What do we make of this?

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Before we start I can see what looks like the obvious but is it? BTW, this is the first "Standard" version I've seen. A lot must have gone into it and what's the bit sticking up over the lens for? It looks like the base of a RF that lets it twist round away from the shutter speed dial.

It's at:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OLD-CAMER...ns_caps_hoods_adaptors_ET&hash=item3a9cecd5ad

Regards, David

 

[Vince Lupo]

That's the 'foot' for a swinging rangefinder.

 

[David Hughes]

That's the 'foot' for a swinging rangefinder.

Thanks, I thought it was but have only ever seen the RF top and not the base.

Regards, David

 

[Dralowid]

David,

The camera is indeed what you think it is...but I wonder where they get the metalware from for the viewfinder (could be a Balda or something?) and the round moulding below the shutter speed dial?

Exceptional effort required to get all pics equally out of focus in these days of autofocus everything...

 

[dugwerks]

FSU fake leica

 

[Vince Lupo]

FSU fake leica

Yeah, now that you mention it, it does look a bit fakey. Those screws on the bottom on the inside don't look right. Vulcanite looks a bit shiny too. Plus the case doesn't look quite right either.

 

[farlymac]

It's a Zorki 1d body to start with.

PF

 

[Crazy Fedya]

If you look on pictures 3 and 4, there is visible leatherette edge, that doesn't quite make it under the lens mount. 😉
I guess materials were really scarce in early 1930's as well.
I'd say it is reworked, rebranded FED or Zorki.

 

[john neal]

Body screws are definitely Zorki - shame that people try to pull this sort of stuff

 

[mdarnton]

If I were going to make fakes, the very least I'd do is fill that cable release hole in the middle of the shutter release. It screams FAKE from miles away. All of the engraving work, and they can't plug one lousy hole?

 

[RichL]

Leica with a threaded shutter release? Plus serial number 55104249 seems to put it totally out of the LSM range

 

[David Hughes]

Hi folks,

Thanks for the comments. My initial reaction was that it was interesting as no one's tried that before. I wondered if it was a hybrid (mostly I thought Zorki* plus a few Leitz bits) because it would be hard to make the top plate and the entire VF and the bevelled whatever around the shutter speed dial. The shutter release, shiny screws, curved edge & margin of the covering (Zorki 1E perhaps) and so on, being a dead give away and that bottom plate (countering my hybrid thoughts) etc...

Thinking about the top plate, I can see where it might have come from but wouldn't a FED/Zorki have holes in odd places? Or does the wotsit in the accessory shoe cover something?

Even so, interesting to see it being done and done reasonably well. I look forward to the hockey stick version.

But a great pity we don't get someone taking a plain FED/Zorki one and producing a black one with white engraving. That would look quite handsome. And I do hope they remember to overhaul it first...

Regards, David

* Zorki because of the size of the shutter release guard.

 

[nhchen]

Hi folks,

But a great pity we don't get someone taking a plain FED/Zorki one and producing a black one with white engraving. That would look quite handsome. And I do hope they remember to overhaul it first...

do you mean like this?

I stripped off the chrome, and changed the shutter curtains while it was apart.

nathan

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Wow, I was right, it is a handsome beast...

I don't know what they do in other countries but years ago in the UK there used to be small firms that would buy a couple of hundred laptops, after the lease for them had expired, and strip them down, test everything and then reassemble them and sell them as refurbished.

I can think of several cameras that would benefit from this. But how would you get a couple of hundred of them without a lot of fiddly work? Of course, if you could get a couple of hundred then the design faults could probably be sorted out as well...

Regards, David

 

[Dralowid]

There have been a few Zorki/Fed to Leica I conversions recently and some in black too. I think I may also have seen a hockey stick job somewhere.

Thinking about it further, more and more of these must be Zorki based. Nice early Feds, especially those with a Leicalike shutter release are starting to fetch money.

 

[john neal]

Oooh, Michael, does that mean that my Fed 1 might actually be worth more than it cost to get Oleg to adjust the "one speed" shutter?

I would like to think so 😉

 

[Dralowid]

John, Who knows...?

Once upon a time I set out to collect all the different Fed I engravings irrespective of the camera's condition.

Realising my quest was rather pointless I gave up, having got six, and flogged most of 'em.

 

[wolves3012]

The body is based on a Zorki 1d/e (it has the "short spring", see last photo). The lens is quite possibly a FED 1 item. What I find most amusing is the seller expects anyone to buy it after posting near-useless photos, never mind at that price!

 

[farlymac]

But a great pity we don't get someone taking a plain FED/Zorki one and producing a black one with white engraving. That would look quite handsome. And I do hope they remember to overhaul it first...

Regards, David

I see them on eBay every once in a while, though usually a FED.

PF

 

[goamules]

Here's a black one with red, white, green, and yellow engraving! 161364305154