Early FED

[Dralowid]

I wonder if anyone can help me date this FED?

View attachment 76518View attachment 76519

Serial number is 8344, lens serial maybe 8330 (difficult to see).

Small locating pin on baseplate, collimating plug on back, fine knurling on knobs, large shutter dial with recess and Leica 'type' viewfinder window.

Any help appreciated, this is a new area for me!

Thanks in advance

Michael
(and I hope you like the exposure tables that came with it!)

 

[johannielscom]

IMHO: Get that as fast as you can if the price is reasonable. Its an early serial number, the RF illumindation window is VERY non-standard for a FED (actually looks like a Leica window!) and engravings are paint filled. I haven't seen one like this before.

 

[Dralowid]

Johan, I have it already!

Don't think it is paint in the engraving...it looks more like filth!

Michael

 

[johannielscom]

Right. Dating is near impossible with FEDs since the factory didn't do a too good job keeping factory production records and what did exist may have been destroyed by the Germans.

The engraving suggests an early camera from the Kharkov Trudkommuna factory, which probably was assembled by orphans, who were children of political opponents Stalin had ordered to be killed in the 1930s.

I think the cameras were made as early as 1933, considering the low number and taking into account the low numbers a similar factory like Leica produced at production start up, I'd say it's probably pre-1936, but this is all guess work.

Sorry not being able to help out more...! Check out www.ussrphoto.com for more possible info, I guess.

 

[sersi]

I wonder if anyone can help me date this FED?

View attachment 76518View attachment 76519

Serial number is 8344, lens serial maybe 8330 (difficult to see).

Small locating pin on baseplate, collimating plug on back, fine knurling on knobs, large shutter dial with recess and Leica 'type' viewfinder window.

Any help appreciated, this is a new area for me!

Thanks in advance

Michael
(and I hope you like the exposure tables that came with it!)

Hi,

I think it's one of the earliest models, probably B1 or B2, from 1935 to 1937, lucky you!. You can check it here:

http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?-149094172

I recently found a Fed D model, not so early as yours, but it works the same way, and it's a pleasure to use.

Hope this helps,
Sergi

 

[brachal]

According to Princelle, this is an early Ib, produced between 1935 and 1937. About 49,000 units produced with serial ranges from 6,000 through 55,000, so yours is probably closer to 1935. The accessory shoe was introduced in the 8,000 - 9,000 range.

 

[outfitter]

That date is estimated to be 1935 (production started in 1934).

The orphan story is only partially true. The work commune started by a man named Makarenko who developed theories on teaching both manual skills and academic subjects to eliminate the distinction between physical and intellectual labor. The first commune was founded in 1920 (pre-Stalin) and the FED commune was founded in 1927. Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s had plenty of orphans beyond Stalin's victims. The communards were mostly street urchins - orphans from the civil war etc - who were living in pathetic conditions and committing crimes. The first work projects included copying Black & Decker electric drills. I think the Leica project was run by professionals from the Eingineering Institute of Kharkov.

 

[johannielscom]

That date is estimated to be 1935 (production started in 1934).

The orphan story is only partially true. The work commune started by a man named Makarenko who developed theories on teaching both manual skills and academic subjects to eliminate the distinction between physical and intellectual labor. The first commune was founded in 1920 (pre-Stalin) and the FED commune was founded in 1927. Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s had plenty of orphans beyond Stalin's victims. The communards were mostly street urchins - orphans from the civil war etc - who were living in pathetic conditions and committing crimes. The first work projects included copying Black & Decker electric drills. I think the Leica project was run by professionals from the Eingineering Institute of Kharkov.

Ha! Hi there outfitter, I did not know that! Thanks for amendating that.

OT PS: You wanna have another FED-S to keep your specimen company? I'm selling one of my two-team in the classifieds 🙂

 

[David Hughes]

Ha! Hi there outfitter, I did not know that! Thanks for amendating that.

Hi, You'll find a lot of info about the factory here:

http://www.fedka.com/Useful_info/Commune_by_Fricke/commune_A.htm

Not many people have read it, to judge by some of the things I've read about FED and what he managed to do long after his death and what Stalin did before he came to power!

Regards, David

 

[Dralowid]

So the next question is about value...is it sufficiently rare to send away to Peter at CRR or should I do it myself? I suppose I could convince him to do a Fed. I'm happy to make this judgement with a Leica or Contax but never thought I would need to make it about a Fed. Seems to me that a 'normal' Fed sells for between UK£40 and £80...is this really worth any more?

Any advice welcome and no, I'm not selling.

michael

 

[David Hughes]

I can only speak for Oleg's repairs and say that he has all the bits and pieces needed and that my little FED-1 came back with a new blind or two and it's handling was transformed.

Once the M2 is sorted out, another FED will be on its way east.

UK Prices of FED go up and down. It's a lottery...

Regards, David

 

[johannielscom]

I can vouch for Yuri at Fedka.

First I won a FED-S that had been stripped and was ready to be hacked into a Leica, when they found out it was a FED-S. Top plate engraving was gone and lens reassembled wrongly when I got it. Yuri brought it back to life, it's smooth as butter now and very accurate. Cost me approx EUR 100 for a camera and lens CLA and shipping to and fro from the Netherlands.

The kit I'm selling now is completely original, but I still think Yuri would be able to better it a bit, he's a miracle worker in IMHO!

 

[newspaperguy]

Ditto on Oleg from me.
The Zorki 3M he reworked was a thing of joy.

...and thanks Sergi for that link.

Shows my near-mint Zorki 1 E (Series E-1) #560203XX to be one of the
last of the Barnacks they produced in the Ukraine (or anywhere.)

My Zorki 1c user is not so rare.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Just out of curiosity - from someone that has never touched one of these cameras - is the standard of build, material, etc, that much inferior to an early Leica?
Dave.

 

[David Hughes]

Just out of curiosity - from someone that has never touched one of these cameras - is the standard of build, material, etc, that much inferior to an early Leica?
Dave.

Hi,

That's a hard one to answer because they all vary and we are talking about cameras from the 30's to the 50's. In what I pass off as my collection I've a 30's Leica body and lens that would convince you that they are a waste of money. And I've one or two that would convince you the exact opposite. And I could say the same about my FED's and Zorkis. Ditto Leitz' and the USSR's ERC's. As I see it a good engineer is a good engineer.

Please don't all chime in and tell me about QS variations because I don't know how to judge them 60 to 80 years after the things left the factory and Leica and FED owners can't be compared; although I expect the after sales service could be.

But put a CLA's Leica II with an Elmar in it beside a CLA'd FED 1 with the FED version of the Elmar side by side and you'd probably only notice the engraving, which is superior on the Leica. Of course, we are comparing a 50's FED &c with a 30's Leica: I wouldn't say the same if comparing the 50's FED lens and body with (say) 50's Leica. Even so the FED lenses are usable.

Handling and performance are very similar: meaning I can't tell which is which without looking at the top plate. Ditto 5" x 7" prints from both makes.

Buying them you'd notice a difference; I've paid US $10 (body and lens) and UK £15 (body) for a FED and a Zorki. And UK £6 for a TOE imported Jupiter-8. Oleg charges about UK £45 to work his magic.

I'm sure you know what a Leica body, lens and complete service costs... But I'd add that Oleg has shutter blinds and I've been told that none are available in the UK and they have to be made individually for £70 to £80 each.

Edit (5 days later); just in case it's misunderstood I was told blinds have to be made by a UK repair firm but Oleg seems to have no problems getting them and fitting them.

Regards, David