FED 5 Rangefinder wont budge..

[vivalanation734]

I just got a Fed 5 in the mail and I was checking to see if the range finder was in decent condition and it is not accurate, so I decided to try and calibrate it.. I opened it up and when I tried to turn the infinity focus (the easy one to find with the recessed screw) it wouldn't even budge. My fed 5b one turns fairly easily, but this one wont even move... Also the weird ring around the RF on both of my feds won't even consider budging.... any help? I would love to be able to use these cameras, but my guessing on focusing is pretty crappy...

 

[xayraa33]

Try putting a bit of actone or nailpolish remover on the rf adj. screw.
the factory used a red shellac on some screws in these cameras.
be careful with acetone and or NR, as these liquids can melt plastic & the coating on the rf mirror.

 

[Spyderman]

The prism for vertical alignment is usually sealed with shellac, but on the infinity adjustment, there is another screw for setting how tight the adjustment screw is. It's accessible only after removing the top.

Either try (at your own risk) brute force method, or you'll have to remove the top cover. It's not that difficult on this FED-5. Just don't loosen any screws near the lightmeter sensor (guess how I know that :bang🙂

An image says more than a 1000 words: (linked from this site)

 

[wolves3012]

Acetone is far from the best solvent for shellac - it is pretty much only soluble in meths (ethyl alcohol). A drop or two, repeated at a few minutes intervals, will soften it enough to move the prism adjuster. You'll have to re-adjust the horizontal if you adjust the vertical though....

 

[xayraa33]

Try the acetone/ NP first and let it soak on the screw for a few minutes before going to the top removal route.
just doing that was enough to free the screw in my case.

 

[wolves3012]

Try the acetone/ NP first and let it soak on the screw for a few minutes before going to the top removal route.
just doing that was enough to free the screw in my case.

From memory, the infinity screw is locked with red paint (on the ones I've seen anyway) so the acetone route is probably effective. For the RF prism, this is locked with shellac, for which meths (methylated spirit) is more effective...depends if the vertical is needing adjustment or only the horizontal. OP doesn't say which but I'd infer horizontal.

 

[xayraa33]

for the vertical adjustment I just scratched that clear factory shellac around the round rf window with a sharp tool and turned the window( a prism actually) to get the correct vertical rf alignment.
be sure to re -lock this rf round window with Loc tite or nail polish once alignment is achived.