Fed-2 Diopter: Tape it down!

[mike goldberg]

Hi Fed-2 fans...
I learned something important this morning: The Diopter adjustment on the Fed-2 has to be right on, for YOUR focusing eye. In my case, I'm left eye dominant.

Another Fed-2 sent to Oleg for CLA, could possibly have "lived without" a CLA if I had been more precise in my Diopter placement. L & L... Live and learn 🙄 So tape it down. Mike [in good humour] ;-)

 

[Keith]

A bit of extra business for Oleg is good Mike ... we need to keep him solvent and whatever it takes is OK by me!

That's one of the things that irks me about my Fed 2 ... every time I pick it up the diopter has moved and has to be reset. Far less of a problem with a Zhou case on I might mention ... the edge of the case protrudes high enough to protect it from an inadvertent bump! 😀

 

[mike goldberg]

Hi Keith,
Yes I've seen pix of the Zhou cases, and they are well worth the money. I'm one of those who needs to feel the camera body. I've got 3 layers of neatly trimmed duct tape over the Diopter.

This Fed-2 is a "new aquisition" fram an eB@y seller called sellertreasure. Eugene's product presentation is better than many, and he's a bit more expensive than other Ukranian sellers. The winding is soft, the shutter almost whisper quiet and the rangefinder is right on at Infinity. The mobile SMS's flew between Jerusalem and the Ukraine on this deal.

The Fed-2 sent to Oleg is NOT as good; for sure it will profit from the CLA.
BTW: Did you buy the ZI?
Cheers mate, Mike

 

[Keith]

Me ... I love the feeling of leather! 😛

I can't come to a descision over the ZI but I think I probably will sell the M7 ... I've just finished taking the pics for an add ... but then again! 🙄

I have more incentive now ... I just got an email from Youxin telling me that the six cameras I sent him for work are all finished and he's shipping them tomorrow ... he's done some amazing things with that very early M3 I had with the dead finder and two of the screwmount III's he has done are going in the classifieds as soon as they get back. I do have to pay him $800.00 US though but for what he has done it's nothing! 🙂

 

[mnmleung]

Pardon my ignorance. Can someone explain a little bit more about this diopter adjustment please? I am getting a Fed-2 but have never used one before. Thanks! Ming

 

[radiocemetery]

Mike, When I got my FED 2, there was a mark on the top plate made with a Sharpie or other marker to designate correct focus for the former owner. It is easy to move that little lever and then wonder what happened to the viewfinder.

Steve

 

[lubitel]

i just put a dab of glue under the lever on one of my fed2s 😉
the other one is fine

 

[wolves3012]

Pardon my ignorance. Can someone explain a little bit more about this diopter adjustment please? I am getting a Fed-2 but have never used one before. Thanks! Ming

It's the little lever on the left of the camera, next to the rewind knob. You can use it to correct for your eyesight, if you wear glasses, so you don't need them when framing and focussing. Unfortunately it's very easy to knock it out of position.

 

[fidget]

You could try a small piece of foam or rubber under the lever. Might help to stop it moving so easily.

Most of mine seem to have a small amount of play in the mechanism. The focus can go off even if the lever does not move. Maybe best to keep the ability to move it.
Dave..

 

[mike goldberg]

Three layers of duct type tape, neatly trimmed, with the top layer in black... did it. Where the tape folds over, I put a tiny drop of Loctite Superglue in the tape [NOT on the camera body]. It's fine. The Diopter levers on Fed-2's are notorious for wandering.

 

[scott555]

Can a new guy revive a 3yr old thread? 😀

I just acquired a Fed-2 from the 'bay as well. I just did a basic cleaning and overlook. I am a Mamiya camera guy typically, and know my way around the mechanisms pretty well.

The question I have...is on my Fed-2...my diopter adjustment arm is spring loaded. Every time I want to take a picture, I have to adjust and HOLD the diopter arm! (i'm sure this isnt a design feature) lol

I am having the top and bottom covers refinished, so when I popped the top, I looked at this diopter adj arm, and there is definitely a spring holding he mech in tension. The online guides I've found have a newer or older version of my "2", as they have a small coil spring on the rewind shaft that controls diopter tension. Mine has a bar spring that comes from under the flash shoe mounting point.

Anyone have any ideas? It'll be unusable if I'm meant to hold the diopter lever in place for every shot. But looking at it, I cant find any immediate changes I can make to hold the arm in place during shooting (to keep it from spring-snapping back to its 'home')

I look forward to a long time enjoying a rangefinder camera...and these remarkable forums.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[bgb]

my FED 2 does not have a spring loaded diopter arm so it must be a feature of your 'special' camera
I plan to tape mine down as it's always moving, yours doesn't sound correct and might need a visit to the doctor

 

[scott555]

I can help you out a little too maybe. 😉

All of the FED-2 cameras had a spring to hold the diopter mech in place. All of the diagrams I have seen to this point have shown a coil type spring that keeps tension on the assembly. This would explain why yours is just flopping around (that sounds almost as annoying as mine, springing back into the 0 position every time I let it go!)

I'll keep looking for a guide to my model, and see if I can find the difference. Good luck on yours too. 😀

If anyone else has anything to add, I'm happy to hear it! I haven't been on here long enough to know who the FED guru's are.

-Scott

 

[wolves3012]

The spring is there largely to prevent the moving optic flopping around. The lever pushes it only one way, with the spring pushing it the other way. It's meant to be held against the friction of the operating lever but these wear with time and lose their ability to hold things still. That leaves it annoyingly easy to knock out of position so tape under or over the lever to give some friction is about all you can do.

 

[scott555]

Thanks Wolves... That is what I was thinking too. I dropped off the body and covers to the powder coating shop this morning...should have a very sharp looking camera going together this weekend. 😉 I am going to put some stiff wave shims in when I reassemble the diopter adj. bar...and hope that will put the tension back in its movement. I'm also considering bead-blasting the bar and the diopter adjustment lever's surface (the part under the cover), so that should lend some micro tactile friction as well.

I'll post pictures when I get the parts back from the coaters (in a new thread)...and make a restore/assembly thread for my Fed-2.

=Scott

 

[Murray Kelly]

I put a blob of hot glue under the lever. End of problem. Easily removed should that be necessary.
Murray

 

[scott555]

Great idea!