FED-2 rangefinder is dead - how to repair it?

[domdel]

Hello everyone!

I'm posting this new thread here as I am desperate to get advice on how to fix the rangefinder of my beloved FED-2.

To make a long story short, after having spent month identifying and fixing a nasty light leak, and eventually being able to shoot pictures with it, it turns out that the rangefinder horizontal adjustment screw for infinity has come out of its thread (or so I suppose) :bang: I've deduced that from my reading of this thread: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3017058

I'm not able to fix horizontal alignment at infinity anymore, but it also seems that the whole linkage is wrong, as all my distance readings are wrong by several meters even on close targets (e.g. an object at 2.5 meters will read 7 meters on the lens when I try to superpose the 2 images in the viewfinder). I'm not able to fix this by adjusting the cam that links with the lens (the one you usually adjust for short range adjustment).

I suspect it all comes from the infinity screw which popped out of its thread - could it be correct?

And, how can I fix this?

Reading another thread (https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144596) I somehow understood that the vertical adjustment wedge could have two positions enabling proper vertical alignment but with one of the two being totally wrong for horizontal alignment at infinity, so I was hoping that by turning it by 180° it would fix my issue - however it doesn't seem to work, if at 180° my vertical alignment is totally screwed.😱

I'm totally lost now 🙁

Apologies for the multiple posts - I am creating this one as I suppose my other comments go unnoticed in the sticky ones.

 

[domdel]

 

[farlymac]

Domdel, PM me, and I'll arrange to send you some parts.


PF

 

[nzeeman]

ah damn that camera just dont give up 🙁 i dont understand - is there a adjustment screw inside? and does it moves anything when you rotate it or its everything stuck ? also could be one more problem that easily can go unnoticed. maybe that little thing that is pushed by lens - i had it too loose on my zorki 4 - so lens just always rotate it instead of just pushing. it should be very hard to rotate and adjust-if its too easy - that is the problem...

 

[farlymac]

Well, it's a fine pickle you got yourself into. Are you quite sure the horizontal screw is missing? You are not using a photo of your own, so there is no way for us to tell exactly what you're talking about. And for turning the vertical 180°, that just didn't make sense. First thing you should do is turn it back to where it was.

If you truly are missing the horizontal alignment screw, then nothing else you do can fix the issue until you have replaced the missing part. Trying to compensate for that with a highly unorthodox adjustment is just not the right way to go.

When adjusting rangefinders, the most important one is the horizontal. You do that first, then do the vertical. So until you can determine if the horizontal adjustment screw is actually missing, domdel, you can't get to the next step. Replace that, then start over again with the adjustment as per the instructions from the sticky post.

My offer of parts still stands.

PF

 

[domdel]

Hello both, thanks for your comments and thanks for the parts proposal.

Nothing is missing, the horizontal screw is still there, it's just apparently turning without any influence.

I will remove the top cover this afternoon, send actual pictures and try to explain more precisely - not easy as EN is not my mother tongue 🙂

 

[domdel]

So here are the pictures of my camera:





It really does seem that the screw than links with the cam is out of its thread and therefore pushes the cam too much. How can I make it enter its thread again, to be able to adjust it via the front adjustment screw?

 

[farlymac]

Better. What it appears to me is that the adjustment screw head has been buggered up for one of two reasons. The first is that it is stuck in the threads. The second and more obvious is that the screw was run all the way into the stop, then forced some more which caused the screwdriver to slip and wear out the driver blade channel. You'll have to replace the adjustment screw, then you can start all over. There appears to be enough of a blade channel left to get a good purchase on the screw to back it out using one blade of a spanner set.

Now I could just send you the adjustment screw, but not sure what my requirements would be export wise, and what yours would be import wise what with all the changes in duties and VAT over the years. I could make it worth your while and send you a mostly complete camera you can part out on your own as I feel you will be interested in FSU cameras for some time to come. They can be habit forming. Or maybe one of our members in your area has parts they can spare, or you know of a place to buy junked cameras that would be less expensive than paying the duties and VAT on an import.

Let me know what you think.

PF

 

[Livesteamer]

Could there be a local technical school that would make you a new screw as a student project? It is probably a standard metric size.


Good Luck. The Fed 2 is my favorite FSU camera.


Joe

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Import duties and VAT on 20 USD for parts camera?

I purchased one for parts .... and made it working again 🙂 .

 

[farlymac]

Import duties and VAT on 20 USD for parts camera?

I purchased one for parts .... and made it working again 🙂 .

Yeah, well, some folks are averse to paying tax on something they are getting for free.

PF

 

[domdel]

Actually I can turn the adjustment screw counter-clockwise, however it comes back to its original position as it seems to be somehow constrained by the spring. I cant turn it clockwise.
Should I for instance remove the cam that links to the lens, by unscrewing the 2 screws holding it, to then try to put the adjustment screw back into its thread?

 

[farlymac]

Now I wish I hadn't put mine back together already so I could check to see if that would help. Maybe you could contact the member wolves3012 who is really knowledgeable about the FED and Zorki cameras. You'll find him answering to quite a few posts in the FSU section.

It sounds like a good idea, but the fewer items you need to remove the better the repair can go.

PF

 

[domdel]

Thanks for the suggestions! I will open a new thread under the FSU section - fingers crossed 🙂

 

[domdel]

FED-2 rangefinder horizontal alignment is dead - how to repair?

FED-2 rangefinder horizontal alignment is dead - how to repair?

Hi everyone,

After having spent month identifying and fixing a nasty light leak on my FED-2 camera, and eventually being able to shoot pictures with it (see https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170775), it turns out that the rangefinder horizontal adjustment screw for infinity has come out of its thread (or so I suppose)... I'm deducing that from my reading of this thread: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3017058

I'm not able to fix horizontal alignment at infinity anymore, and it also seems that the whole linkage is wrong, as all my distance readings are wrong by several meters even on close targets (e.g. an object at 2.5 meters will read 7 meters on the lens when I try to superpose the 2 images in the viewfinder). I can't fix this by adjusting the cam that links with the lens (the one you usually adjust for short range adjustment).

I suspect it all comes from the infinity screw which popped out of its thread - could it be correct? And if so, how can I fix this?

Reading another thread (https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144596) I somehow understood that the vertical adjustment wedge could have two positions enabling proper vertical alignment but with one of the two being totally wrong for horizontal alignment at infinity, so I was hoping that by turning it by 180° it would fix my issue - however it doesn't seem to work, if at 180° my vertical alignment is totally screwed.

It really does seem that the screw than links with the cam is out of its thread and therefore pushes the cam too far. How can I make it enter its thread again, to be able to adjust it via the front adjustment screw?

I can turn the adjustment screw counter-clockwise, however it comes back to its original position as it seems to be somehow constrained by the spring. I can't turn it clockwise.
Should I for instance remove the cam that links to the lens, by unscrewing the 2 screws holding it, to then try to put the adjustment screw back into its thread?

Thanks in advance!

 

[nzeeman]

can you unscrew that whole yellow part that you put in red circle? it seems like that is a channel that holds screw and maybe they will come out together...

 

[domdel]

No, if I turn the screw it gets constrained by the spring, and I'm afraid I will break it. I can't turn more than 1/2 turn counter-clockwise, and it comes back to where it was.

 

[nzeeman]

now i am a bit confused - do you use yellow outside screw that can go only counter clockwise for horizontal adjustment? adjustment should be corrected with tiny screwdriver inside that hole on yellow screw...

 

[wolves3012]

I think you may have to dismantle the whole thing, removing the arm that carries the screw by taking the pivot apart. I don't think you need to remove the RF cam/arm and its pivot. Getting it all back in afterwards may be fun! If you do remove the pivot, note that some models use tiny ball-bearings as the pivot, take extra care to see what's there and do not lose anything!


EDIT: The pivot is held in by the large screw you can see in the lower left corner of your first photo - a ball-bearing may be underneath it and another as the lower pivot so be careful.

The arm that carries the adjuster-screw is split close to where the adjuster-screw is, with a screw that adjusts the tightness of the adjuster-screw's thread. You can see it in your photo. I have attached 2 photos of the equivalent part from a different model and you can see it has red paint on it to lock it. Yours has a similar screw in a slightly different place. The screw on yours may be too tight or too loose, preventing proper operation of the adjuster.

 

[domdel]

now i am a bit confused - do you use yellow outside screw that can go only counter clockwise for horizontal adjustment? adjustment should be corrected with tiny screwdriver inside that hole on yellow screw...

My bad... The one I was trying to turn is indeed the yellow one, I'll give a try with a smaller screwdriver head.

I think you may have to dismantle the whole thing, removing the arm that carries the screw by taking the pivot apart. I don't think you need to remove the RF cam/arm and its pivot. Getting it all back in afterwards may be fun! If you do remove the pivot, note that some models use tiny ball-bearings as the pivot, take extra care to see what's there and do not lose anything!


EDIT: The pivot is held in by the large screw you can see in the lower left corner of your first photo - a ball-bearing may be underneath it and another as the lower pivot so be careful.

The arm that carries the adjuster-screw is split close to where the adjuster-screw is, with a screw that adjusts the tightness of the adjuster-screw's thread. You can see it in your photo. I have attached 2 photos of the equivalent part from a different model and you can see it has red paint on it to lock it. Yours has a similar screw in a slightly different place. The screw on yours may be too tight or too loose, preventing proper operation of the adjuster.

OK thanks! I'll try this. How does the adjuster-screw goes back into the yellow one mentioned above, which I understand is fixed on the body (am I wrong)? Are these 2 separate screws?