FED, Kharkov, Ukraine "FED" stands for Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, "Iron Felix".
FED 2 (a) Type-5 Variant-1 ? Manufactured between 1956-1958
The first FED model (1934-1955) on Andrzej Wrotniaks pages HERE
"In the late Forties, with the not-yet-rebuilt FED factory being unable to satisfy the demand (or rather, in Soviet terms, to meet the quota), some FEDs started to be assembled in the Krasnogorsk Optical Factory in Russia. After a year or so, those cameras got a separate brand name: Zorki, still being an exact clone of the FED. In mid-Fifties both factories released newer, improved models, and the lines diverged, both from each other, and from the original Leica." J.Andrzej Wrotniak
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In the beginning it was a Leica copy (not the only in the world) but within the years of manufacturing many enhancements were made. The FED manufactured in 1950 is not the same as the FED which is made in 1970. Perhaps some of the improvements were "improvements" . For instance the re styling in 1964 because even in the former Soviet Union they had to follow the trends of the fashion.
What I really mean is that even if you did not like the guy he may be an excellent craftsman. Many of the Soviet products are condemned poor because of the origin. Of course Leica is better but can you buy a fully working mint Leica at the cost of 20 € ?. The quality of the results depends on the photographer not the camera. .
Camera Type: 35mm Rangefinder
Combined viewfinder and rangefinder
Shutter: Focal plane shutter
Shutter speeds: B - 1/25s to 1/500s
Flash synchronizer at 1/25s
No Self timer (Type-5) |
Nice looking reflections on Industar-9 front lens. |
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FED 2 (b)
This is one of the FED variants, let´s say Type-3, Variant-1. ? The features are similar to version 5, except an added self timer and the flash synchronizer on the upper part of the body.
Really nice looking rangefinder. You feel like the owner of an original Leica. You may notice that this was one of the cameras which were widely used in the former Soviet Union by a common citizen. Not bad at all.
Unfortunately some other "things" were not as, or even nearly as good.
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Industar-50 3,5/50mm in two variants.
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The other one (nearest on the left) looks like a copy of the pre war Elmar but the lenses aren't
exactly the same. Only the collapsible barrels are , but otherwise everything else is different. The Soviet lens which closely matches the Elmar in appearance would be the original FED-1 lens. But even then, all Industar would have more in common with Tessar than Elmar.
Please look at this Jay Javier's page for more of the Elmar vs Tessar |
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©2004 Reijo Lauro