ICCD May 1st to 7th 2014

Ron (Netherlands) said:
What makes you think they did do this? I never read / heard about original FED's having a copied Leica nameplate
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On David's link scroll down to NKVD & you will read this:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]While under the administration of the NKVD, the Dzerzhinsky Commune did something which is perhaps unique in the annals of camera history; it copied the Leica in name as well as form. The FED was already a physical copy of the Leica, but some of the cameras were also engraved with the familiar 'Leica' trademark, and some f3·5 lenses were engraved 'Leitz Elmar'. Whatever the motivation, this strange practice persisted over several years, during which an apparently sizeable number of cameras was made. Beyond any shortcomings in workmanship, the give-away features of these cameras was the distinctive FED viewfinder window. The earliest known 'counterfeit Leica' was manufactured in 1936, while the most common year seems to be 1938.[/FONT]
 
gb hill said:
On David's link scroll down to NKVD & you will read this:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]While under the administration of the NKVD, the Dzerzhinsky Commune did something which is perhaps unique in the annals of camera history; it copied the Leica in name as well as form. The FED was already a physical copy of the Leica, but some of the cameras were also engraved with the familiar 'Leica' trademark, and some f3·5 lenses were engraved 'Leitz Elmar'. Whatever the motivation, this strange practice persisted over several years, during which an apparently sizeable number of cameras was made. Beyond any shortcomings in workmanship, the give-away features of these cameras was the distinctive FED viewfinder window. The earliest known 'counterfeit Leica' was manufactured in 1936, while the most common year seems to be 1938.[/FONT]
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Thanks for the info, that makes it clear. Indeed a very strange practice. Btw IMHO especially the NKVD FED was upto technical standards with the old Leica II.
 
gb hill said:
Interesting read David. I like the design of the early Fed 1. Looks more like a true Barnack Leica than the later clones. I can't fathom what went through their minds to even clone the same Leica inscription on the camera's. Seems to me it would have been much better to show off Russian pride in mfg. instead of copying the Germans even down to the inscription, especially sinse Stallin wanted to further the Russian industrial revolution. Thanks for the bit of history. I knew some of it but was unaware it went back to so early of a time.
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Hi,

I'd forgotten that was in it but by the time I'd found it I had run out of time to read it in.

I think you'll find it's refuted elsewhere, as I remember it was pointed out that the fakes that turned up all differed and it was put down to private enterprise. That's what I believe anyway.

I expect someone with more time on their hands will supply the answer.

Regards, David
 
David Hughes said:
Hi,

I'd forgotten that was in it but by the time I'd found it I had run out of time to read it in.

I think you'll find it's refuted elsewhere, as I remember it was pointed out that the fakes that turned up all differed and it was put down to private enterprise. That's what I believe anyway.

I expect someone with more time on their hands will supply the answer.

Regards, David
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I can believe that too David. No doubt you & others have done their research on these cameras. Thanks for your input.
 
I suspect it is just simple counterfeiting by private crooks, but I guess it is possible that the factory may have generated some in the 50's in a bid to source foreign currency. One thing has always bothered me about the Russian fake Leicas- the original engraving was quite deep, and to grind it down and re-engrave the top plate as a Leica would leave the metal very thin, but it is not my experience that this is the case. Looking at a couple of fakes, I have not seen too-thin metal, nor any sign of brazing over the original engraving. It appears as though the counterfeiters had a supply of unengraved top plates.

Cheers,
Dez
 
Hi,

I've often wondered if they were stolen or diverted from the factory for engraving. Top plates, I mean not cameras. Once they stopped production there would probably be a few about. Ceasing production with everything running out at once is difficult...

Regards, David
 
The originator of ICCD does not use the word "Commie" in a denigrating way, David. It's done in a light-hearted fashion, to separate the older FSU stuff from the Lomo items that came later.

ICCD is a celebration of all that was good (and bad) about the Soviet camera industry. Though this year has been a bit bittersweet in that respect.

Now lets get this thread back on track, everyone. Show us your photos taken with your Commie Camera May 1 through 7, 2014!

PF
 
farlymac said:
Now lets get this thread back on track, everyone. Show us your photos taken with your Commie Camera May 1 through 7, 2014!

PF
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Amen Phil. I dropped off my roll from the Fed 5 today. I should find plenty of time to scan them in over the Memorial Day weekend.
 
Here are a few of my photo's with the Fed 5 & Industar 61 ld lens. Film is expired Ferrania Solaris 200 film from 2006. I did do some slight adjustments because Ferrania, at least the batch I have doesn't age as well as Kodak & Fuji. I like it anyhow.

 
The nonlinear color profiles for color negative films are difficult to improvise, even after you have good black and white points for each color with a standardized scan exposure. So the dark grays are still greenish and would require a lowering of the green curve there in the dark grays.
 
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