Top cover removal on the FED-2 is rather easy. You only need some
simple tools:
- a set of precision screwdrivers (you can get these in 2-dollar
shops),
- a thin, flexible piece of rubber mat you can grab and unscrew
things with,
- you might need a spanner wrench, but you can probably substitute
this with a home made device.
Before you begin to work, I recommend you read these instructions
once, just to get an idea what is involved and study the pictures a
little. If you have a printer connected, I suggest you print this page
out. (Best to copy and paste the page into Word. I am not applying any
fancy formatting, so this should be straightforward. Just set the
margins narrow enough so that the pictures fit in one row.)
Set up your work space and give yourself about one hour to do the job
comfortably. (You will want to take notes, maybe even draw diagrams as
you go.)
Follow these steps:
1.) Take off the accessory shoe held by three screws.
2.) Remove the shutter speed dial. To do this, you simply loosen the
two tiny set screws on the side and pull the dial off its shaft.
(You might have to first turn the film advance knob a little - as
if winding up the camera - to bring the set screws into a position
where you can easily get to them with your screwdriver. When you
are done, press the shutter release button to remove the tension
on the shutter mechanism.)
3.) Remove the rewind lock ring. This is a 'collar' around the shutter
release button.
3.a.) Loosen the tiny set screw on the side of the ring.
3.b.) Take the ring off by unscrewing it in a counter clockwise
direction.
Note: the shutter release button does not have to be removed.
4.) Remove the film advance knob and the frame counter disk.
4.a.) Take out the set screw at the side of the film advance knob
(and don't loose it).
4.b.) Now, this might not be what you expected, but you take off the
knob by twisting it counter clockwise. However, to do this
successfully, you first have to remove the back of the camera
and grab the cog wheel, which is directly under the knob,
with your other hand. Hold the cog wheel securely, so that it
does not turn as you screw the film advance knob off. The knob
might not want to turn very easily, because what usually has
happened is that the little set screw has eaten into and
damaged the tread on the shaft. (You'll see what I mean when
you do it.)
4.c.) Remove the parts under the knob. Now, this is when you might
want to take some notes (if you haven't already). But to make
your life easier, I have included a photo of the parts laid
out in order of removal.
5.) Remove the rewind knob. Unlike with many SLRs, this knob does not
come off by turning it counter clockwise. Instead, what you do
is, pull it up and undo the screw you see underneath. Then take
it off together with the ring the screw went into.
You are still left with the diopter adjustment arm, the removal
of which might also seem necessary. It is not. Don't even try to
remove it. (You can't.)
6.) What comes next, is the removal of the rangefinder eyepieces.
These are the round windows at the front and back.
6.a.) Use a piece of rubber pad to grab the milled rim of the
rangefinder window atthe back of the camera and remove it by
unscrewing it counter clockwise.
On my last camera the eyepiece was stuck and just wouldn't move
at all. I applied some solvent (lighter fluid is recommended
over WD-40!), but it did not help. So, I ended up using a pair
of combination pliers - the semicircular jaws in the middle.
As a rule, I dislike the use of pliers on cameras, as it is too
easy to cause some damage. If you must use them - as I did on
this occasion -, make sure the tool does not slip.
6.b.) The process of removing the front window is similar with one
difference. This eyepiece is actually composed of two parts; a
milled ring and the glass in its metal housing. If you are
lucky, they come off together as a unit. If not, you will end
up removing the ring first (see picture). Then, to get the
rest of it out, you need to use a spanner wrench tool.
7.) Remove the remaining screws that hold the top cover of the camera
in place. These are: three shiny screws in the front (left, right,
middle), and one screw on the top of the camera near the winder.
By the way, the middle screw (just under the Russian letter E) is
very short and it hides the little slotted disk that is used for
horizontal rangefinder adjustment.
8.) Now at last, the top plate can be removed! Carefully lift the
winder side up, wiggling it a little if necessary, and slip the
other end out from underneath the diopter adjustment arm. (It goes
through the hole).
Be careful, because once the top is off, the diopter adjustment
arm can come loose and fall off. I have included a picture of the
parts you'll find here, and it is worth your while to study how
everything fits together at this part of the camera. In fact, I
suggest you reassemble the film rewind unit, as for most other
work it will not come into play. By doing so you reduce the chance
of parts getting lost and you forgetting what goes where.
