FED fever

[eli griggs]

Ok, after reading about FSU cameras, I decided to jump in and just bought a FED 2, a pair of Fed 3s, both body styles and a Fed 5B in two auctions/buy-it-now(s) on eb*y. All are described as "Everything work properly" and I am also looking at some Russian? filters for b&w work from the same seller.

What I'd like to know is, if you had a check list in hand when looking over 'new' FSU cameras, what would it have on it and how would you proceed?

What are good links to info/repair sites? Favorite sellers?

I'd also like to know a little more about the 35mm and 85mm lenses for these cameras and which filters and lens hoods in general are a good buy.

I hope to use these as b&w shooters, even though like many of you, I have 'modern' SLR and fixed lens rangefinders already.

Really though, I just want to chat a little about FSU rangefinders while I await the postman.

Cheers,
Eli

 

[kmack]

Oh lord... another one gets the FSU bug.

Do a search on this forum for "Oleg" almost every question you have will be somewhere in those posts.

Folks we should be ashamed of our selves. The damned things should be banned by international treaties as addictive substances. Fed 2,Zorki 4,Kiev 4 and I still find my self trolling about for more.

 

[captainslack]

Repair: Oleg. Definitely Oleg. Click "Russian Camera" in the Cool Links section to see his site.

Fav Ebay Seller: alex-photo. Got my first FSU Camera (a FED 2) from Alex. He ships fast and is generally a nice guy to deal with.

Info site: http://www.geocities.com/fzorkis/. This site convinced me to go Russian.

 

[Solinar]

As with most FSU cameras FED 2's came in different production batches. I personally like the early 2e with the raise accessory shoe. The FED 2 is a robust design. I now have two, again.

I went with the Zorki 3M rather than the FED 3. It has a bigger, brighter, 1:1 viewfinder and one extra shutter speed. It needed service, so I bought a Zorki 3 during the interim.

With regards to the FSU bug, I'm sure that I can kick it anytime. 😀

 

[kiev4a]

You should be aware that if you buy four FSU cameras and "Everything work properly" on all of them, you have beaten the same odds you would face to winning the Powerball Lottery. There aren't many perfect FSU cameras and if a 40-year-old camera looks new it's probably because it didn't work right when it was new and the owner threw it in a closet.

That's not to say they will all be junkers and I'm sure you have some that will be good shooters.

Every FSU camera owner should have at least one Jupiter 12 35mm lens. Find one of the black models. Some say the older meltal finish lenses are better but I have both and I think the black one is better.

The 85mm len can be problematic because the grease on most hardened up and somebody took them apart to relube. In about 50 percent of the cases they didn't put them back together properly (it's really tricky) so there are a lot of bad 85s floating around. There was a black model of the 85 and it might just be new enough no one has ever had to "fix" it.
IMHO the Russian gear is at its best with either the normal or the 35mm lens.

The early FED 3S with knob wind is a dandy camera. I have three mostly because I like the way they look. A lot of jokes are made about the FED 5s but I've found it to be a really depenable camera -- they are new enough the meter often work!

Oleg, http://www.okvintagecamera.com/ is the best there is at fixing the FSU rangefinders. Jay Javier's site http://jay.fedka.com/ has lots of repair info, primarily aimed at the Zorki 1 and FED 1 but much of it also applies to the later cameras. My site, http://home.att.net/~wayne.cornell/camera/cameralist.html has a few repair tips but is mostly history of the various models.

Enjoy. You now officially have GAS.

 

[Screwy]

Thank god I,m not alone in my adiction 😎 I decided to get back in to photography and foolishly decided that an FSU rangefinder would be a cheap way to get back in to it at minimal cost , If only someone had warned me 🙁 I now have 8 FSU camera,s and constantly browse ebay for more ,Is there no end to the madness ??



😀 😀

 

[TPPhotog]

Congratulations I love my Fed 2b 😉

These might also help:

http://stephenc7.tripod.com/cameras/fed2.htm

http://home.att.net/~wayne.cornell/camera/repair.htm

http://homepage.mac.com/mattdenton/photo/cameras/fed_2.html

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-58.html

 

[kiev4a]

Thank god I,m not alone in my adiction 😎 I decided to get back in to photography and foolishly decided that an FSU rangefinder would be a cheap way to get back in to it at minimal cost , If only someone had warned me 🙁 I now have 8 FSU camera,s and constantly browse ebay for more ,Is there no end to the madness ??



😀 😀

I found that when you get up around forty (cameras, not years) the madness subsides a little. Of course "cheap" is no longer an operative justification -- especially after sending a dozen back to Oleg for repairs.

 

[hugivza]

I have found that this site has contributed to my malaise, a few months ago I couldn't even spell Zorki, but now life is a little different, and I am not FED up yet. I have found that it has rejuvenated my interest in just walking around with a camera, taking street shots, and beginning to see images again. I have only shot B and W in them thus far, it seems sacreligious to do otherwise. I have plenty of other machinery that will take colour. I enjoy selecting one to take out for an airing. My latest acquisition, the Moskva V, is a challenge though, as it was obviously designed for a three armed left handed gorilla with Mozartian fingers, but it gets me out and gets me looking so it is not all bad.

 

[w3rk5]

What I'd like to know is, if you had a check list in hand when looking over 'new' FSU cameras, what would it have on it and how would you proceed?
Eli

The first thing I check out is the smoothness of the lens. They're usually gummed up.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~tomtiger/zenrep/indus.html
http://homepage.mac.com/mattdenton/photo/cameras/industar_relubing/index.html

Then I clean all the glass and make sure the rangefinder is accurate.
http://members.tripod.com/rick_oleson/index-123.html

Finally, I shoot a roll to look for light leaks or any other issues.

 

[jorisbens]

Thank god I,m not alone in my adiction 😎 I decided to get back in to photography and foolishly decided that an FSU rangefinder would be a cheap way to get back in to it at minimal cost , If only someone had warned me 🙁 I now have 8 FSU camera,s and constantly browse ebay for more ,Is there no end to the madness ??



😀 😀

NO, not even more cameras. The problem with FSU cameras is that they are so cheap , that you can buy tons (maybe pun intended) and still get broke.

But those FSU cameras are lovely, and I seem tyo prefer the fed-2, Its my all time favourite.

 

[reagan]

Oh lord... another one gets the FSU bug. Folks we should be ashamed of our selves. The damned things should be banned by international treaties as addictive substances. Fed 2,Zorki 4,Kiev 4 and I still find my self trolling about for more.

Who's addicted? I can stop anytime I want. ...... ........ Oooops, gotta go. Here comes the mailman!

You've got lots of good links here. There's also some of the above links and a few others at my "Ghosts" blog .... go to Page 2. I frequent Wayne Cornell's site... tons of info. My three most used lenses... Jupiter 8, Jupiter 12, Orion 15. I'll get an 80+mm later... unless I decide to quit, of course. 🙄

Welcome aboard RFF... the "Exxon Valdez of FSU GAS!!!"
😉​

 

[Screwy]

But those FSU cameras are lovely, and I seem to prefer the fed-2, Its my all time favourite.

Only have a FED2a atm but I have to admit I,m drawn to aquiring the rest of the range but I,ve seen a Zorki 3M then theres the nice Zorki 5a and I quite like the look of the Zorki 3C aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh :bang:

I wonder if the wife fancy,s Russia for our holidays next year ? 😀 😀

 

[eli griggs]

Thanks for all the links and opinions, this is just the sort of information I’m looking for. Reading your opinions and tips is a great way to get a feel for the ‘personality’ of these cameras. Keep ‘em coming!

I especially like the links to repair sections and hope that any not mentioned already will show up in future postings. Some of these I’ve seen and some are quite new to me. All of them are welcomed. I enjoy learning about these things, even if I latter decide to hand off the task to someone else.

So far as finding a dealer that I trust, the seller I am using has a good rating/feedback and has combined shipping on this gear. He even threw in a couple of free filters and a lens hood after I inquired about what he had available. My feeling initially is a good one and I hope this will continue as I have several other FSU cameras on my list.

I do appreciate the links to dealers and repair services that have proven them-selves to be reliable’

I hope to find a nice 35mm and an 85mm, as well as a 135, though I will likely use my F1N if I anticipate a necessity for a long lens, as my reading on FSU rangefinders leads me to think that above the 85mm mark quality suffers. I wonder if that is true?

What sort of price ranges should these lenses fall within?

I see a fair number on eB*y and I realize that this is mostly a hit or miss hunt but when almost all the sellers I’ve seen on that site are FSU dealers as opposed to individuals with the odd bit of kit to sale, I have to ask why and what does this mean to pricing?

I really prefer the look of the FED 2 and the older FED 3, but the newer FED 3 style reminds me of a nice Leica m3 ss I once owned and I look forward to working the FED3 out.

As far as GAS, that’s the one nice thing about Lilliputian budget, you plan VERY carefully!

Cheers

 

[Andrew McK]

a tip for eb*y.... (think they should make that their official url)
... Try and get a pic of the shutters. If there is something wrong with a FED it's going to be shutter curtain or speed selection related.
That is my experience anyway

I think everyone should own a FED personally 😀