Opinions on FED 5C?

[Tim Murphy]

Dear Board,

Are there any folks out there who own and use the FED 5C? I'd like to pick one up but if it is generally considered to be not particularly desirable from a quality or reliability standard I will stick with what I have currently.

I know from reading the specs that they are chunky and pretty hefty but I am more concerned with how well they work.

Thanks is advance,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[xayraa33]

I have two of them and they are rough but a reliable camera and they come with that sharp I-61 l/d lens.

The only problem is that the RF vertical alignment will need constant adjustment but that is easy to do and a bit of loc-tite or nail polish will prevent future mis-alignment, the bigger problem is that the VF tends to internally fog up very quickly and stay that way.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Tim,

Junk.

Only ever had one new one, though. There may have been good ones too.

Cheers,

R.

 

[newspaperguy]

If I recall correctly (always an iffy thing these days) the trim around the viewfinder eyepiece was absolute murder on eyeglasses. If you can find
one cheap, by all means buy it. But please don't "invest" in one. There
are many better choices out there if you're talking serious money.

 

[xayraa33]

Dear Tim,

Junk.

Only ever had one new one, though. There may have been good ones too.

Cheers,

R.

I found them more reliable than the Zorki 4k and with a stronger lever film wind mechanism than the Zorki 4k.

I only had one self destruct in typical FSU fashion in the 1980s, and that was the earlier twin of the Fed 5c, the Fed 3 which was suppose to be a little better made than the Fed 5c and in my case it was certainly not.

But the I-61 l/d lens that came with that Fed 3 was the best I-61 l/d lens that I ever used.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I found them more reliable than the Zorki 4k and with a stronger lever film wind mechanism than the Zorki 4k.

I only had one self destruct in typical FSU fashion in the 1980s, and that was the earlier twin of the Fed 5c, the Fed 3 which was suppose to be a little better made than the Fed 5c and in my case it was certainly not.

But the I-61 l/d lens that came with that Fed 3 was the best I-61 l/d lens that I ever used.

And all my Zorkii 4Ks -- probably four or five, over the years -- have been more reliable than my one brand new Fed 5C c. 1990. Too much depends on luck and sample variation. As I said, "There may have been good ones too."

Cheers,

R.

 

[xayraa33]

If I recall correctly (always an iffy thing these days) the trim around the viewfinder eyepiece was absolute murder on eyeglasses. If you can find
one cheap, by all means buy it. But please don't "invest" in one. There
are many better choices out there if you're talking serious money.

The look-a-like Fed 5b was murder on eyeglasses not the Fed 5c.

The Fed 5b came with that vision adjustable eyepiece ring that looked like a bevelled gear that chewed up eyeglasses. The Fed 5c does not have that.

 

[Tim Murphy]

I'm not looking to invest Rick

I'm not looking to invest Rick

Dear Rick,

If I get one I figure I can have it at my door for $ 60.00 to $ 75.00 all in.

I know that buying from the FSU on Ebay is a crapshoot, but I've had overwhelmingly good luck in the past and I'm willing to roll the dice again.

If it turns out to be like Roger's I can just leave it sit in a box for that kind of money. If it turns out to work properly and doesn't carve a groove in my eyeglasses I will use it.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[xayraa33]

And all my Zorkii 4Ks -- probably four or five, over the years -- have been more reliable than my one brand new Fed 5C c. 1990. Too much depends on luck and sample variation. As I said, "There may have been good ones too."

Cheers,

R.

I suspect that 65% of FSU cameras starting from about 1973 are cr@p the day they left the factory.

It was a bit lower percentage wise in the 1950s and even to the 1960s but quality control was never to Japanese or German levels.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

... but I am more concerned with how well they work.
...

Have you ever seen the toilet in the middle of the basement, raised above basement floor for 1 meter? It is like huge pedestal where you have to climb and ***. I have seen it only once on the month and year Andropov was dead. This is how I feel about FED-5.
But you could go on and have this experience. Nothing wrong with having it.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Have you ever seen the toilet in the middle of the basement, raised above basement floor for 1 meter? It is like huge pedestal where you have to climb and ***. I have seen it only once on the month and year Andropov was dead. This is how I feel about FED-5.
But you could go on and have this experience. Nothing wrong with having it.

Dear Ko.Fe.

Based on your review I think I'll skip the FED unless I can get one cheap.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[Sid836]

It works just like any other FSU, but it is way too ugly! Nothing really against it, I just don't like it. In that size the Zorki 4 looks better, while you can get one of the better looking ones (FED, FED-2, early FED-3) and feel better carrying them hanging from your neck.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

You'll probably find they are like any other second-hand and nearly 40 years old camera. A lot depends on the previous owners and what they did with them - or didn't do with them or to them...

Above all, remember that a lot of film cameras were abandoned by their owners in the 90's and forgotten because of digital. Then they were found in a drawer and sold on ebay, sometimes several times.

Worse still. the previous owners may have read on some forum that any fool can repair them and may have tried...

My 2d worth is to suggest buying the best looking one you can find and then get one of the experts to look it over and repair or service it as necessary. But you must use a bit of sense and expect it to need a little TLC. Do that and you'll not be disappointed.

Regards, David

PS That advice applies to all makes and models of film camera. Second hand stuff is always a gamble but can pay off if you go into it with your eyes open. EDIT: Also do some research into repairs, meaning are they possible? I'd dearly love a couple of cameras with famous makers' names on them, that have been making superb cameras from the 1930's, but neither camera can be repaired even though they date from recent times. Well, fairly recent, like the mid to late 90's...

 

[xayraa33]

Hi,

You'll probably find they are like any other second-hand and nearly 40 years old camera. A lot depends on the previous owners and what they did with them - or didn't do with them or to them...

Above all, remember that a lot of film cameras were abandoned by their owners in the 90's and forgotten because of digital. Then they were found in a drawer and sold on ebay, sometimes several times.

Worse still. the previous owners may have read on some forum that any fool can repair them and may have tried...

My 2d worth is to suggest buying the best looking one you can find and then get one of the experts to look it over and repair or service it as necessary. But you must use a bit of sense and expect it to need a little TLC. Do that and you'll not be disappointed.

Regards, David

PS That advice applies to all makes and models of film camera. Second hand stuff is always a gamble but can pay off if you go into it with your eyes open. EDIT: Also do some research into repairs, meaning are they possible? I'd dearly love a couple of cameras with famous makers' names on them, that have been making superb cameras from the 1930's, but neither camera can be repaired even though they date from recent times. Well, fairly recent, like the mid to late 90's...

One can occasionally still find new Fed 5c in the box, of 1992 vintage.

 

[ForestCap]

FED 5C's finder are equipped with Albada bright line, which were only seen on higher end Soviet model like Drug and some fixed lens camera.

This is a plus point. However I haven't used it myself and don't know details like eye-relief and so on.

It's a large camera.

 

[xayraa33]

FED 5C's finder are equipped with Albada bright line, which were only seen on higher end Soviet model like Drug and some fixed lens camera.

This is a plus point. However I haven't used it myself and don't know details like eye-relief and so on.

It's a large camera.

The internally fogged up VF makes viewing through the finder of the Fed 5c an unpleasant experience.

My Fed 5c is now mostly used with a an external 35mm FSU VF and the J-12 35mm lens, as I cannot be bothered to remove the top of the camera to internally clean the camera's VF every year or so.

The meterless Fed 5b (v) for some reason is a little better in this regard

 

[gb hill]

I have one new in the box. My biggest drawback is that it's heavy. Love the click stops on the lens. Not sure mine is a 5c but it has a selenium meter that works well. I like that it's easy to load film & the take up spool is permanent, no worry in losing the spool, not that one would anyhow. It wouldn't be my 1st choice in a FSU camera but I got it very cheap back before FSU cameras started to skyrocket.

 

[:: Mark]

Check the shutter curtains carefully before before buying one of the 70s/80s FEDs.

I recently bought the similar FED 5b and mechanically the camera is great, but the rubber on the shutter curtains seems to be breaking down with age. This lead to patches that are sufficiently threadbare to allow light to leak through. I successfully patched mine with liquid rubber paint, but I am not sure how well the curtains will last with regular use.

The Industar 61 lens is pretty good with film. It is a little soft wide open, but stop down and it is as sharp as any other lens. Beware flare though (which for some reason seems doubly bad when used with a digital camera).

Given that here a FED 5 camera costs ~ 1/1000th of a used Leica and good 50mm lens - while taking fantastic images - I don't think that you can grumble too much about its quirks...