fed 3b shutter speed problem?

[Davham]

I've just acquired a fed 3b and there seems to be a problem with the shutter speed dial.
I cock the shutter and go to change the shutter speed but I can only rotate the dial between "B" and "1/30" and the camera wants to turn the dial to "1/30"
Am I missing something?
Thanks
David

 

[wolves3012]

No, you aren't missing something. With the shutter cocked, you should be able to choose any speed. There is a tendency for the dial to spring towards 1/30th, that's normal. The only area you should find blocked is that you can't pass from 1/500th to 1/30th, there's a pin to prevent this move. Do those speeds you can select actually work as expected? I suspect you have a tangled-up slow-speed mechanism, caused by someone setting speeds before cocking. If so, it's probably curable but not guaranteed to be a simple fix.

 

[Davham]

1/30 seems right and B sounds like 1/30 but the shutter does still stay open. I had a feeling it might be jammed, do you think Fedka could fix it? The camera seems to be in great condition otherwise and it would be a shame to relegate it to a shelve.

 

[wolves3012]

The FSU cameras are generally fairly robust, if a bit "agricultural". It's probably not actually broken, so it's likely to be fixable. The question is more a case of are you willing to pay a repairman for the time, knowing that the camera isn't worth a lot in money terms? If so - go for it!

 

[efinglada]

I recently got a Revue-FED3 and I adjusted the rangefinder and cleaned the prisms removing the top plate, also put lubricant in exposed geras and shafts. Now it runs smoothly and curtains open/close Ok at all speeds but at 1/60; the 2nd curtain does not close completely, cocking a second time it will close. It does not happen at any other speed. Also, if I release the shutter pointing to the ceiling or with the camera upside down, the curtain closes almost all the times.

I will apreciate any sugestions.

Thanks

 

[wolves3012]

I recently got a Revue-FED3 and I adjusted the rangefinder and cleaned the prisms removing the top plate, also put lubricant in exposed geras and shafts. Now it runs smoothly and curtains open/close Ok at all speeds but at 1/60; the 2nd curtain does not close completely, cocking a second time it will close. It does not happen at any other speed. Also, if I release the shutter pointing to the ceiling or with the camera upside down, the curtain closes almost all the times.

I will apreciate any sugestions.

Thanks

Pointing the camera in vertical/upside-down orientations changes the contact points of the shutter mechanism. It's a good indication that the shutter curtain drum and tension roller pivots need lubricating. The lubricant you put in the gears trains and so on only lubricates the cocking mechanics.

If you look in my Zorki 4K CLA sticky you'll find the other points shown. Although the FED 3 isn't the identical, the design is very similar indeed and you can certainly apply the same principles.