Fed Serial Numbers???

95-97% of Zorkis since 1955 have serial number with two first digits indicationg the year of production.
Exceptions:
- pre-55 production (Zorki-1 mostly, Zorki-3 even of 1954 production have two digits indication, I got such camera of 1954 production) with through order of serials
- Anniversary models
- Small production units
- Out of serial order production parties

almost all FEDs from 1934 till c. 1983-86 have through order of serials.
www.fedka.com has a table of first FED models serials. Otherwise, show your camera.
 
Fed's do not appear to follow a consistent pattern. Very difficult to pin down. I think with Zorkis the first 2 digits of the serial# are the year of manufacture, but I'm not certain of that.
 
QUAsit said:
Otherwise, show your camera.
Click to expand...

I'm curious so here's mine.

Fed-2A Type 2C (least what I was told by the guy I got it from)
fed1.jpg


And another angle, next to a Fed-2C I had until a few months ago.
fed2.jpg
 
Bottom picture:
To the right is FED-2 made in 1955
To the left FED-2 made between 1958 and 1963, let`s say it is 1960 -)))
 
Last edited:
QUAsit said:
Bottom picture:
To the right is FED-2 made in 1955
To the left FED-2 made between 1958 and 1963, let`s say it is 1960 -)))
Click to expand...

Least now I know the approximate years. I sold the Fed-2C on the left a while back, I kept the Fed-2A on the right since it "felt" nicer to me, though the guy who sold me both considers the 2C to be a much nicer one. I thought it mighta been 50s on the one on the right, but wasn't sure when.

I guess the Fed-2A I use as a backup to my Canon P is older than my P :p.

Out of curiousity, how do you figure the year on them, do you just generally know when they made the models?
 
Presice year you can only learn from counting serial number in comparison to total production of this variation.

In general yes.
Princelle`s book + G. Abramov`s site.
As you can see - I edited my message. Firstly I wrote: Left FED was made in 1961, then after сonsulting with Princelle`s book I changed year to 1960. You can take this answer, or change it to 1959 after playing with serials.
 
QUAsit said:
Presice year you can only learn from counting serial number in comparison to total production of this variation.

In general yes.
Princelle`s book + G. Abramov`s site.
As you can see - I edited my message. Firstly I wrote: Left FED was made in 1961, then after сonsulting with Princelle`s book I changed year to 1960. You can take this answer, or change it to 1959 after playing with serials.
Click to expand...

Good to know.

Round the store we usually use the McKeown's Cameras book, but thats normally to identify or semi-value something that comes in. Then top that off with eBay when we figure out what variation the camera is.

I guess one thing is for certain though, the serial numbers do not seem to be nearly as consistant or documented as well as say Rolleiflex and Leicas. But matters not if the cheap commie crap, I mean fine soviet wormanship still works :D
 
Thanks all......Fedka.com had the numbers with the years of production for Feds. I have a 1940'ish Fed Id which as Karl just said is great "as long as it still works"....

Ray
 
ray*j*gun said:
Thanks all......Fedka.com had the numbers with the years of production for Feds. I have a 1940'ish Fed Id which as Karl just said is great "as long as it still works"....

Ray
Click to expand...

I had the luxery of getting mine from a guy who owned over 40 of them, 2/3rd of which were bad that he used as parts to recondition and tweak the other good ones. I can't remember his name, but he basically fixed my 2A right up before sending it off to me, he also made a comment bout how some Feds were serviced by tank technicians that wound the tension up so hard that it sounds like a rat trap going off.

I was reluctant to get one in the past cuz most places I looked they were generally the same price as the shipping, and no real assurance if they worked or not. You'd almost have to buy 3 before getting a 4th good one (as that one guy also confirming). I felt it safer to buy from actual users as I did with both of the above and sold the 2C to another user whom I hope is enjoying it.

I would be interested in seeing a picture of your Fed-1d if you get time.
 
here is the answer for fed 2 serial numbers

(1955-1956) 008*** - 115*** (type A w/o flash sync, w/o selftimer)
(1956-1957) 136*** - 437*** (type B with sync, w/o selftimer)
(1958-1960) 480*** - 868*** (type C1 with sync, with selftimer, mushroom knob)
(1958-1963) 1114*** - 2330*** (type C2 with sync, with selftimer, mushroom knob, new speeds, name in cyrillic)
(1963-1969) 2381*** - 9911*** A026*** - A087*** (type C3 and D with sync, with selftimer, mushroom knob, new speeds)

more on this here
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51937
 
Thank you all, this thread has been really helpful
My first FED-2 arrived from Russia today, and I'm pretty amazed by it. There's just something beautiful about a 50 year old Soviet camera being able to work with a 35mm cartridge that says "Return to Wal Mart"
My camera's serial number is 280091, which according to this site makes it a Fed 2B. This makes sense because there is no self timer.
That being said, looking at the pictures of FED 2B's on this site:
http://www.commiecameras.com/sov/35mmrangefindercameras/cameras/fed/index.htm

I notice several differences. First, my camera has no markings on the top except for the script FED. Even the little arrow for the film selector is missing, there is a little red dot inside the hub to select the speed Second, my case has two snaps, whereas this site says it should have one.

Does anyone else have a camera like this, or can tell me why it seems different?
IMGP5818.JPG



IMGP5816.JPG



IMGP5817.JPG
 
also, no political statement intended with the Huckabee book on my desk- I was just a curious member of the party that opposes him trying to find out more
 
Hi,
I've just discovered all the old USSR-cams and it feels really interesting! I've just ordered a FED2 and waiting for it to arrive.

Can anyone help me classify it? From what I understand it is a type c / type d fed 2 from around 1963. The serial number is: 1205454

I've been reading up a lot on this forum and it seems like you have loads of guides for how to fix problems with the cams. Any special things I should do before I load my first roll in to it?

Will be really fun trying it out in a week or two!

Thanks in advance
 

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It looks to be a type 9c, or 10ad according to Komarov's list. It dates between 1962 to 1965.
Welcome to the world of Rangefinder! :)
 
Just a cautionary tale...

While very young, I got a summer job working for the company that imported Soviet wrist watches into the UK. One morning, one of the secretaries "borrowed" me from the warehouse, gave me some pens and an A4 pad, set me to work noting the serial numbers from a packing case full of a new model wristwatch that had just arrived.

I got happily to work (I was only fifteen and she was very pretty) and I'd recorded seven or eight numbers before it crossed my mind that I had written the same number seven (or eight) times.

An hour later we'd checked most of the watches and, yes, they had all been stamped with the same serial number!

:D
 
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