Fed #1282 worth anything?

[ludoo]

I stopped by one of the few remaining used cameras stores in town today, and while browsing cameras the owner showed me a Fed with serial #1282. He boasted it's worth 2k, then offered it for 200 as he's closing the store in one month, is fed up with cameras and prefers working on old radios (the papers in the pics below are the service manual for a Grundig he was working on).

I ended up buying a mint Kiev 4A with a J-8 for about half what it goes for on ebay, but I am curious about the Fed, is it really worth 200 euros? I won't buy it, I have more cameras than I can reasonably use, but if anybody is interested I can go pick it up. Here are a couple of pics.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Well, I'd be inclined to take a gamble at 200€/$280/£175 but it's always easy to spend someone else's money...

The NKVD/USSR (HKBD/YCCP) has considerable historical interest, though it's not exactly super-rare. The NKVD was of course the secret police but the story is a LOT more complicated than that.

Tashi delek,

R.

 

[former member]

Does the DOF scale match the F-Stop's on the Aperture? I see the older Leica style F-stops on front. Many times those are faked. This one looks authentic. BUT: If the DOF scale (ie F4, F5.6, F8 vs F6.3, F9, etc) does not match the front, could be re-engraved.

 

[wolves3012]

That's quite an early FED. It's not worth anywhere near 2K but 200 Euros is not a bad price at all....There have been quite a few similar ones on Ebay lately fetching that sort of price or a bit lower.

 

[sovietleica]

Hi comrades

The features of this camera, have a serial number higher.
its characteristics are of a FED 1b, with a serial number which should be after 15 or 20,000

See these links
http://www.fedka.com/Frames/Main_Frame.htm
http://www.fedka.com/Useful_info/Documents_by_Fricke/fed_engr_types.jpg

Counterfeit?
Error?
Is not the first case I've seen on ebay.
A possible explanation in this thread earlier:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=651073#post651073
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=651073&postcount=6

Albert

 

[ludoo]

I don't know if it's fake but don't think so, the store owner looked honest and had many other cameras and acessories for sale pretty cheap. He is closing the store and does not care much about what he has, nor is he looking to make money out of it, I actually had to stop him tossing a J-8 with a few fine cleaning marks in the trash. 🙂

The camera above looks like the "FED Labor Comune NKVD УССР Camera Type-2b #280" from this page.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

It is clearly a fake (that means re-engraved). If you look carefully at the number engraving (and also at the lettering). E.g. any serialnumber should start with No not with N. Btw 4-digit serials are considered rare.

 

[dll927]

If he thinks an FSU camera is worth 2k, I'd certainly want a second opinion, or ten or twelve!!

 

[sovietleica]

Diferences!!!

Diferences!!!

 

[ludoo]

Wow, that's one of the reasons I like RFF (and I opened this thread). 🙂

Thanks for the replies, I had no intention of getting it, but even if I had you would have changed my mind.

 

[Roger Hicks]

200€ doesn't seem much reward for that much fakery (new top plate, engraving, disassembly, reassembly, donor camera). Presumably it changed hands for a lot more at some earlier point in its life. Lucky you have people on RFF who know what they're talking about (unlike me, on this occasion).

Tashi delek,

R.

 

[sovietleica]

Again, just mark the difference between these two cameras.
And on another occasion RFF appeared in a thread on a similar camera (serial number 1126).

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=651073#post651073

I also remember earlier, ebay, camera similar. In the link, the information that I remember.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=651073&postcount=6

False?
Rarity?
I do not know!

 

[wolves3012]

I'd consider myself fairly knowledgeable on these cameras but not an expert. I've just learned a fair bit more though! I hadn't spotted the "N" rather than "No" on the number though, that was a giveaway. I did think the serial number looked odd and now I see why (no italics). I'm still a bit puzzled why it has the rounded deck under the dial though - isn't that right for the early models (pre CCCP-engraved)?

 

[outfitter]

The camera has characteristics of later 5 digit serial number one; the exact range would depend on whether there is still a depression under the speed dial and whether the black dot (filling in a hole used in lens registration) still appear in the middle of the back. One would think this had a fake serial number but all sorts of anomalies exist. Anyhow the value is quite below that of a correct Fed 1 in the four digit serial number range.

 

[Dralowid]

For a camera in that serial range would I be right to expect the larger shutter dial (recessed), black rangefinder 'portholes' and the viewfinder window still in the 'Leica shape'?

Michael

 

[outfitter]

For a camera in that serial range would I be right to expect the larger shutter dial (recessed), black rangefinder 'portholes' and the viewfinder window still in the 'Leica shape'?

Michael

The black portholes are black painted brass which usually show some brassing. The later chromed portholes usiualy don't chip so no brassing.