Dorrell
Newbie
Just got a FED-2 for $100 from a local camera shop and I’m realizing now that the shutter doesn’t sound like much of a shutter at all—it’s more of a swiping sound. Then I realized that only 1/500 actually works (the shutter doesn’t close all the way on the others). I saw a similar thread on here that said it needs to be cleaned. Should I just take it back and ask for that or try to do it myself? This is my first 35mm rangefinder and I’ve never opened one up before.
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
You've just answered your own question.
For $100, a FED should work. Hell, for any price, a FED should work - but that's a bit over the sort of price they used to go for on eBay (I've not looked for a while), and a proper camera shop should be checking their stock functions correctly. And while a FED can be opened with relatively basic tools, if you don't know what you're doing, getting a shutter running to spec is not a simple task.
Just take it back.
JeffS7444
Well-known
Just take it back and get a refund. If you are particularly drawn to that particular model, next time, choose a camera which has been serviced and is known to be in good working condition.
Dorrell
Newbie
Dang. Taking it back now. Thankfully they just got in someone’s full collection of Soviet cameras so I’m trading it for another FED that I will definitely be testing fully. Thanks for the advice!
Brambling
Well-known
Of course, the FED2 is a very simple camera.
I wonder how much it costs to bring such a camera into absolutely perfect order?
Replace the curtains and ribbons with new identical ones (preferably stitched), wash and lubricate the sleeves with springs, repair the selfie retarder if there is one, perhaps replace or repair other parts, adjust the working segment, adjust the rangefinder, conduct a test shoot on a previously known lens on at least one film with different parameters, wait a week or two and conduct another test shoot, preferably on two films.
For example, I polished the FED-Zarya for myself, and after two seasons, in winter at minus 24 degrees Celsius, I suddenly discovered that the curtains were not working correctly - I had to disassemble the camera again and change the grease in the sleeves and everywhere else)))
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
You chose well, it's just a shame the FED 2 didn't work out. It's definitely the best model of the post-Leica-copy FED line. I started with a FED 2 myself when I was a poor student many years ago, and have owned most of the Soviet rangefinders over the years. I only skipped the Zorki 3 and 3M - they're quite pricey for what they are.
If you want a recommendation and you can't get a FED 2 that works, an early "stepped top" FED 3 is a nice (if quirky-looking) choice, but the "flat top" FED 3 gives you a lever wind, and is still very useable. I'd skip the 4 - the rewind is a pain in the ass. And the FED 5 has its charms but is huge and feels noticeably cheaper (and has an endemic light leak problem that is easily remedied). Don't let that put you off, though. I'd still take a FED 5 over a lot of other cameras at the right price.
If they have Zorkis, I recommend the 5 or 6. The 5 is a bottom-loader which makes it a bit smaller and more solid, but some people absolutely hate bottom loading. The 6 is a swing-back like a typical SLR. I prefer the 5, but the 6 is basically the same. Either are better than the larger 4 or 4K which often have issues due to the slow speed mechanism.
Also, you can't go wrong with a FED 1 or a Zorki 1, of course. They're more or less direct copies of the Leica II - very solid and reliable cameras, and incredibly fun to use. If I was starting over, I'd just go straight for these. I much prefer the separate RF/VF setups now over the combined ones. They're much easier to focus with.
JeffS7444
Well-known
I've performed a complete overhaul + new shutter curtains on my FED-2, and it was labor-intensive. In a perfect world, the rollers/ribbons/curtains would be replaced as a single, pre-assembled unit, because lacking the factory jigs, precisely assembling one's own shutter curtain onto the existing rollers can be kind of a pain.
Cheapest/easiest route is to buy from a Ukrainian seller who has serviced the camera, figure on ~18 business days for USA delivery.
Brambling
Well-known
I am Ukrainian)))
I don't repair for sale, only for myself and friends, and for a very short time - the last 10 years. As a hobby)))
But a very common misconception, even here, is that an old camera can sometimes work without maintenance, 40-50 years after production)))
This is a very weak lottery even for Leica)))
The external condition of a camera that has been lying in ideal conditions for the last 20-30 years can be very good, but this is not an indicator of its correct operation.