Fed5c?

S

Skinny McGee

Guest
I just picked one one up for a good price for a friends birthday.. How are they It said it was fully boxed and never used.. Is it selenium meter? if it was kept in the dark it should still be good.. Is it a good camera? Thanks for any info.

Skinny
 
Hey Skinny. I had a chance to play with a broken one a long time ago. It has some nice weight to it. Most of the reviews I've read about the FED 5 is it's a more than capable camera. The looks just throws most people away from it.

Oh yeah! It does have a selenium meter. This might be a good page for you to print out for your buddy. It's the instructions in English.
http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/marine/569/rusrngfdrs/fed5.html#
 
Yes - there are those who find them ugly! They generally work well and if the lens is an Industar 61 LD then it has it is one of the all time great lenses. The ordinary Industar 61 is pretty good too.

I found mine needed a fair amount of wearing in. A few hundred rolls of film should loosen things up nicely!
 
I've heard moisture is the enemy of the selenium photo cells. If it was in a nice dry place it may have avoided decay.

It will be great to hear what your friend thinks of it.
 
Not too long ago I remember coming across a web site which discussed the 'resuscitation' of selenium cells. Long story short, the chap basically stated that 'all' selenium cells are repairable with a little bit of work. I'll try to see if I can find the link.

As for the FED 5C itself...I have a 5V and although the fit and finish is deplorable, and the materials painfully cheap, it is a very reliable camera which has always done what I asked it to do. The only thing which really bugs me is the viewfinder; its awfully squinty. I much prefer my Zorki 4, but the Zorki is a lot 'fussier' even if it's sexier looking and has a better VF/RF.

Kent
 
I'm currently testing a Fed-5 [with diopter correction and selenium uncoupled meter]. The meter seems to be accurate, I'll post photos asap [20 frames to go].
 
I own 3: a plain chrome with black skin, one chrome with red skin, and one black. It's a nice camera, but materials are indeed a bit cheaper then on the earlier models. Remember to cock the shutter before changing the shutter speed. The selenium meter is usefull in most 'normal' conditions. In all: not the most elegant camera you can find, but certainly the best 'new' rangefinder camera you can get for that kind of money.

Wim
 
Thanks for the info guys I only payed $15 for the camera and 10 shipping so If anything it will make a nice paper weight.
 
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