1/60th?

[350D_user]

Too bad that the extra tension didn't help. Your plan of avoiding the use of 60th is certainly different. If you do this, with your first film, include a few shots of something of a uniform tone. Sky, a plain wall, in fact anything which will help you to have confidence that the other speeds are working well, so do not show any irregularities in exposure. I would be concerned that problems might exist in one or more other speeds.

I already have a "litmus paper" test. Ilford FP4+, 125asa, and the "Prestolee Road" location.

Good luck, please share your results with us.

Dave

Will do.

 

[Ulrich Witte]

I've finally recieved the black FED-2 today. Putting the camera through its paces (minus film), I've found an intermittent shutter problem on its 1/60 shutter speed. The second curtain sometimes does not fully close.

All the other speeds work ok, including 1/30 and B. Is this an issue with the shutter tensioning?

Interesting. I have a FED 2 here too, that had the same problem, B and 1/30 are running good, but 1/60 hangs. I've cleaned it and tensioned the second curtain by half of a turn with the screw. Now it works well.

Ulrich

 

[350D_user]

Interesting. I have a FED 2 here too, that had the same problem, B and 1/30 are running good, but 1/60 hangs. I've cleaned it and tensioned the second curtain by half of a turn with the screw. Now it works well.

Ulrich

I only went for quarter of a turn, before I "panicked".

Half a turn... I'll give that a go tomorrow.

 

[Ulrich Witte]

I only went for quarter of a turn, before I "panicked".

Half a turn... I'll give that a go tomorrow.

Don't panic If it isn't overtensioned you normally can try to tension it by one ore more full turns. If it doesn't work then you can tension it back. Sometimes it's a good idea to untension both springs and retension them carefully while testing if the speeds work well. I takes some time but if it succeeds you may have a really quiet camera that cocks very smooth. One of my FED 2 works so smooth that you think there isn't a shutter in it But I've also had some Zorkis and FEDs where nothing helped, I couldn't get them working, don't know what was wrong there... maybe the soviet quality control was beating me ;-)

Ulrich