time to test ... FED 1

[Godfrey]

A few weeks ago, I was given a circa 1935 FED 1 as part of a bunch of castoffs from a local museum collection (see http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151230).

I took the FED out last evening and put a drop of sewing machine oil on the rewind shaft, exercised the shutter, and cleaned the lens. I think it works ... So it's time to load a roll of film and take it out for a spin.

It's in decent user shape cosmetically. I think the rangefinder is a bit funky but eh? If I can make pictures with it, it fulfills my jones for a Leica II from that time period (I just like the way they look... 🙂.

G

 

[Moto-Uno]

^ And hey, the price was right !
Peter

 

[Jacques M.]

Hello,

A 1935 Fed! What is the serial number?
Anyway, I actually use a 1941 Fed NKVD S as a daily camera. And before that one, it was a 1938 one. The most important (after the mechanical condition) is the lens. I have changed the 2/50mm Fed against a Sonnar 2/5cm. The results are much better.

Jacques.

 

[Godfrey]

A 1935 Fed! What is the serial number?
Anyway, I actually use a 1941 Fed NKVD S as a daily camera. And before that one, it was a 1938 one. The most important (after the mechanical condition) is the lens. I have changed the 2/50mm Fed against a Sonnar 2/5cm. The results are much better.

I believe it's SN#15933. I've got a roll of film in it now, don't know how long it will take me to run it and process it.

This is now my oldest (hopefully) working camera. Previous elder statesman is the Berning Robot II (now upgraded to a IIa spec; allows me to use 35mm film cassettes in it without having to load a feed cassette) that was manufactured in 1940. 🙂

I may try my modern Color Skopar LTM lens on the FED. Or even the Robot lenses ... I have both Zeiss Sonnar 40mm f/2 and Zeiss Tessar 38mm f/2.8 for the Robot, and a Robot to LTM adapter. No RF coupling for either of those; it'll be all scale focus. They'll probably vignette a little since they were designed for 23x23 mm frame format but what the heck...

G