Can you help me? - FED 1

Carburo

Carburo

Rangefinding Architect
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Re: Can you help me? - FED 1

Carburo said:
Can I have a purchasing advice from you?
I've found this FED 1, that seems to be a good stuff.
The vendor asks for 90 Euros (about $75).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ehm...
90 Euros, about $108
:)
Click to expand...
 
Condition seems OK (haven't seen all the photos, they're huge).
However, the price seems high (90 EUR is closer to $120 than $75, at least in these parts of the world).

I don't know where you're located, but I think you should be able to find something cheaper.

OTOH, if the seller provides a warranty or some kind of return policy in case there's anything wrong with the camera, you might go for it. Myself, I prefer to handle the goods before purchase, and I'm willing to pay a bit more for that. You can get it cheaper from eBay, but there's no telling if it will work or not. So, it's up to you - if you like to gamble, you'll find lower prices there (eBay).

Denis
 
The camera looks in nice condition but I'd only consider it as a collectable rather than a user to build a RF kit around unless you get some advice from someone with more knowledge of the very early FED1's than me. It looks to me to be a pre-war model (note: F18 f stop, tab on front of acc shoe) and I think they don’t have a true LTM lens mount, something about the lens/film distance being off with other LTM lenses and/or the thread in the mount might be different (I've heard of people converting the cameras with later lens mounts) ... On the other hand if your not intending to get other lenses for it and its what your after I wouldn't call the price unreasonable considering its a sweet looking pre-war model.
 
That is a pre-World War II FED 1b or 1c made in the late 1930s. It looks to be in very good to excellent condition. These older FEDs are collectables and generally cost more than the post-war models. McKeown's 2001-2002 Guide gives a price range of $80-$120. However, I believe the pre-war lenses are uncoated and the pitch of the screw mount is slightly different from the Leica standard. The post-war models have coated lenses and Leica standard mounts. If you are looking for a user camera, you may be better of with a post-war FED 1f or 1g, and you can probably get one for a cheaper price on e-Bay.
 
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That is a very pretty Fed-1. However, it may be more collectible then usable. The lens looks like an uncoated pre-war lens. A lot of those lenses used a non-standard 39mm lens mount that has a different pitch then the Leica screw mount. Thus, if that is the case, more modern lense will not fit unless the camera has it's lens flange replaced.

However again, the body serial number seems a little high to be a pre-war model. The body is in such good cosmetic condition that I wonder if it is authentic (as to age) The vulcanite looks perfect. and there is no sign of pitting on the chrome. This looks like a camera that a Leica collector bought a long time ago and stored away. I didn't think that many Soviet citizens did that.

Regardless of the authenticity, that is a good price for any Fed-1 specimen in such good shape. If I wanted to shoot pictures I would look for something that costs less. A Fed-1 or Zorki-1 that costs from 50-75 and comes with a coated lens. A CLA and a new new shutter curtain set would add an additional $150 to that price.

-Paul
 
pshinkaw said:
... the body serial number seems a little high to be a pre-war model...
Click to expand...

Paul, the serial number of 50192 seems right to me based on McKeown's 2001-2002 Guide. It shows the serial number range for 1935-39 FED 1b and 1c models to be from 6000 to 130000. This camera falls in the middle of that range, suggesting a possible manufacture date of around 1937 or so.
 
OK. I'll concede to MCKeown's SN's. If it then is authentic, It probably is not a great user camera simply because of the non-standard lens mount. It will be very difficult (not impossible) to upgrade the flange to a true LTM standard. In that case, it is also under-priced as a collector's camera. I wonder where it's been all these years?

-Paul
 
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