{"id":67,"date":"2022-02-19T01:41:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-19T01:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/?p=67"},"modified":"2022-02-19T02:05:43","modified_gmt":"2022-02-19T02:05:43","slug":"its-true-the-fed-2-is-a-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/2022\/02\/19\/its-true-the-fed-2-is-a-can-do\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s true, the FED-2 is a can-do"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>6 Minute, 27 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

With Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, threatening the global order like the good ol\u2019 Soviet Union used to do, how timely is it to write some words about a classic Soviet-era camera, the FED-2? Please don\u2019t interpret my good feelings toward the solid (both in performance and weight) little camera as an endorsement of current Russian foreign policy. For that, you\u2019ll have to go to Tucker Carlson and the other right-wing nutters who like to fellate authoritarians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a few different websites, the FED camera exists because of the Leica II, Leica\u2019s first rangefinder camera introduced in 1932 that quickly led to that company\u2019s status as the premier 35mm camera manufacturer on the planet. That year, the Soviet Union stopped importing cameras and began its attempts to clone Leicas. The first camera from the FED factory was the 1a in 1934. The factory began production of the Fed 2 in 1955.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The modifications from the 1 to the 2 were good ones: combined viewfinder and rangefinder window, and a diopter adjustment to focus the viewing window (common sense to us 21st century snappers, but a technological achievement back then). Also, there\u2019s a self-timer for those photographers that want to dash into the frame for a group shot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was left to figure out if this was a FED 2a, 2b, 2c, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Does the camera in my possession have a flash synch? Yep. It\u2019s at least a 2b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is that flash synch port at the top deck of the camera (instead of the body) and have a mushroom-shaped film-advance knob? Yep (top far left in the photo). It\u2019s at least a 2c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it have a new set of shutter speeds (shown on the third-from-left knob in the photo), 1\/30 to 1\/500? The older set was 1\/25 to 1\/500. Yep. It\u2019s at least a 2d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it a 2L? No. That\u2019s the only one, according to Wikipedia<\/a>, that was stamped as such. All others simply, \u201cFED-2\u201d. The lens with the camera looks to be the Industar-26, used in the earlier models (and, from various comments online, a really good lens). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So. I\u2019ve got a 2d. Which is desirable, if the camera works. From what I\u2019ve read from the interwebs, the FED-2d, manufactured between 1958 and 1963, is actually a decent rip-off of a similar-era Leica. Leicas, of course, are beaucoup bucks, which I don\u2019t have, and, frankly, with a Rollei 3.5 and Hasselblads 500c and EL\/M in my possession, I just don\u2019t care much for chasing down a pricey 35mm. But I\u2019ll try one if it\u2019s cheap\u2014or free. And a rangefinder model. (A well-calibrated rangefinder is a wonderful thing, such as the Kalart on my 1948 Pacemaker Speed Graphic 4×5, which enables me to use it as a startlingly sharp handheld camera.) Check both boxes for this one. I had been intrigued with Kodak Retina rangefinders, but, alas, not so much with the price on one that is in good shape. Enter the FED-2, very randomly. A US-based seller listed one for $25, I may or may not have been inebriated, and, voila<\/em>, I owned the FED-2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems with this FED-2: The curtain shutter at the top end (1\/500) does not work properly. Otherwise, it to my ear, it fires normally (1\/250, 1\/125, 1\/50, 1\/25, B (open)). Another was the eyepiece on the rangefinder\/viewfinder. You\u2019ve got to pretty much bang your eyeball against it to see the full frame of the viewfinder. Fortunately, it\u2019s easy enough to adjust the images of the coupled rangefinder\u2014it\u2019s plenty bright. Here\u2019s the thing: I wear glasses. One day I noticed some odd scratches at the top of my right lens of my glasses. I didn\u2019t think anything of it, figuring I dropped them, or my kid knocked them from somewhere and wouldn\u2019t fess up. I switched pairs, planning to get my lens replaced. Then I noticed the same thing, about a week later, on by backup pair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What. The. Hell. These little marks. What had I been doing differently of late? Oh. Shooting the goddam FED-2. Sure enough, I rubbed my finger at the edge of the tiny eyepiece and found the issue: the ridges on that tiny little thing were sharp enough to make the scratches in my glasses. Ergonomics was not a \u201cthing\u201d in Soviet-era cameras, apparently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I solved the problem by painting the edges with several coats of an acrylic paint used for painting designs on clothing and other items where a smooth, flexible and durable surface paint is needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first two rolls (I used some 13-year-old expired Ilford HP5) got chewed up pretty good. See, the take-up spool in these cameras slips on to the winding post that is basically a spring, and its the friction of that springed (a word?) post that turns that take-up spool. But, there\u2019s a gear synched to that winding knob, and that\u2019s what advances the film. If that winding post isn\u2019t spring-y enough to provide the friction to turn that take up reel, you get a pile of film mashed into the right side of the camera that gums up the works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I figured that out, I took a flat-head screwdriver and pried the two halves of that winding post apart a little bit, so that take-up spool is on there good and tight. (I managed to salvage a good chunk of the chewed rolls by unloading in the bag, and feeling my way to the end of the mangled bit and cutting that off with scissors.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another \u201dproblem\u201d really isn\u2019t a problem\u2014it\u2019s caused by not doing research. Fortunately for me, I already knew about setting the (curtain) shutter speed, courtesy of a friend gifting me his father\u2019s Practika, an East German camera produced with Soviet tendencies\u2014one of which is: to change the shutter speed, you wind it the camera first, then<\/em> set the speed on that dial at the top. If you do that in reverse, it\u2019s highly likely problems of the permanent kind follow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve come to like the camera, despite the occasional hinkiness of the shutter mechanism, which then produces some odd exposure values on the right side of the image. This is undoubtedly due to curtain drag induced by the aging and subsequent hardening of lubrication, which can be fixed with a bit of CLA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I prefer my medium and large format cameras for just about everything film-related these days, but, this camera has been great to just grab if I\u2019m in a hurry out the door to have something with me. The FED is just so simple and compact, and, now that I\u2019ve gotten used to using the rangefinder (note: estimate your distance and adjust before bringing it to your eye for a fine tune), an extremely quick shot, and the Industar lens delivers some surprising sharpness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since using this camera, I\u2019ve picked up another 2d body for parts, and an earlier version with a collapsible 3.5 lens (labeled FED but I think manufactured by Industar) That I could conceivably shove in a shirt pocket. For a grab-and-go film camera, I\u2019m in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, actual photos from the cameras? Coming soon on this here website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can\u2019t wait? Really? I am flattered. Find me on Flickr or Instagram at Darkroom Detritus. <\/p>\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 1<\/span>\n \n 100<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, threatening the global order like the good ol\u2019 Soviet Union used to do, how timely is it to write some words about a classic Soviet-era camera, the FED-2? Please don\u2019t interpret my good feelings toward the solid (both in performance and weight) little camera as an endorsement of… Read More »It\u2019s true, the FED-2 is a can-do<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[11,9,10],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equipment-reviews","tag-35mm","tag-fed-2","tag-soviet-cameras"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"rise-blocks_total_comments":0,"rise-blocks_categories":[{"term_id":8,"name":"Equipment Reviews","slug":"equipment-reviews","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":8,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":8,"category_count":3,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Equipment Reviews","category_nicename":"equipment-reviews","category_parent":0}],"rise-blocks_excerpt":"With Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, threatening the global order like the good ol\u2019 Soviet Union used to do, how timely is it to write some words about a classic Soviet-era camera, the FED-2? Please don\u2019t interpret my good feelings toward the solid (both in performance and weight) little camera as an endorsement of current Russian foreign policy. For..","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkroomdetritus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/FED2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C875&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":407,"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions\/407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darkroomdetritus.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}