What lens for a Fed 5C

[tunalegs]

I bought a Fed 5C off of ebay, without a lens. I want to know what sort of lens would work well with this camera.

I had previously had a Fed 4 something with the 2.8/55, but I did not like the feel of the focus ring, nor the stickiness of the action of this lens - a stiff, fiddly focus ring takes away a lot of the fun of using an RF for me. Is there a lens for this camera with a quick, light action?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

 

[Penny Lane]

Mine came with an I-61 Panda but you don't seem to like the focus ring. So you might want to check an older, chrome Jupiter-8 2/50mm. These two lenses are mechanically pretty much the same, and stiff focusing is fairly easy to cure on these. I've done it on my I-61 as well as my J-8 using the notes on the subject that can be found on Matt Denton's site: http://mattsclassiccameras.com/industar_relubing/

Derk

 

[wolves3012]

The stiff focus ring/aperture ring is caused by congealed grease in the mechanism. Partly down to poor quality grease and partly down to age - none of the FSU gear is new, even the "NOS" is old stock.

The only FSU lens that's smooth is the one that's been serviced, I'm afraid. Fortunately, they are nearly all easy to DIY re-lube, if you want to have a go yourself and there are several online resources to show you how. Of the numerous FED I-26/61 lenses I've seen, I've yet to see one that did not need a re-lube.

 

[rfaspen]

Agree with above. Check out the link suggested by Penny_Lane. Get a lens with the best glass possible and do an overhaul on the mechanism. I would suggest the Jupiter 8 over the I-61/26 just because I like the images I get with one, not because it handles better. There's a tutorial for overhauling those somewhere on the net as well. Sorry I don't have the link handy.

 

[tunalegs]

The camera showed up today - works fine except for some sort of fault with the viewfinder... but wow is the quality of this thing bad. This is so much worse than the Fed 4 I used to have. I'm not really sure I want to invest in a lens for it.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

It's like driving old cars in Cuba, you have to be your own mechanic when it comes to FSU stuff.

 

[tunalegs]

I decided to sell it on. It works, but I'd rather have something more enjoyable. Going to look for an older model.

 

[farlymac]

Go for a FED 2C with the I-26M lever focus.

PF

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I bought a Fed 5C off of ebay, without a lens. I want to know what sort of lens would work well with this camera.

I had previously had a Fed 4 something with the 2.8/55, but I did not like the feel of the focus ring, nor the stickiness of the action of this lens - a stiff, fiddly focus ring takes away a lot of the fun of using an RF for me. Is there a lens for this camera with a quick, light action?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Jupiter-8, white version with focus pin. Light lens, quick to focus.
My "55 2.8" has most smooth focus ring, but nobody wants it even for $15 or less. Because it is Industar 61 L/D, I guess.

On e-bay where are very few honest and knowledgeable FSU sellers.
Buy from those who sell after CLA, here is at least one seller like this.
Here is also one Ukrainian guy who sell it after it is checked by repairman.
I used to have FED2 with I26m, exactly same as my kit. Purchased while I was waiting for my camera to go for CLA.
It was flawless FED2 and incredible I-26m, for very good price.

 

[rfaspen]

Oh, looking for quality? I suppose we could have told you Fed 5 isn't exactly great. But neither is the Fed 4. If you want a more recent body, maybe the Zorki 5 or 6 would suit your needs. Definitely better quality.

I think I have all the Fed models from early NKVD to 5, I continue to be impressed by the very simple, but sturdy Fed 3 and the Fed 2 is great for precise focus and even better built. The early Feds (Fed 1) vary in quality but generally pretty darn nice. My NKVD feels and handles just like one of my Leica's (yes, I have several). Only difference is less silky feel when winding film on. But, my recommendation for best value in an FSU body would be the Zorki S (C). You can change the shutter speed anytime you like. It does not have slow speeds, but that makes it much more reliable and robust. Build quality is exceptional. You can use flash. The Zorki-C tolerances seem to be from a better period in history, thus they are close to Leica specifications. This makes using the entire range of LTM lenses a nice possibility. I know we may hear about the quite minor differences between Leica and FSU, but if you were happy with a Fed 4, you will not likely notice, ever.

So,I say it again, Zorki-C (S). That's my choice if I had to have only one FSU body. ...and a really good example of Jupiter-8 or, if possible, Jupiter-3.

 

[Dez]

Yes, the Zorkis are generally less crummy than the FEDs, the one exception being the lovely FED 2, which is a very nice camera. For FSU cameras in screwmount, I would go for the FED 2 or the Zorki 6.





These are better than average examples, and have been recovered in decent leather (very easy to do) but are quite nice cameras.

In FSU cameras the original build quality was generally better in older cameras, but then again, they have had longer to deteriorate.

Cheers,
Dez