Fed 2 Shutter Speed Dial

[bigdog]

Hi,

I made the mistake of changing the shutter speed dial when the shutter was not cocked and ready to fire and now you can freely spin the shutter speed dial. I can't set a different shutter speed now. I think I am stuck at 1/500!

Have I totally screwed up the camera now? How can I fix this? It really sucks that such a simple mistake can render the camera useless!

Thanks!

[oscroft]

I can't set a different shutter speed now. I think I am stuck at 1/500!

This might be an obvious question, but have you tried winding and firing the shutter a few times - does that re-engage it?

[wolves3012]

Originally Posted by bigdog

Hi,

I made the mistake of changing the shutter speed dial when the shutter was not cocked and ready to fire and now you can freely spin the shutter speed dial. I can't set a different shutter speed now. I think I am stuck at 1/500!

Have I totally screwed up the camera now? How can I fix this? It really sucks that such a simple mistake can render the camera useless!

Thanks!

The FED 2 shutter has the 2-piece dial and CAN be changed without cocking and without damage, to the best of my knowledge (someone shout at me if I'm wrong but I've done it plenty of times on my FED 2!). There's a small grub-screw in the periphery of the outer part, check it hasn't fallen out or come loose.

[oscroft]

The FED 2 shutter has the 2-piece dial and CAN be changed without cocking and without damage, to the best of my knowledge (someone shout at me if I'm wrong but I've done it plenty of times on my FED 2!)

Interesting. I've just tried my FED2 - I changed the shutter speed, then cocked the shutter and fired, half a dozen times and it worked fine.

[Xmas]

If you have not used force on the dial you should not have broken anything.

If the shutter is giving 1/500, cock the shutter and lift the outer dial (if it is a concentric top,) and set the dial to a different speed and fire the shutter.

If the dial is really free spinning then there is something wrong and you need some one who will either reset the mechanism or provide a replacement part. Lots of FSU collectors will have scrap parts cameras.

I thought it was the Zorki 2 to 5 that had the two piece selectors?

Noel

[bigdog]

The indicator dot is at 6 oclock after firing the shutter and at 9 oclock when cocked. I am able to lift the dial to change speeds but the outer ring with the numbers still spins free after I set the speed so I cant tell the speed I set unless I listen to ...or open the back to view the shutter firing.

If it is a set screw on the outer dial that is loose, then it looks like I need a microscopic screwdriver to tighten!

[Xmas]

The screws can be small and you would need a set of watch makers screw drivers, before thinking about maintenance.

You need to wait until a FED exoert appears my FEDs are 1 & 3 so I wont be able to help, I'd hope it might be a grub screw as you suggest but a lose grub should not have gone immediately free.

Noel

[wolves3012]

Originally Posted by bigdog

The indicator dot is at 6 oclock after firing the shutter and at 9 oclock when cocked. I am able to lift the dial to change speeds but the outer ring with the numbers still spins free after I set the speed so I cant tell the speed I set unless I listen to ...or open the back to view the shutter firing.

If it is a set screw on the outer dial that is loose, then it looks like I need a microscopic screwdriver to tighen!

The positions are about right, based on my FED2. I'd say there's a high probability the grub-screw is loose or missing. Actually I just checked, there are two screws, not *tiny*, but you will certainly need a jeweller's screwdriver to tighten it/them. One is adjacent to 1/25 and the other is about halfway between 1/50 and 1/100. They aren't hard to see but a magnifying glass might be needed to see if they're actually present!

[wolves3012]

Originally Posted by Xmas

I thought it was the Zorki 2 to 5 that had the two piece selectors?

Noel

The FED 2, Zorki 2/2S and Zorki 5 and 6 have the two-piece dials, but not the Zorki 3 & 4/4K, or FED 3a. I don't have a FED 3b, 4 or 5 to know about these.

[JonP]

Not all FED 2's have the two piece dial, the type a and early b's have the single piece ones

[oscroft]

I don't have a FED 3b

I have a FED 3b, and it doesn't have the two-piece dial

[wolves3012]

Originally Posted by JonP

Not all FED 2's have the two piece dial, the type a and early b's have the single piece ones

I only have a 2b, and that has a two-piece, so it must be a later one then.

Actually, I think that the Zorki 5 and 6 should NOT be altered uncocked, despite the two-piece dial. I think the damage can be done if you turn the dial such that winding would take it past the B position, where there is a mechanical stop. To my knowledge, that would mean ONLY the two-piece dial FED 2 would be undamaged., since it has no stop.

[bigdog]

Thanks everyone for your responses. It appears, after playing with the camera that the problem is loose set screws. I thought I had read about the possibility of messing up the camera if you change the shutter speed dial while the film advance is not cocked ready to fire and that is why I thought I may have broken it.

I have only put one roll of color film through the camera and was looking forward to trying some black and white.

The first black and white image of a barn, then the dog in window and luncheonette shots on my website were all taken with my $60 Canon QL GIII. That camera had light leaks, a messed up film advance and the occasional film door popping open, but I have learned to love the camera and the results I can get using it.

These issues do make me think about spending some money and buying a Bessa R2a and 35MM Ultron lens just so I can focus on shooting and not so much on faulty gear!