Which Is The Best Fed Camera Model

Soviet photographic camera brand and manufacturer

FED two with the Jupiter 8 Lens

FED 3 with Industar 61 lens

FED 4 with Industar 61 lens

FED 4 showing the location of manufacture

FED four (possibly early model, revision A) with the golden scroll print, showing its M39 mount

The FED is a Soviet rangefinder camera, mass-produced from 1934 until around 1996, and also the proper name of the factory that made information technology.

The factory emerged from the pocket-size workshops of the Children's labour commune named afterwards Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (the acronym of which gave name to the factory and its products) in December 1927 in Kharkov (Soviet Ukraine, at present Ukraine). Initially the factory was managed past the head of the commune Anton Makarenko and produced simple electrical machinery (drills).^[1] In 1932, the new managing director of the factory, A.S. Bronevoy (Russian: А.С. Броневой), came up with the idea of producing a copy of the German Leica camera.^[two]

Large-scale product began in 1934, and in the same year the manufactory was put under NKVD control and Makarenko was fired.^{[ citation needed ]} Product continued until 1941, when German forces destroyed the factory, and resumed in 1946.

Until 1955 the factory fabricated a huge number of cameras that resemble the Leica rather closely. They are often contradistinct, given "Leica" markings and sold every bit Leicas. Even so the FED is cruder: for case the rangefinder cam is pointed and not circular every bit in Leicas. There are differences in the shutter-release buttons and viewfinder windows. The FED has a gap in the left side of the accessory shoe. Genuine Leicas take film-loading instructions on the inner surface of the baseplate and the screws on the front end are always black; on the FED these screws are chrome-coloured. Unscrupulous rebranding of Soviet-made lenses besides occurs, since Industar lenses are sometimes sold as Elmar lenses. Camera collectors have described the FED equally interesting and oftentimes well made and effective so long as the heir-apparent is not deceived into paying a premium for a counterfeit Leica camera.^{[ citation needed ]}

From 1955 FED began to introduce, combining the rangefinder with the viewfinder in the FED 2 and all its successors. The FED-three added irksome shutter speeds and on the later on version FED-3 (b) the film advance was changed from a thumbwheel to a lever. The FED 4 (1964–77) added a non-coupled selenium exposure meter. The FED 5 marked the cease of the FED rangefinder family and was meant as a replacement for both the FED-iii and FED-iv, which were in production at the time of its introduction. At that place were versions of the FED-5: the original FED-5 had an exposure meter, the FED-5B was a cheaper version without meter and the subsequently FED-5C had reflected framelines showing field of view of 50mm lens and an exposure meter. All FED-five cameras were delivered with an Industar I-61L/D lens. Production of FED rangefinder cameras concluded in the mid 1990s. Fed-5 Serial Number 545446 was made on 28 February 1994; Fed's site claims that it was in fact 1997: "Showtime of series product of vertical drive for command organisation of tanks. Production of all types of camera has stopped. 8,647,000 cameras were manufactured since the offset." This may be accurate as there are FED-5 cameras in being with series numbers upwards to at least 596692.^[iii]

FED 1 collector information [edit]

The following types are nomenclature used past collectors since no FED i or Fedka photographic camera was actually marked in this way. Brief descriptions are included to help with identification.

1a 1934–1935 SN 31- 6000 (some sights accept been done on early fashion, read 1a, cameras up to number 6500. One has been at display on exhibit in Sweden with number 6454, just with all other specifications of an 1a) – some early production had poor galvanised finish rather than the normal satin chrome. Although early on product quality was poor, these cameras are considered valuable owing to their rarity. For more details see the specification below.

1b 1935–1937 SN 6000 – 55000 – Some with the NKVD engraving "Peoples Commissariat of Internal Affairs", which was the new name for Stalin'southward clandestine police. Identifiable by the rectangular shape of the plate roofing the forepart rangefinder; earlier it had been an irregular shape as on the Leica II.

1c 1937–1939 SN 55000 – 125000 – In 1937 a triangular cam-follower replaced the circular Leica-type cam follower and the speed punch was modified slightly to resemble the Leica Ii. 28 mm and 100 mm lenses were made available. A pocket tripod, self-timer, close-up lenses, darkroom equipment and filters appeared in this period.

S 1938–1941 – Identical to 1c except that 2000 cameras were produced with a faster 1/1000" shutter speed. These cameras usually came equipped with a fifty mm f/ii copy of the Leitz Summar lens

Five (B) 1938 – Identical to 1c except with a faster 1/m" second shutter speed and a deadening-speed punch. This was a copy of the Leica IIIa photographic camera and was equipped with a 50 mm f/2 re-create of the Leitz Summar. But 40 were made but a lot of fakes are in circulation to trap the unwary at camera fairs.

1d 1939–1941 (August) SN 125000 – 180000 – Identifiable by the heart retaining screw being off-heart and not concealed by the lens-mount flange. In addition, in 1939 Ukraine lost its nominal independence from Russia and camera engraving changed to highlight this from UkSSR to USSR.

1d 1942–1945 SN 174000 – 178000 – Effectually 4000 cameras manufactured in Berdsk from parts evacuated from the FED Ukraine factory before it was overrun by the Nazis.

1e SN 174000 – 180000 – Effectually 1000 manufactured in Berdsk in Siberia in the start few months of 1946 subsequently hostilities ended, using parts made before the war. Later on returning to Kharkov the FED arrangement became independent of the NKVD. In addition the camera had a superior shutter assembly in a brass housing rather than the earlier aluminium pattern.

T Engraved "Crimson Flag" in honour of new masters produced around SN 200000 and was fitted with a coated 50 mm f/three.v Industar 10 lens

1f 1949–1953 SN 201800 – 400000 – New cursive-script Fed logo, flatter shutter button, coated lens engraved with what were then called the international f stops, f/4, f/5.6 and and then on rather than the before f/4.5, f/6.3. Lens came with a bakelite rather than metallic lens cap.

1949–1950 TSVVS – A remarkable photographic camera taking the Contax bayonet mountain and Leica body to produce a hybrid camera. Produced in very small numbers for presentation to senior officers in the Topographic Service of the army air forcefulness known as the TSVVS. A much modified Fed with brass trunk rather than aluminium fitted with a genuine Contax bayonet mount Carl Zeiss Sonnar f/1.5 or f/2 50 mm lens taken as spoils of war from the Zeiss factory at Jena. Again a lot of fakes in apportionment. Besides of interest is the Nikon rangefinder photographic camera as information technology likewise had a Contax bayonet mount and Leica shutter. The true origin of the TSVVS photographic camera is notwithstanding unknown. Ii major circulating theories is that the cameras has either been manufactured at Moscow's Almaz factory or it had been ordered for industry past the Soviets from Due east Germany (possibly Zeiss, only it is also not confirmed). This photographic camera is probably the most mysterious in nature out of all Soviet cameras. An old belief that this photographic camera was made by FED factory is disputed past the fact that the body is wholly fabricated out of brass and information technology is different dimensions physically than the FED-1 cameras. (see forum discussions at USSRPhoto.com for more detailed arguments about it betwixt various Soviet camera experts).

1g 1953–1955 SN 400000 – 800000 – Shutter speeds changed to 25th, 50th,100th instead of old Leica 20th, 30th, 40th, 60th. Threaded shutter button to accept standard shutter release instead of external thread Leica cable release which fitted over the button of earlier cameras. Mushroom type environment to shutter release.

FED 1 serial numbers and product numbers [edit]

1934 SN 000031 - 004000 - 4k
1935 SN 004001 - 016000 - 12k
1936 SN 016001 - 031000 - 15k
1937 SN 031001 - 053000 - 22k
1938 SN 053001 - 082000 - 29k
1939 SN 082001 - 116000 - 34k
1940 SN 116001 - 148000 - 32k
1941 SN 148001 - 175000 - 25k
1942 - 45 (World War 2) - come across below
1946 SN 175001 - 176000 - 1k - run into below
1947 SN 176001 - 186000 - 10k
1948 SN 186001 - 203000 - 13k
1949 SN 203001 - 221000 - 18k
1950 SN 221001 - 248000 - 27k
1951 SN 248001 - 289000 - 41k
1952 SN 289001 - 341000 - 53k
1953 SN 341001 - 424000 - 73k
1954 SN 424001 - 560000 - 136k
1955 SN 560001 - 700000 - 140k
Five (B) 1938 - forty
S 1938 - 41 - 2k
1983 SN 104442 - 9377287 -150k

These serial numbers and production numbers are approximate. During Globe War II production was shifted to Siberia as the mill in Kharkov was overrun by Nazi German forces. During this menses and immediately after the war some series numbers between 174000 - 180000 were used on cameras built in Berdsk in Siberia, even in the outset few months of 1946.

FED 1 lens type information [edit]

100 mm f/half dozen.3 Fed lens first fabricated in 1938. Supplied with viewfinder, less than 20,000 produced.
100 mm f/v.nine 1937–1938 Fed lens, best used at f/6.iii or smaller aperture.
50 mm f/3.5 Industar-10 copy of the Leitz Elmar 50 mm f/iii.v manufactured 1934–1946 and fitted to most FED 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d. Quondam-style apertures f/4.5, f/half dozen.3. From 1949 coated. From 1948 or 1949 new international f stops, f/iv, f/v.6 and so on. A four-element design. The most produced lens and even fitted to the next generation Fed ii photographic camera and supplied to Mainland china for fitting on Chinese made Leica copies - Dai Lai "Pop" (Fed 1 or Zorki i copy), Shanghai and Chang Chiang "Yangtze River" (Fed ii Copy).
fifty mm f/2 Fed re-create of Leitz Summar 1938–1941. A 6-element design with f/2 to f/eighteen.
28 mm f/iv.five Fed wideangle lens 1938–1939. A 6-element design with f/iv.v to f/eighteen. A viewfinder was produced in 1939 in very small quantities.
A number of l mm f/3.5 macro lenses existed.

Some time probably between 1947 and 1949 when the first KMZ Fed-Zorki cameras were beingness assembled at the KMZ manufactory in Moscow with the collaboration of Fed engineers the copy of the Leitz Elmar 50 mm f/3.5 was replaced by a copy of the Tessar l mm f/iii.5 in the same collapsible mount. This probably happened due to technical information taken as spoils of war from the Zeiss factory, which was in the Soviet-controlled zone of East Germany. The KMZ version of this Tessar lens was the Industar-22.

The original Industar-10 lens manufactured between 1934 and 1946 was a more than or less verbal re-create of the Leitz Elmar four-element lens that first appeared in 1924. This was based on the before v-element Leitz Elmax which had been patented past 1920. The Industar-10, Elmar & Tessar had completely different focal lengths. The Industar-10s made between 1934 and 1948–1949 were 50 mm. Those manufactured afterward 1948–1949 based on the Zeiss Tessar were 52.4 mm. The later KMZ Industar-22 was 52.4 mm. The Carl Zeiss standard is 52.4, the same equally the Sonnar (Jupiter iii & 8) and afterwards the Industar 26M, Industar-fifty, Industar-61—all used the standard CZ focal length. The last KMZ Industar fabricated in quantity was the Type 50-ii for the Zenith, a pocket-size, flat unit in blackness with M42 thread, oftentimes sold as "Pancake Lens" to recent DSLR owners. This has two serious defects: The discontinuity band sits inside the focus band so cannot be stopped downward after focussing, as is normal exercise with manual lenses. The anti-reflection "economic system"-coating is visibly poor inasmuch existent. Perchance only on a single surface. Although the images are sharp, they are typically overlaid by a fog filter. In contrast to the earlier 52.4 mm white-metal Industars with heavy bluish coating, that are rarer, more expensive and often in heavily used condition.

FED (& GOMZ) started using coated lenses equally tardily as 1949 to 1950 (Maizenberg Book), KMZ (1947 onwards - Zorki Zenit photographic camera line) produced blue coated lenses making full use of the complete Carl Zeiss wartime technology. Only the latter years saw the Industar degraded to a mass item with production shortcuts affecting coating, equally incidentally besides with the final f/two.viii/fifty Tessars from the GDR.

Pre-World War 2 lenses have a slightly different lens-to-flick register different from that of Leica lenses. Consequently, early Russian lenses should not exist used on postwar cameras as they will non focus correctly, although results may be adequate when stopped down.

FED i technical specifications, 1934 (or Fedka) [edit]

Copy of the Leica II.
Manufactured 1934–1955 (spec as 1934 Fedka).
About 700,000 made by the FED Machine Works Kharkov Ukraine (formerly the USSR).
All were identical except for the six or seven unlike types of engraving.
Lens is a copy of the collapsible Leitz Elmar Copy - FED or Industar-10 f/3.5/50 mm.
Aperture settings: f/3.5, f/4.five, f/6.3, f/nine, f/12.five, f/eighteen Lens is spiral mount 39mm Leica-blazon.
Shutter is cloth focal-plane.
Shutter speeds: Z - 20th, 30th, 40th, 60th, 100th, 200th, 500th.
Focusing: 1.25 M to infinity.
Coupled range finder with a split viewfinder.
Picture is standard 35mm.
Loading via a removable lesser.
Weight is approximately 630 yard.

Notes [edit]

1948 or 1949 onwards Industar-x lens with "international" f stops, f/three.5, f/4, f/v.vi, f/8, f/xi, f/16 1953 onwards Shutter speeds changed to 25th, 50th, 100th, 200th, 500th.

References [edit]

^ "| FED". Archived from the original on 2008-07-23.
^ Макаренко, А.С. (2003). Педагогическая поэма (PDF). p. 669. ISBN5-88010-166-5.
^ "Another Old New Camera". Retrieved 2021-06-18 .

External links [edit]

Moving-picture show virtually FED company history "To be the first!" (Rus)
The FED company site (Rus)
FED General Information (Rus)
FED visitor history (Rus)
Rangefinder cameras of the Soviet era
Faraway, all the same and so close "Are Leica LTM lenses really compatible with Soviet LTM bodies?"
Industar 26 and 61 Relubing
rus-camera Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Car
Exact Soviet Leica II copy the FED 1 or Fedka camera c. 1934 by Stephen Rothery
Soviet development of Leica Two concept the FED 2 c. 1955 by Stephen Rothery
FED cameras Price Guide completed auction prices
Zorki Survival Site by Jay Javier
USSRPhoto.com Wiki catalog entries for the FED-1 cameras. Apply left navigation to see other FED models
Oscar Fricke: The Dzerzhinsky Commune: Nascency of the Soviet 35 mm Camera Industry