anyway to zoom camera way out in 5s? that's one of the reasons i dont play it cause if you get stuck on the top team you cant see ****. i tried reducing hud scale but thats not helping much. does riot expect every player in league to know how to use free cam?

Yes the expect every player to use free cam.
I am a locked screen player and I can play top no problem. One big tip is you don't have to constantly move the screen, you can just leave it centered on one part of the action, then when you need to run from a gank or something just hold the spacebar or tap "Y" once to recenter. Yes it does take some time to adjust, but it overall does make you a better player bro, it increases your map awareness a ton, and that can help you win games!
On a side note you can zoom out further but it will get you banned, don't try it if you do find out how.