FED 3 OWNERS MANUAL
To adjust the diopter rotate left or right until the viewfinder is at its maximum clarity. How you do this while holding
the camera up to your eye is anyone's guess. But you should only have to do it once.
Now note the bright "spot" in the middle of the viewfinder. This is the rangefinder. It will provide a spit image of the
object in your viewfinder. Rotate the focus ring left or right until the split image merges into a single image. If this
cannot be accomplished, you are too close to the object for that particular lens.
What you see in the viewfinder is almost certainly not what the film "sees." At normal distances, and with the
"normal" 50mm lens, there is little difference. Change to a wide angle or telephoto lens, or try and move in close and
other factors come into play.
The Fed 3 viewfinder has a field of view roughly comparable (at least to my eyes) of a 50mm lens. If you use a
wider lens, say a 35mm, you will capture somewhat more than you can see through the Fed 3 viewfinder.
Conversely, longer focal length lenses take in smaller and smaller areas, until at 135mm the lens may see only the
area encompased by the rangefinder dot. The solution here is to use one of the many available auxiliary viewfinders.
These come in both dedicated (a single viewfinder to match a single focal length), multiple brightlines, and adjustable
varieties. These are inserted into the accessory shoe and will provide the proper field of view for the lens desired.
When moving in for a closeup you run into the problem that the lens is in the middle of the camera, while the
viewfinder is well off to the side. If using an accessory viewfinder, the problem is reduced, but the finder is still
above the lens. This problem is known as paralax error. Some accessory viewfinders have paralax correction. Some
of the macro lenses made by Leitz came with an optic that was positioned over the viewfinder and "corrected" the
paralax. I am not aware of any Russian equivalents.
USING FLASH
Keep in mind that the Fed 3 has no hotshoe - it is an accessory shoe only. You will need to plug your flash into the
pc connector on the front of the camera next to the self timer release button.
M synchronization is for M type flash bulbs. An M bulb's flash duration is about 1/25 second. Due to burning inertia,
the bulb reaches its maximum output about 1/50 second after the electrical circuit is closed. The M synchronization
circuit takes this inertia effect into account by closing the electrical (flash) circuit before the shutter is completely
open.
X synchronization is for electronic flash. With electronic flash the flash duration is 1/200 second or less. At shutter
speeds of 1/30 or 1/25 second (and longer) the shutter curtain slit size is at least as large as the frame window.
Consequently, with X syncronization the electrical (flash) circuit is closed at the moment of complete shutter
opening.
The FED 3 synchronization is designed for use with electronic flash at a shutter speed of 1/30 second. For M
Synchronization with the FED 3, use the "Bulb" setting on the shutter speed dial [press shutter button, flash, release -
ed.]
Some Russian cameras have a flash "synchroregulator" that can adjust the flash firing delay from 0 to 25
milliseconds. For electronic flash, the correct setting is 0. The Zorki 5 is an example of this design.
Thanks Tom!
For those unaccustomed to such slow synch speeds, be aware that you may have some "ghosting" problems with fast
films in an average lighted room. Use 100 asa or less and it should not be a problem.
Page 4