Fed 3 Light Leaks

[windraider]

Hi All,

My Fed 3 seems to be having a light leak.
I noticed a vertical white line running across from top to bottom on most of my photos.
Sometimes the line is in the centre other times at the right hand side.
The lines are also present on the negatives, and sometimes run from the top film sprocket hole to the one at the bottom.
Under examination in a dark room with a torch, I noticed that at the point where the two shutter curtains meet, there is a slight gap that lets in light whenever I cock the shutter.

1) Is the gap the cause of the light leaks?
2) If so how can I fix this?

Thanks in advance for all your responses.

 

[reagan]

While you're waiting for a reply from someone who actually knows something (that leaves me out) you might read this comment by Jon Goodman that makes good sense to me in narrowing down from which side the light is coming.

Good luck!

 

[DaveP]

I had streaks like that with a Zorki one, they would move around the photo and would disappear altogether. Some times a whole roll would have no leaks then the next would have one or two or several............ It was my big fat finger barely touching the shutter speed dial as it spun! After I installed a soft release button, the light leaks stopped all together.

 

[windraider]

Thanks for all your replies.

From the info provided, seems like the light leaks are from the front, hence consistent with my suspicsions on the shutter gap.

Any advice how to fix it?

 

[Jon Goodman]

Well, okay. If the camera is allowing a gap between the shutter curtains when you cock it, the curtains are out of whack. As the camera is cocked, the curtains should just barely overlap (at the ends), and as the curtains move further across the opening, you should see the overlap increase to the point the two end (lath) pieces are almost even with each other at the end of the stroke. This is because the "wheels" pulling the shutter ribbons (which in turn pull the first curtain) are slightly larger in circumference than the drum which is causing the second curtain to be pulled across. If your camera leaves a gap between the curtains as the cocking sequence is started, it simply means the first curtain needs to have its ribbons shortened so that it is pulled up closer to the second curtain. I know...that sounds odd. It sounded odd as I typed it, but I believe it is right. The first curtain is actually the last of the two curtains to travel across the opening in the cocking sequence and the first to be released in the shutter operating sequence. If there is a gap between the curtains as the camera is being cocked, it will never work. Unfortunately, this is not going to be an easy fix. You may be able to "cheat" the mechanism by advancing the gear a couple of teeth...I've done this a time or two, but that is not easy, either. Here is an expoded view of the Zenit shutter. While crudely done, it will show some of what I'm talking about. Basically, what we have to do is close the gap between the two curtains a bit.

http://www.zenit.istra.ru/archive/zenit-e/zenit-e-kinematics.jpg

I'm sorry I can't make this explanation simpler, and I'm sorry I can't think of a simple fix for the problem, but essentially I don't think there is one, exactly. If you are very handy, I can direct you to a site which will offer some tips on repairing these style shutters, but it is a fiddly project and challenging until you get comfortable with it.

Jon

 

[windraider]

Thanks for the response Jon.
Would be grateful if you could direct me to the site, so I’ll know what it entails.
Does repairing it require any specialized tools or replacement of parts?

Was also wondering if I could avoid the light leaks/streaks by covering the lens before cocking the shutter?

 

[DaveP]

I just got back a roll from a Fed 3 with the same problem. Using a flashlight I could see the light coming through the gap in the curtains as they advance. I noticed that one of the laths is bent in a curve. so carefully ,on bulb, I straightened it and tried again. It was better but not cured. Then i tried several other cameras and they all had at least a very small leak. From now on I will hold my and over the lens.

 

[Jon Goodman]

http://jay.fedka.com/

Hello...this is the site dealing with shutter & shutter ribbon replacement. If you need the fabric & ribbons, please let me know at Jon_Goodman@yahoo.com.

If you have a camera which shows light through the curtain lath as it is being cocked, I'd say that camera is not going to function well until it is repaired. What this really tells me is that the gap between the curtains is too large, and this will most definitely have an impact on the shutter "timing" of the camera. As I said earlier, the two lath pieces need to be overlapped slightly when the cocking sequence begins, and as it progresses, the overlap needs to increase...this is due to the "pulleys" being slightly larger in diameter/circumference than the "drum."
Jon

 

[windraider]

Thanks for the links Jon.
Looks intimidating but will give it a shot.
Wish me luck 🙂