Fake fed NKAP (?)

[vanyagor]

Look at this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/FED-NKAP-CCCP-3...3QQihZ017QQcategoryZ15234QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

1. the numbering is totally off: body #3211 could not have been marked with NKAP nor with words Zavod (factory).

2. the pattern on the body cover does not have the distinctive for NKAP stripes effect (rather than rice grain type cover on most other feds)

3. the "font" does not look right to me in particular the shape of the letters CCCP which look different on what I've seen in the books

4. The shutter colar has vertical lines (like on earlier models) rather than diagonal milling (I guess this piece could have been replaced though)

Did I miss anything?
Is that enough reasons to say it is a fake?

 

[rxmd]

Hi,

NKAP should be the People's Commissariat for the Aviation Industry (alternatively for the Automobile Industry). I didn't know there were any FEDs made for them?

Philipp

 

[vanyagor]

Fed was under authority of NKAP during and just after the WWII as far as I know. There were a few cameras produced with such an inscription (about 1800) according to Princelle.

 

[reagan]

Certainly curious. FEDs are, from what I understand, rather hard to trace and identify by serial number. A photo and description at rus-camera.com (one of very few sites that shares serial #s) shows that serial number to fall into the 1a category. However, one quick difference is the pictured 1a's embossed frame around the VF differs from the Bay item.

But the kicker is this statement at the bottom of this page on a site called "Lenswerks" :
"There were approximately 1,800 FED 1 types made in 1948 with serial numbers in the range 200,000 - 201,800. These are known as the FED "RED FLAG" or NKAP URSS. The forgery can be found on eBay and identified by the incorrect and larger font used in the engraving of NKAP URSS. For some unknown reason, the serial numbers of the forgeries being presented are in the 3xxx range."




Also... just an OT sidenote; in googling, I came across this little tidbit. I love history - anybody's history!

 

[vanyagor]

But the kicker is this statement at the bottom of this page on a site called "Lenswerks" :
"There were approximately 1,800 FED 1 types made in 1948 with serial numbers in the range 200,000 - 201,800. These are known as the FED "RED FLAG" or NKAP URSS. The forgery can be found on eBay and identified by the incorrect and larger font used in the engraving of NKAP URSS. For some unknown reason, the serial numbers of the forgeries being presented are in the 3xxx range."

Wow, I was close 🙂 So indeed the font is wrong and it was not my eyes 🙂

 

[rxmd]

And the NKAP in question, is that the one for the aviation industry (with my broken Russian, that should be надодный коммисариат авиационной промышленности) or am I confusing something?

In that case this is clearly the Soviet equivalent of the Luftwaffe Leica 🙂

 

[Screwy]

Well spotted vanyagor and nice links CVBL 😎 All adds to our database of what to watch out for when buying the older FSU cameras .

 

[reagan]

Wow, I was close 🙂 So indeed the font is wrong and it was not my eyes 🙂

Looks like to me you were dead on. It's pretty amazing sometimes how that little bell goes off in our head that says, "Somethin' ain't right here..." I looked at the same camera a few days ago and thought the low ser.# made it quite interesting. But no bells went off for me. Good HU Ivan!

For the buyer, the upside is, (a) he didn't sink a ton of money into it; sure could have been worse (b) it's not a bad looking camera at all and should be quite a decent shooter (c) he now owns a (probably rare) particular style of an NKAP copy that is identifiable among FED users & collectors and therefore, in it's own right, a little piece of FED history (even though it sneaked in the back door 😉 ) (d) and a great conversation piece. Hey, it's not "just another FED or Zorki" like the bazillion gold Leicas.

If it were mine, I'd keep it and enjoy it for what it is... and when it came time to sell it, I'd advertise "RARE FED NKAP Copy..."

 

[Adam-T]

""If it were mine, I'd keep it and enjoy it for what it is... and when it came time to sell it, I'd advertise "RARE FED NKAP Copy..."""

The Crazy thing is that it`s likely to be Rarer than the real thing and seemedly a lot of work has gone into trying to make it look like the real thing even if the fonts ARE wrong.. This is what makes me laugh about the Leica III Copies out there, some of them cost more than a usable Leica III !

 

[reagan]

"...some of them cost more than a usable Leica III !"

... and you still can't take 'em out in public! 😱 😱