What on Earth is a Siberian Fed?

Dralowid

Dralowid

Michael
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On that most esteemed and respected auction site where all speaketh the truth...

A few 'Siberian Feds' have appeared with big knobs etc frozen hands in mitts.

I assume they are of recent fabrication or conversion, being shiny and red, but did such a thing ever pass through the vaulted halls of the factory???

What creativity, I am impressed.

Michael
(one born every minute)
 
I've seen a couple of undecorated ones where merely the knobs had been enlarged/extended - I don't know whether these are genuine, nor whether they were intended for Siberia, industrial plants or merely the handicapped. Given the low wear, I guess it would be the latter or a fake - the genuine industrial work Nikons, Leicas and Robots I've seen all looked as if they had seen prolonged use as a hammer...

Anything with fancy elks, "Siberia" or other engraved decoration on it positively is a fake.
 
Google says that production moved to Siberia during the German occupation...

ed 'Beria' or 'Bersk' Production was moved to Siberia for a limited period during the German occupation of Kharkov, then moved again to KMZ in Moskow. It's believed about 900 Siberian Feds were made. Most have serial numbers beginning 176,---
Click to expand...

from http://cccp.alien-planet.net/images/cameras.htm
 
That "Beria" FED was a regular (if somewhat coarse) FED-1, with serials in the 176xxx range - rare by its history and numbering, but otherwise not remarkable. The "Siberia" ones currently on sale on ebay are glove-knobbed FED-1's with very fancy engravings, and doubtlessly fake.

I've already seen less fancy glove knobbed FED-1's and 2's some years ago, and don't know whether they were after market ruggedized for sale on German flea markets, for USSR industrial/military applications or for the disabled/war veterans (the USSR had rather a culture of publically giving veterans demonstrative gifts while they were kept on starving pensions for the rest of the time). But whatever they were, they were not made in Siberia.
 
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Almost all seen have been deemed fake. Just another way to spice up an old FED to sell for a higher price- same as dressing them up as Luftwaffe or Gold plated Leicas.
 
I've read that most of them are fake, but I have considered getting one for use when skiing and the like. As it is, I'll trust that the Kiev's knob will be big enough for my gloved hands this year.
 
A local shop here in Tokyo is selling one of these "Siberian" cameras for $700... From the same shop I got a decent working Kiev 2 with a nice KMZ lens for less than $50. Go figure...
 
I've seen them on Ebay too, they are certainly faked (modifications to) standard cameras. From what I've read, there *might* have been a few made by the factory but anything found should be regarded as most likely fake.
 
I have also ran into one of these camera's at a local shops display, I did get a chance to feel it over and it appeared to have been factory or a skilled mod.

The camera had a Reindeer engraving on the top, searching ebay I found a similiar one for sale.

Not sure if there will ever be any good info on wether or not they are legit, and if there are some, which ones?

Very kool either way, I could see it being useful in a Michigan Winter! for a day on the snowmobiles.
 
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