Locked up FED 5 - Where to start

[newspaperguy]

Someone is donating me a FED 5 (c?) that "just quit working."

Sez it does nothing when you press the shutter release, and although he can move the film advance lever, nothing happens.

Should be in my hands this next weekend. (Or so.)

I haven't found any FED 5 tutorials on RFF or on the web.

Any suggestions from the experts out there?

Thanks,

 

[mcgrattan]

It's possible the camera is set to 'rewind'? Check the collar round the shutter release. If it's set to rewind the shutter won't fire and the advance lever won't do anything [at least that's my experience with the Fed-4].

 

[newspaperguy]

Jeez - if it's something that simple, I'd feel guilty about accepting it.

But thank you. I'll check that first-thing.

 

[wolves3012]

It's possible the camera is set to 'rewind'? Check the collar round the shutter release. If it's set to rewind the shutter won't fire and the advance lever won't do anything [at least that's my experience with the Fed-4].

On a FED 5 the collar has to be pressed, then it re-sets as soon as you operate the wind-lever. That means you can't forget to set it back...BUT it could be gummed in the rewind position by thickened grease.

 

[wolves3012]

Give us the full details of what it does/doesn't do when you get it in your hands, there's bound to be one of us that can suggest a cause. They're pretty tough cameras, if a little rough, so they aren't that easy to break.

Rule one is not to alter the shutter-speed till you've wound on - that's one way to cause damage.

 

[newspaperguy]

Thanks for the offer Wolves.

Will do.

 

[lZr]

Good to start with the Manual here:

http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/marine/569/rusrngfdrs/fed5.html

 

[newspaperguy]

OK comrades... here's what I can see: The rewind on the FED 5 is a "push-down" collar around the shutter button. I returns just fine.

The film advance works smoothly (the lever moves the full sweep and returns.) Cannot be moved a second time, until the shutter button is pressed.

However, there is no movement of the curtain. Either it is "cocked" and not releasing, or the shutter has not "wound." Where should I start to look?

Thanks....

 

[newspaperguy]

Correction

Correction

Not sure if it makes any difference, but the afflicted camera is a FED 5B (without the meter) rather than the FED 5.

 

[wolves3012]

OK comrades... here's what I can see: The rewind on the FED 5 is a "push-down" collar around the shutter button. I returns just fine.

The film advance works smoothly (the lever moves the full sweep and returns.) Cannot be moved a second time, until the shutter button is pressed.

However, there is no movement of the curtain. Either it is "cocked" and not releasing, or the shutter has not "wound." Where should I start to look?

Thanks....

First try and see if it's cocked and won't fire or uncocked and not winding. This is very intriguing since the limit when you wind on is caused by restrictor gears coupled to the curtain drums. Firstly, do the curtains seem very slack? If they're detached somewhere that *might* give the symptoms you describe. Secondly, take the lens off and look into the mount. If the shutter is cocked you should just be able to see the vertical metal shutter laths on the extreme left, just behind the curtain drum. If it's not cocked they should be on the extreme right, behind the rearmost roller. Also, look to see if you can see the shutter tapes, they ought to be visible at the very top and bottom of the front roller (on the right) and above and below the curtain drum. You can also see the tapes running behind the rear roller if you shine a light in there - look between the two rollers. Left and right here are meant as you look into the mount.

 

[newspaperguy]

Thanks Wolves... I'm heading home shortly and will check.
(Had the early - 3 a.m. shift - this morning.)
The shutter curtains are NOT slack. Will check the cock/uncock.

 

[newspaperguy]

Just had a few minutes to "play". Curtains are tight. Look to be rolled up on the left as I look at through the lens opening. Brass roller to the right has spring tension on it.

No sign of anything loose. Pulled the inner guard cover off the back. Can see the shaft move as I depress the shutter button. What now... pull the shutter box?

I've had Kievs apart but this one is "foreign"

(Please excuse the pun.) 😉

 

[wolves3012]

Just had a few minutes to "play". Curtains are tight. Look to be rolled up on the left as I look at through the lens opening. Brass roller to the right has spring tension on it.

No sign of anything loose. Pulled the inner guard cover off the back. Can see the shaft move as I depress the shutter button. What now... pull the shutter box?

I've had Kievs apart but this one is "foreign"

(Please excuse the pun.) 😉

Right, so when you wind on and press the shutter button, what happens to the shaft you were looking at? Presumably it doesn't spin...or does it? There's a pin poking up from the gear on that shaft and another poking down from the sprocket - how do they look in relation to each other?

"Pulling the shutter box" isn't quite the same as on a Kiev but if you can do a Kiev you needn't be afraid of a FED 5! Look at my "Zorki 4k - CLA" thread for an idea, the FED 5 isn't hugely different. One thing that's simpler though is the winder spring, it doesn't fly out on the FED so go ahead and remove the bits you think you should.

 

[newspaperguy]

Nope - no spin. No nothing. The shaft goes down, and the wind lever unlocks.

You can move the advance lever one time. Seems like the camera THINKS it's working.

I'll read your Z-4 posts and take a shot at it this weekend.

Thank you Sir.

 

[wolves3012]

Nope - no spin. No nothing. The shaft goes down, and the wind lever unlocks.

You can move the advance lever one time. Seems like the camera THINKS it's working.

I'll read your Z-4 posts and take a shot at it this weekend.

Thank you Sir.

Next question then: Look at the two pins I mentioned in my last post, one on the bottom of the sprocket gear and one on the gear in the bottom of the crate. Which pin is ahead? Looking up from the base they rotate clockwise. It's those pins that actually wind and hold the shutter mechanism. If the gear pin is ahead of the sprocket pin then that means the shutter is jammed cocked, or else there is no tension whatever.

Here's a few ideas to look into before you pull the whole thing apart. Have the tension screws been fiddled with - is there *any* tension on them? Could there be film chippings or similar in the restrictor gears? You can get at these by removing the cover over them in the base of the camera.

If you pull it apart, just start by taking off the top cover, then the lens mount and the 4 screws on the front. This will release the shutter crate and is probably as far as you'll need to go, at least to find the problem anyway.

 

[newspaperguy]

Whoops. Forgot to check the pin positions.

Nothing had been fiddled with. Paint still on screw heads,
insides look spotless. Pretty sure I'm the first to view it's vitals...

She said the camera was purchased new (?) and has only
had 2 or 3 rolls shot though it brfore her ex* went digital.

(* "the S.O.B." was the term she of endearment she used.)

Thanks again.