sort of glue, I assume) and that's only going to cause problems getting it back together properly. RIP that lens, I guess.
 
Maybe it is just bad coating? Something that happened quite often in the FSU. Does the lens perform ok?
 
I wondered about that -- looks pretty bad though, as I said, like salty deposits/residue. No, I haven't tried it out yet, though I will -- lens shade mandatory I think.
 
On one Fed 5b camera with the lost spring clip I just used a sliver of a Staedtler eraser cut to the right size and slipped in the side pocket.
 
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