Fed 5B ?

P

photo4ls

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Thinking about purchasing the Fed 5B in excellent chape. need honest
opinion on this choice of RF. New at this and need all the help I can get.
:bang: Price is less than $75.00 w/lens 2.8/55
 
It's a 5V (B is V in the Cyrillic alphabet). I'd bever used one, but it's an evolution of the FED3/FED4. Last of the FEDs from the factory, so assuming it's in good condition, it should be a good camera. The Industar lens it comes with is very nice :D.
Other cameras to look at may be Zorki 4, 4k, or 6, a FED3, or 4, or the Kiev 4. Depends if you want something in Leica thread mount...
 
$75 sounds a bit expensive in my opinion . USSR-Camera has This one for $40 + $18 post and package , Brand new in box , and they go for as little as $15 or less on Ebay if your willing to take a chance .

Not personally used one, though I do have a FED 4 in the post somewhere:rolleyes: But I think there are quite a few members on here that do use them and are quite pleased with them .

Paul
 
I paid $39 for one that was new in the box several years ago. I think there are a lot of them out there still brand new. I agree, a decent camera, though fit and finish aren't wonderful. The lens (Industar 61?) is pretty good -- a lot of folks here like it a lot.
 
$75 for a FED 5 sounds like highway robbery to me! One of my favorite ebay sellers, alex-photo, has one in his store for $12!

http://cgi.ebay.com/FED-5V-Russian-Camera-VERY-GOOD_W0QQitemZ330086904106QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem

Well, $34 with shipping, but that's still half of $75. Alex is very reliable and good guy to deal with.

For what it's worth, I think you'd be better off with a FED 2 or 3. Or maybe even a Zorki 4. Never used a 5 myself, but all the descriptions of them I've seen have give me the impression they're a little rough around the edges.
 
The 5 is a perfectly competent camera, if not very pretty, and is likely to have an Industar 61L/D attached. Plenty of people buy one just to get the lens, since it's very good indeed. I agree with other folks that $75 is rather steep though. Mine is an un-metered "B" but, if it's like the 4's meter, the meter (if it has one) should be quite usable.
 
Again grandma stories about buying for penauts. Come on folks, why don't you detail accurately what exactly have you got for those penauts ?

"Brand new in box". So what ? Are you buying the box, the brand or the opportunity ? No difference among 3 brand new in box ? Perfect quality control for all Soviet cameras ? Standard prices for standard cameras ?

Of course, $75 can be a robbery according to the camera condition. But the same applies for $35, even $10. Not to speak about that RFF member screwed with a new Zeis Ikon, whose story is quite sad.

The issue is not 35 vs 75, but what are you actually getting per buck.

And a Black Fed 5 isn't ugly at all.

My advice, Photo4ls, is that if you are new in this area, buy expensive from Fedka, or cheaper from Oleg, according to availability and condition declared, but don't move away from these 2 sellers.
 
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$75 might be a little high, but it depends on a couple of things that you didn't mention:
Is the camera local to you?
Including shipping or not if the FED isn't local?
How do you feel about the seller--are you taking a chance or are you confident that the sellers is fairly representing the camera?
Does the camera have all the "extra" stuff it came with when new: lens cap and case and possibly a reloadable film cassette?
I like the FED5 and own and use one pretty regularly. An under-rated camera in my opinion. It has almost everything I want and while it is not the prettiest FSU(Former Soviet Union) camera out there it will do the job well. And the standard Industar-61 lens is very good, indeed, I think. And if you decide to, you can choose from a huge variety of other lenses.
The FED5 I use now cost me just about $90 shipped from Russia. I know there are cheaper ones out there but: I like and trust the seller I got it from, it was "as new" meaning in the factory box with all the other stuff that they sold with it originally.
As I said above the FED5 has almost every thing I want in a camera. The two things I do miss in these are: no strap lugs(so I cut the top part of the case off so I can carry the camera around my neck) and 1/500 top shutter speed. That may or may not be an issue for you depending on what film and on how you use yours.
I think one can build a very good RF kit starting with the FED5.
Welcome aboard!
Rob
 
Its not a bad camera, but for 75dollars it must be in absolutely perfect condition with a year warranty. Personally I like the Fed3 better, its a bit smaller and prettier.
 
I hope it's a whole lot less than $75. I paid $35, $50 and $20 respectively for my three working Fed-5B's. That includes $15 ea for shipping from Ukraine in two cases and Siberia (Russia) in the other. Now that I know the camera better, I would say that $25 plus shipping is a reasonable price for a good one.

-Paul
 
It may be a little late, but my two cents are generally in agreement with what's been said. While I only have the FED 5 with the light meter, it's a camera that has definitely impressed me. It's true that $75 may not be a horribly excessive price given condition and what's included, in addition to seller reputation, international shipping, etc. I got mine for only $25 (plus 20 or so for shipping), but the condition was somewhat worn (although no serious damage like scratches, dents, or rust) and it didn't come with a case or manual or any other accessories other than the lens cap for its I-61 L/D. The camera itself though, is really not bad at all. I've gotten accustomed to its unusual appearance and don't think of it as ugly. For the amount I paid, it is a very good camera.
 
BTW, it is time to ask

Would the Fed 5 with its three models have the same thread compatibility as the postwar Fed 2?

And besides the "look", vis a vis Feds 2, what has been improved and what worsened ?

Cheers,
Ruben
 
pshinkaw said:
I hope it's a whole lot less than $75. I paid $35, $50 and $20 respectively for my three working Fed-5B's. That includes $15 ea for shipping from Ukraine in two cases and Siberia (Russia) in the other. Now that I know the camera better, I would say that $25 plus shipping is a reasonable price for a good one.

-Paul
Click to expand...


Paul, I have been frequenting eBay last month for Feds, and it seems to me prices went up in relation to your $25 (plus shipping !) estimation. The new in box are almost gone. But may be you are insinuating the camera is not worth.
 
I did a quick check today for open auctions and recently closed ones. The Fed-5's haven't changed much in price since I last purchased one. The shipping has gome up significantly, $15 to $28.

-Paul
 
for all its roughness and so called ugliness, I found the Fed 5c and 5b to be the most reliable FSU camera out there.
 
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