bluemoon15
Newbie
Hi everyone,
I am a hopeless (and cack-handed) novice with my Fed-1f. I don’t even have the technical vocabulary to describe my problem, so what follows is in lay language. I hope you can excuse that! Also, I’ve searched the forum for advice on my problem. If it’s there and I’ve missed it – sorry!
I would be grateful for advice on a problem, whose symptoms are as follows:-
I loaded the camera and shot a first film, and most of my pictures were without problems (there was some light leakage on some of my prints, sometimes at the left, sometimes at the right, sometimes in the middle).
I loaded a second film, seemingly without problems. But this time when I wound the film on, although the rewind knob revolved (so showing the film was winding on) the shutter did not cock. Neither the shutter button nor the film speed knob revolved. I removed the film by winding it off.
I I loaded a third film, again seemingly without problems – but got the same symptoms. Then I rotated the shutter knob (I’d read that there is a lock on the Zorki here) and got the shutter to cock, all knobs and counters etc turning as they should, seemingly. But when I pressed the shutter knob, although the shutter speed knob flew back round (as it should, I think) the shutter did not close. Only when I started to wind the film on to cock the shutter again did I hear the shutter “klonk” noise.
I’d be grateful if someone could diagnose the problem for me, and tell me what to do about it. I’d also be grateful if someone could tell me how this problem might have been caused. I was very careful not to change the shutter speed till the shutter was cocked.
I am a hopeless (and cack-handed) novice with my Fed-1f. I don’t even have the technical vocabulary to describe my problem, so what follows is in lay language. I hope you can excuse that! Also, I’ve searched the forum for advice on my problem. If it’s there and I’ve missed it – sorry!
I would be grateful for advice on a problem, whose symptoms are as follows:-
I loaded the camera and shot a first film, and most of my pictures were without problems (there was some light leakage on some of my prints, sometimes at the left, sometimes at the right, sometimes in the middle).
I loaded a second film, seemingly without problems. But this time when I wound the film on, although the rewind knob revolved (so showing the film was winding on) the shutter did not cock. Neither the shutter button nor the film speed knob revolved. I removed the film by winding it off.
I I loaded a third film, again seemingly without problems – but got the same symptoms. Then I rotated the shutter knob (I’d read that there is a lock on the Zorki here) and got the shutter to cock, all knobs and counters etc turning as they should, seemingly. But when I pressed the shutter knob, although the shutter speed knob flew back round (as it should, I think) the shutter did not close. Only when I started to wind the film on to cock the shutter again did I hear the shutter “klonk” noise.
I’d be grateful if someone could diagnose the problem for me, and tell me what to do about it. I’d also be grateful if someone could tell me how this problem might have been caused. I was very careful not to change the shutter speed till the shutter was cocked.
davidnewtonguitars
Family Snaps
Have you taken the lens & base cover off, and without a film, just wind and fire over and over at all speeds, watching the curtains and bottom works? If it works over and over that way, you may be loading the film messy.
If it is messed up, it may be simpler and less expensive to get another guaranteed camera body than having yours worked on.
If it is messed up, it may be simpler and less expensive to get another guaranteed camera body than having yours worked on.
bluemoon15
Newbie
Thanks for your advice. I'll try that , And report back!
wolves3012
Veteran
The FED 1f has two mechanisms that will prevent the shutter cocking, the little advance/rewind lever and also the shutter button can be locked down to keep the curtains open on 'B'. Not wishing to patronise you, are you sure the shutter lock wasn't accidentally down or the camera left in "rewind"?
Assuming neither of these was the cause, I'd say it's time for a proper service. Not wishing to be unkind or harsh, if you don't have the technical vocabulary then you probably haven't got the tools or skills either. Whether it's worth it to you to have a professional service it is down to you.
Assuming neither of these was the cause, I'd say it's time for a proper service. Not wishing to be unkind or harsh, if you don't have the technical vocabulary then you probably haven't got the tools or skills either. Whether it's worth it to you to have a professional service it is down to you.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
In your shoes, I wouldn't attempt to do anything with it except check what has been suggested (above).
Don't think about scrapping it and buying another because you'll just start the sequence all over again. Best to get it serviced and then you'll have saved another camera and will find out why people like them so much. Also a decent repairer will give a guarantee and that's worth more than anything you'll get with an anonymous second-hand one and will be a lot cheaper in the long run.
Regards, David
In your shoes, I wouldn't attempt to do anything with it except check what has been suggested (above).
Don't think about scrapping it and buying another because you'll just start the sequence all over again. Best to get it serviced and then you'll have saved another camera and will find out why people like them so much. Also a decent repairer will give a guarantee and that's worth more than anything you'll get with an anonymous second-hand one and will be a lot cheaper in the long run.
Regards, David
+1.... Agree with David! 
Better to save a camera than to have a cabinet with junk cameras...
Better to save a camera than to have a cabinet with junk cameras...
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
No report back...
FED-1 with light leaks, I don't know, how it is possible. It is not Kiev or Leica M where it is possible. It is too simple for light leaks.
Those camera are not complicated to get them back in order.
http://jay.fedka.com/index_files/Page455.htm
FED-1 with light leaks, I don't know, how it is possible. It is not Kiev or Leica M where it is possible. It is too simple for light leaks.
Those camera are not complicated to get them back in order.
http://jay.fedka.com/index_files/Page455.htm
bluemoon15
Newbie
Hi everyone,
Firstly, thank you for the very helpful replies. I wasn’t able to report back before now, because I’ve been away.
Secondly, the advice you gave was not unkind, but the opposite. As I said, I’m a hopeless (and cack-handed) novice and I know it!
Now my report: I did more or less as suggested. I took the lens off, and with the film I had loaded, I wound and fired over and over at all speeds, watching the curtains working. They seemed to be doing so OK, and I did not encounter the previous problem*. It’s a bit baffling, but I can only suppose it was some mistake I made when using the camera last time. Perhaps I managed to lock the shutter button down and kept the curtains open.
I will use the loaded film to carry out further checks and practise loading and unloading the film. And report back!
But please can I ask, exactly how do you lock the shutter button down and unlock it again? I think I’ve worked it out, but I’d like to know for sure!
Thanks to all again.
*the previous problem: I pressed the shutter knob, although the shutter speed knob flew back round (as it should, I think) the shutter did not close. Only when I started to wind the film on to cock the shutter again did I hear the shutter “klonk” noise.
Firstly, thank you for the very helpful replies. I wasn’t able to report back before now, because I’ve been away.
Secondly, the advice you gave was not unkind, but the opposite. As I said, I’m a hopeless (and cack-handed) novice and I know it!
Now my report: I did more or less as suggested. I took the lens off, and with the film I had loaded, I wound and fired over and over at all speeds, watching the curtains working. They seemed to be doing so OK, and I did not encounter the previous problem*. It’s a bit baffling, but I can only suppose it was some mistake I made when using the camera last time. Perhaps I managed to lock the shutter button down and kept the curtains open.
I will use the loaded film to carry out further checks and practise loading and unloading the film. And report back!
But please can I ask, exactly how do you lock the shutter button down and unlock it again? I think I’ve worked it out, but I’d like to know for sure!
Thanks to all again.
*the previous problem: I pressed the shutter knob, although the shutter speed knob flew back round (as it should, I think) the shutter did not close. Only when I started to wind the film on to cock the shutter again did I hear the shutter “klonk” noise.
wolves3012
Veteran
Easy - press the button and turn it about 90 degrees. I haven't got mine in front of me so I can't remember if it's right or left. If you look at the side of the 'soup bowl' around the shutter button you'll see the shape cut out and the pin that operates it, so it's not hard to figure. Unlock it the opposite way.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
About locking; looking down from above you push the shutter button down and turn it anti-clockwise (looking from behind to the right). The red mark on the shutter button goes from 11 o'clock to about 10 o'clock.
But, if it locks down then you might have a FED-1 (G) the point being that this change appeared to happen to the F's at some point but no one knows when (or I haven't found it; more likely).
And how you manage without shaking the camera escapes me unless you are an astronomer and know the old trick with a top hat...
Going back to what I said; I guess it needs a proper looking at and perhaps an adjustment. Luckily there are a lot of competent technicians who can do this all over the world.
Some suggest scrapping cameras when the price of a repair costs more than one on ebay but I would like to point out that brand new my Leica M2 was UKP 102 (in 1961) and the last complete service it had cost 330; by their standards it should have been scrapped many years ago but I don't agree.
Regards, David
About locking; looking down from above you push the shutter button down and turn it anti-clockwise (looking from behind to the right). The red mark on the shutter button goes from 11 o'clock to about 10 o'clock.
But, if it locks down then you might have a FED-1 (G) the point being that this change appeared to happen to the F's at some point but no one knows when (or I haven't found it; more likely).
And how you manage without shaking the camera escapes me unless you are an astronomer and know the old trick with a top hat...
Going back to what I said; I guess it needs a proper looking at and perhaps an adjustment. Luckily there are a lot of competent technicians who can do this all over the world.
Some suggest scrapping cameras when the price of a repair costs more than one on ebay but I would like to point out that brand new my Leica M2 was UKP 102 (in 1961) and the last complete service it had cost 330; by their standards it should have been scrapped many years ago but I don't agree.
Regards, David
Last edited:
davidnewtonguitars
Family Snaps
David I agree with you, I would rather repair than scrap, generally. But the price of an excellent condition Zorki or Fed, newly serviced by a UKR camera tech, guaranteed & shipped, is often less than the cost of service in the US.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Well, um, yes and no; my experience of them sold as "serviced" or (worse) "CLA'ed" is that I'd sooner buy a cheap but good looking one and pay someone I know and trust to sort it out. But, of course, your experience may be the exact opposite.
Regards, David
bluemoon15
Newbie
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the further replies.
I can (seemingly) lock the shutter down, but not exactly as described in either of the two responses on this.
My Fed does not seem to have a shape cut out of the 'soup bowl' around the shutter button and a pin that operates it. I do have (after looking under magnification) a tiny red mark on the shutter button. But when the button is in the up position the red dot lines up (at about 8 o’clock looking directly down on the shutter button with the camera pointing forwards) with a black dot on the soup bowl. To lock the shutter button I push it down and turn it anti-clockwise. It comes to rest in the depressed position at about 6.30 o’clock. I was told that mine is a Fed-1f, but I don’t know if that’s reliable.
I’m still experimenting but I’m beginning to think the problem I had was multi-factorial. I do think it likely that I somehow managed to lock the shutter button in the down position without realising it, but I think I may also have made some mistake with the rewind knob or the little lever which disengages/engages the winding gear. Or maybe I just managed to lock the shutter button – I never knew that was even possible.
I bought my Fed as serviced and checked and I’ve no reason to suppose that this was incorrect. This tends to corroborate that I am the cause of the problem, not the camera. Which is good news, except for my embarrassment.
This must be the most spectacular mess-up reported on the forum, I think. I’ll persist with various test and practice windings on, loading and reloading and taking shots. Hopefully I can report back in a while that all is now OK.
Whatever happens, I won’t be scrapping my Fed - it is a beautiful thing. I hope it will be in use rather than in a display cabinet though!
Once again, thanks for all the kind advice and guidance.
Thanks for the further replies.
I can (seemingly) lock the shutter down, but not exactly as described in either of the two responses on this.
My Fed does not seem to have a shape cut out of the 'soup bowl' around the shutter button and a pin that operates it. I do have (after looking under magnification) a tiny red mark on the shutter button. But when the button is in the up position the red dot lines up (at about 8 o’clock looking directly down on the shutter button with the camera pointing forwards) with a black dot on the soup bowl. To lock the shutter button I push it down and turn it anti-clockwise. It comes to rest in the depressed position at about 6.30 o’clock. I was told that mine is a Fed-1f, but I don’t know if that’s reliable.
I’m still experimenting but I’m beginning to think the problem I had was multi-factorial. I do think it likely that I somehow managed to lock the shutter button in the down position without realising it, but I think I may also have made some mistake with the rewind knob or the little lever which disengages/engages the winding gear. Or maybe I just managed to lock the shutter button – I never knew that was even possible.
I bought my Fed as serviced and checked and I’ve no reason to suppose that this was incorrect. This tends to corroborate that I am the cause of the problem, not the camera. Which is good news, except for my embarrassment.
This must be the most spectacular mess-up reported on the forum, I think. I’ll persist with various test and practice windings on, loading and reloading and taking shots. Hopefully I can report back in a while that all is now OK.
Whatever happens, I won’t be scrapping my Fed - it is a beautiful thing. I hope it will be in use rather than in a display cabinet though!
Once again, thanks for all the kind advice and guidance.
bluemoon15
Newbie
Er, I meant to say "I was told that mine is a Fed-1f, but I don’t know if that’s reliable information."
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
Don't worry too much; FED's are difficult to get/understand because (A) they were never exported and so the only instruction manuals are in Russian and (B) a lot of people thinking they were exact copies of the Leica II wrote "manuals" for them and posted them on the internet.
The next cause of a bit of confusion is that the identification of the models is based on the most obvious item, meaning the engraving on the top. The problem is that there are two obviously different versions of the "F" and the second version looks very like the "G". You'll see this with a lot of detail in this website:-
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?414372438
As your camera hasn't got the slot in the shutter button surround, I'd say it was a FED-1 (F). I expect/hope it says "ФЕД
Завод им. Ф.Э. Дзержинского" in a nice fancy and then plain script on the top. It meads "FED - F.E. Dzerzhinsky Factory", btw. (I also expect your shutter speeds run from a 25th and not from a 20th of a second.)
If it is a (G) then it will just say "ФЕД" in the nice fancy script.
Now, about those manuals, do a search and you'll find dozens of them. Some are home made PDF's and some are the original Russian on ebay. Also on ebay is a guy called "kubanoid" who has translated a lot of Russian manuals and published them in printed format. Here it is:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ENGLISH-...438757?hash=item48c38cef65:g:YZUAAOSwpFlaO6Bu
The problem is that I learnt to use my FED the hard way and so haven't seen his manual for the FED-1.
Regards, David
PS And come back with any questions you may have, we're all happy to help you.
Don't worry too much; FED's are difficult to get/understand because (A) they were never exported and so the only instruction manuals are in Russian and (B) a lot of people thinking they were exact copies of the Leica II wrote "manuals" for them and posted them on the internet.
The next cause of a bit of confusion is that the identification of the models is based on the most obvious item, meaning the engraving on the top. The problem is that there are two obviously different versions of the "F" and the second version looks very like the "G". You'll see this with a lot of detail in this website:-
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?414372438
As your camera hasn't got the slot in the shutter button surround, I'd say it was a FED-1 (F). I expect/hope it says "ФЕД
Завод им. Ф.Э. Дзержинского" in a nice fancy and then plain script on the top. It meads "FED - F.E. Dzerzhinsky Factory", btw. (I also expect your shutter speeds run from a 25th and not from a 20th of a second.)
If it is a (G) then it will just say "ФЕД" in the nice fancy script.
Now, about those manuals, do a search and you'll find dozens of them. Some are home made PDF's and some are the original Russian on ebay. Also on ebay is a guy called "kubanoid" who has translated a lot of Russian manuals and published them in printed format. Here it is:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ENGLISH-...438757?hash=item48c38cef65:g:YZUAAOSwpFlaO6Bu
The problem is that I learnt to use my FED the hard way and so haven't seen his manual for the FED-1.
Regards, David
PS And come back with any questions you may have, we're all happy to help you.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
All you need today is common knowledge and search engine.
FED is same as Leica II or Zorki. Manual for them will do for FED.
https://www.central-manuals.com/instructions_manual_user_guide_camera/zorki.php
FED is same as Leica II or Zorki. Manual for them will do for FED.
https://www.central-manuals.com/instructions_manual_user_guide_camera/zorki.php
David Hughes
David Hughes
This looks pretty good and starts with the famous warnings:-
http://community.fortunecity.ws/marina/marine/569/rusrngfdrs/fed1zorki1.html
Regards, David
http://community.fortunecity.ws/marina/marine/569/rusrngfdrs/fed1zorki1.html
Regards, David
webOSUser
Well-known
One page that helped me a lot when I first started loading film into my Zorki1 is http://jay.fedka.com/index_files/Page345.htm
Enjoy the camera.
Steve W
Enjoy the camera.
Steve W
bluemoon15
Newbie
Dear All,
Thanks for the further helpful replies. The information will be really useful. Already I have confirmed, thanks to David, that mine is a FED-1 (F) (number 402693). It is an objet d'art, really, as well as a great camera. I'm going to give it a rest for a while, till I get some more film and steel myself to load it!
Thanks everyone for your kind encouragement. I couldn't have asked for more.
Alastair
Thanks for the further helpful replies. The information will be really useful. Already I have confirmed, thanks to David, that mine is a FED-1 (F) (number 402693). It is an objet d'art, really, as well as a great camera. I'm going to give it a rest for a while, till I get some more film and steel myself to load it!
Thanks everyone for your kind encouragement. I couldn't have asked for more.
Alastair