The Fed 2 Rangefinder, a Soviet-era Leica clone, tuturial and overview

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8 жыл бұрын

Here's a short and quick overview of the Fed 2 rangefinder. It is a Soviet-era Russian/Ukraine Leica clone. The actual Fed 2 in this video was produced in approx 1960.
For a sleek retro looking rangefinder, the Fed 2 is a good choice. I found this to be an excellent 35mm camera. Very well balanced, very portable. Also it takes some nice photos.
The camera in this video had a CLA last year, so it is ready to keep taking great photos as long as it's taken care of. It has accumulated a few scratches and scuffs through its history. The metal on the lens barrel shows some oxidization, there's some light cleaning marks on the front lens, but no fungus or distortion in the elements. But no apologies needed, this camera has earned its right to have a few scars. After 60 years of taking photos it's still working strong.
PS. In response to some questions. To change shutter speed you can turn dial either clockwise or counter clockwise. Just do not try to go from 1/500 to B, nor from B to 1/500. Trying to make this shortcut could damage shutter mechanism.
And yes, in the video at 2:26 I said 'film speed' however I meant to say 'shutter speed'.

Пікірлер: 71

@Janfey 4 жыл бұрын

My grandfather bought one of these from his trip to Russia in the 50's or 60's. I have that camera now, i should test it and take few pictures someday.

@ualba99 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you man! great video! I just bought a fed 2 and you helped me figure out so many things! Love it!

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

That's great! Enjoy the camera.

@GreggObst 7 жыл бұрын

Nice video. The Fed 2 is one of my favorite of the FSU rangefinders in my collection. If anyone has the issue where the metal circle around the viewfinder scratches their glasses (and it will) then a trick is you can epoxy a suitably sized rubber washer around the viewfinder to give a buffer that won't scratch. Aki-Asahi also sells felt pads that are measured for the Fed 2's viewfinder and can be peeled and stuck on but I would advise also expoxying them since they tend to come off when rubbed against in a camera bag.

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent tip!!

@marlonb.8243 4 жыл бұрын

Well done tutorial. Removing the back, people need to know it's not just the baseplate that comes off...it's the baseplate and back...they're both one piece.

@FoxtrotMikefm 7 жыл бұрын

Good review, nice to see due emphasis on the "advance the film (wind the shutter) before adjusting the shutter speed - ALWAYS!" rule. I like the FED-2 so much I bought it twice! I mounted a Jupiter-8 that was requisitioned from the (far) lesser Zorki-4 on one of my FEDs. The FED-2 just feels right in the hands. A no-nonsense, no-frills work-horse. I also have a 1936 Leica-2. An absolute masterpiece of mechanical design, but, the FEDs get to see a lot more film. I just feel much less precious about tossing them in a back-pack or slinging one over my shoulder & getting out & about. P.S. My two are 1959 & 1961 models. The cameras of this 'Sputnik' period are reputedly the best. I hope you enjoy yours! ;-)

@user-bk7zl9rf2e 7 жыл бұрын

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@GreggObst 7 жыл бұрын

There are sellers on eBay that sell pinhole body caps for M39 mounts that fit the Fed 2 if you want to further extend your creative options with this rangefinder. The angle of view with those caps are about 28mm so if you have a soviet era turret type multiple viewfinder just mount that on the camera and set it to the 28mm viewfinder setting to compose or just use your iPhone camera's preview since that is also about 28mm to get in the ball park for composition.

@eugene8524 3 жыл бұрын

thanks, great review!

@NIKONOVICH1990 6 жыл бұрын

The "B" setting on the shutter speed knob is actually "V" :) (vruchnuyu in russian-wich means manual, or handheld exposure) :) B is correct too, as it stands for Bulb :)

@maysedias5247 2 жыл бұрын

thank you!, very helpful

@joaobizarro7564 6 жыл бұрын

Nice video!! Thanks for it! Just bought a FED2! Just a small note.. you mentioned how you should change the shutter speed (counter clockwise), but when adjust the speed on the self timer you you did it clockwise ;)

@xsync336 6 жыл бұрын

Hope you are enjoying the camera! As long as you remember shutter first all else is small details )) Any good photos?

@rizkiyoist 2 жыл бұрын

I have one too. Actually you don't need to cock the shutter first before changing the speed on this particular model. You only need to do this for the older types where the shutter shows the right speed only after cocked (but the wrong speed if uncocked). However if you are unsure, always cock before changing the shutter speed.

@markharris5771 7 жыл бұрын

I can't make my mind up between the FED 2 or the Zorski 4K, but at their price I could probably get both!

@markharris5771 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the info

@kalvisluks7301 6 жыл бұрын

thank you i fond my grandpas old camera (the fed-2) and you help me learn to work one of this cameras thank you by the way its the real Russian one

@xsync336 6 жыл бұрын

I hope you find good photos with your camera. My Fed 2 is the camera always in my car.

@panther105 2 жыл бұрын

You mean Shutter Speed... Had me scratching head for a moment....

@neilpiper9889 6 жыл бұрын

I have a Fed 2 but the rangefinder is out when focused close. I have a Zorki 4k which is perfect at all distances. The pictures are awesome from the Jupiter 8 f2 50mm lens.

@xsync336 6 жыл бұрын

The 4k is the Soviet version of the M4. Bright and reliable.

@philhodgkinson1460 2 жыл бұрын

Rangefinder cameras are only designed with minimum focus distance of 1metre or around 3ft otherwise you get parallax problems... If you want closer you need a SLR camera of variant....

@andreahu9907 7 жыл бұрын

one question! so when you change the shutter speed do you go clockwise or counter clockwise? thanks!

@xsync336 6 жыл бұрын

To change shutter speed you can turn dial either clockwise or counter clockwise. Just do not try to go from 1/500 to B, nor from B to 1/500. Trying to make this shortcut could damage shutter mechanism.

@nemesls03 7 жыл бұрын

Hi, I own a Fed 3 Type A and i have some problem with the Rangefinder Sensor head behind the lens. The sensor head doesn't bounce back up when i adjust it. Do you have any idea what is wrong or what I should do? (the screw seems a lil rusty)

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

Search for Fed Zorki survival site or Fedka. There are many helpful repair tips.

@itsevelinakp 4 жыл бұрын

What film do you need, bc i don't know what film for camera to buy?

@Toad_Hugger 4 жыл бұрын

Standard 35mm film. There are a lot of different speeds, but ISO 400 is a pretty standard one. This camera doesn't have a built-in light meter, so you'll need to estimate exposure or use a handheld light meter. There are some light meter apps for phones. You can also use the Sunny 16 rule to help estimate exposure. So, when taking a picture outside on a sunny day, you'd set your lens to f16 and have the shutterspeed match your film speed. So, with ISO 400 film, you'd want 1/400 second exposure. Using 1/500 should be close enough to work too. Black and white film is much more forgiving if you overexpose or underexpose your photos than color film, so starting off with some black and white film wouldn't be a bad idea.

@neilpiper9889 6 жыл бұрын

when you said to rewind the film turn to b. B setting is bulb for long exposures. I think you meant c to rewind?no?

@xsync336 6 жыл бұрын

To set for rewind it is thru the outer ring of shutter button.

@Lomochrome 2 жыл бұрын

Feds are actually Ukrainian for the most part. They were just built in the United SSR. Nice video. I live in Europe and they're plentiful and cheap here.

@jesamani75 6 жыл бұрын

What material is the shutter courtain?

@xsync336 6 жыл бұрын

Rubberized fabric. If you have a little pinhole leak you can fix it with liquid electrical tape or fabric paint.

@abrarafzalkhan3768 4 жыл бұрын

Sir, Should i get the Canon AE1 or FeD - 2 USSR?

@artem7804 4 жыл бұрын

Abrar Afzal khan, it all depends on the experience you’re looking for. The canon AE1 is an slr which is technically superior in almost every way(more shutter speeds, auto mode which runs with batteries and the obvious benefits of it being and slr). The fed 2 is a range finder and is a true analog experience. I shoot on a Fed-5b , which is also a Soviet rangefinder , and I love it a lot! I do however, really want to get an slr , like a zenit or a praktica. So in summary , it will be easier to get into film photography with the AE1 , but more tactile and personal with the Fed-2. Good luck!

@abrarafzalkhan3768 4 жыл бұрын

@@artem7804 Thank you sooo much for the detailed review Sir. Means a lot. Need more people like you in the Tech Industry. Peace 🎅⛄

@artem7804 4 жыл бұрын

Abrar Afzal khan my pleasure! I hope you have a wonderful experience shooting and I hope your shots turn out how you wanted them to!

@idontknooo188 7 жыл бұрын

Does this camera need a battery?

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

No battery, no electronics.

@ctimur 8 жыл бұрын

film speed? I guess you mean shutter speed :-)

@Elifilmphoto 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah that's what I thought. That's the shutter speed and not film speed

@jonathanmauldin8801 3 жыл бұрын

Does this camera need batteries to operate?

@Rkolb2798 Жыл бұрын

Nope, No batteries required

@jonathanmauldin8801 3 жыл бұрын

How do I set the iso on this camera?

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

It's a film camera, not digital. The ISO depends on what type of film you buy.

@jonathanmauldin8801 3 жыл бұрын

@@xsync336 typically I shoot with a film slr and with all of my cameras I set the iso on the camera to the iso of the film I use, is that not needed with this camera?

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

@@jonathanmauldin8801 Excellent! Ok. With some of the Fed 2 models there is an dial atop the film advance you can set. It is actually in soviet GOST rather than ISO. However setting this dial is only for you to help remember what film you put into the camera. Changing this dial does not affect exposure in any way. Since there are no electronics in the Fed 2 every photo you take is full manual. Using either an old school light meter or a modern light meter app on your phone will be helpful to determine correct exposure.

@3flyte_3flyte Жыл бұрын

Cover the lens or you might burn a hole in the shutter.

@13objektas 3 жыл бұрын

About shutter speed im nit realy understand you say dont go short trip from B to 500, so its need go back 🤦‍♂️, but when say about 250 to B, its need go long trip, im not understant when what is corect, clockwise or not clockwise.

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

You can go both clockwise and counter clockwise. However the camera manual clearly states do not continue to rotate.

@neilpiper9889 6 жыл бұрын

this has no slow speeds so need to be concerned about that cocking rule procedure on this model.Also you said film speed when you meant shutter speed. Just saying

@xsync336 6 жыл бұрын

The original camera manual does state to advance shutter first.

@yipyipoman Ай бұрын

Wrong… the later fed 2 you could change the shutter any time… not the early fed 2. The one with the high flash socket and self timer is a later one… best to be careful a lot of cameras of this era have the same problem… kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nM6ijbKU2ciamHU.htmlsi=4gI-gpSZ0s4ULR-N

@xsync336 Ай бұрын

@@yipyipoman I'm just going by the information in the original user manual that was included with this camera. And since there are different variations of the camera that most people are not aware of, it's better to give safe information. These cameras are remarkable machines of their era that can easily go another 100 years. )) Thanks for your clarification.

@davidperkins3621 4 жыл бұрын

Sorry but is not a clone is a copy, there are very significant differences

@xsync336 3 жыл бұрын

To be really transparent, it's neither a copy nor a clone. They share a similar film transport design and a similar lens mount. The Fed 1 was closer to a copy of the original Leica. The Fed 2 released some original improvements over both models.

@michalsliwinski4881 3 жыл бұрын

Cały świat oszalał na punkcie aparatów z ZSRR . Biedactwa doczekały się uznania . Putin powinien wznowić produkcję .

@Mordokraken 2 жыл бұрын

USSR is not Russia, and FED2 made in Kharkiv Machine-Building Plant "FED" ( Ukraine) :)

@martirpeperino 7 жыл бұрын

Not russian, soviet, made in Ukraine. Cheers!

@mitkotasev1306 6 жыл бұрын

The first capital of Russia was Kiev.

@youtubeshit 6 жыл бұрын

не в Украине а в Харькове.

@user-lr9ux8wl7i 6 жыл бұрын

Всё правильно. Камера сделана в России Советской (В СССР)

@JustAsPlanned1 5 жыл бұрын

@@user-lr9ux8wl7i Харьков был в Советской Украине, а не России

@JustAsPlanned1 5 жыл бұрын

@@user-lr9ux8wl7i Неуч, Россия называлась РСФСР, это любой идиот знает. СССР это союз республик. Нельзя называть СССР страной какой-либо национальности , в названии даже её упоминания нет.