Is this a fake FED-NKVD?

[CPDST]

Hi All,

I was wondering if the local pre-war FED experts could help me identify if this is a pre war FED-NKVD? http://www.ebay.com/itm/120809846295?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_2460wt_1189 . It does seem to check out, when the various details are checked against records at Sovietcams.com .. Does anyone have any opinion on wether this may be a fake or not?

Cheers,
Craig 🙂

 

[dotur]

www.ivanlozica.com

It looks like an original one, and it probably is.
There are many fake leicas made from feds and zorkis - but why should anybody imitate all that engravings to produce a cheap fake fed?
My prewar fed (No 132847) has identical engravings.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I agree with Dotur, looks like a proper FED-NKVD.
Serial number makes it a little younger then mine, engravings and other details correspond too.

 

[Roger Hicks]

They're probably sufficiently common/cheap not to be worth faking. The first time I found one, 30 or more years ago, I thought, "Wow! That must be rare and valuable!" So I bought it (it wasn't expensive) and I think I got a fiver more for it than I paid...

Cheers,

R.

 

[wolves3012]

All looks good to me. It's missing the shutter button collar (not uncommon) but otherwise looks good. The lens appears uncoated and has the "old" f-number scale, which it should be if it's original and the body serial number suggests 1940. It would hardly be worthwhile to fake one of these as they aren't that rare anyway. Mine looks pretty much identical but has a lower serial number (from 1939).

 

[wolves3012]

My prewar fed (No 132847) has identical engravings.

That dates it at 1940, during-war rather than pre-war, depending on your idea of "pre-war"!

 

[dotur]

Thanks, Wolves! You are right, mine is a wartime example. In FSU the war started earlier than in former Yugoslavia (April 1941).

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Looks legit, but a lot of these FEDS have had bits and pieces exchanged with later ones, not out of an attempt to create a fake, but just in the process of cobbling together a repair. I have a FED with a six number serial number on the rangefinder housing which I sent to FEDKA for repair.

He said I had quite a find. The rangefinder housing was non-original. The body was actually a four number serial number body that someone had replaced the rangefinder housing with a much later one.

I don't know that there is much of a market for collectible FEDS, though.

 

[johannielscom]

That take-up spool is marked Germany. It's likely an original Leitz take-up spool (has the correct font) and as such may be worth half as much as the camera.

 

[David Hughes]

I don't know what the rest of you think but I was impressed with the state of the chrome. And it has a spool. The shutter button guard can easily be replaced - if needed.

Regards, David

 

[CPDST]

Thanks for all the help everybody! I had read about faked FED-NKVD's on another RFF thread, so I just wondered if this was one, based on the premise that on ebay right now, there are 2 B- condition FED-NKVD's.. Anyway,thanks for clearing up any confusion I may have had! 🙂

Cheers,
Craig 🙂