Digital World for Vintage Russian Cameras

THE HISTORY

The FED camera were produced at the Kharkov working commune which was created in 1927. It was started with a work force consisting of 150 orphaned girls and boys, the youngest of which was 13 years old. These child workers were supervised by the Ukranian police. Working conditions must have been very harsh with little food and very long hours. I have also read that in later years, political prisoners may have been used, this probably occured sometime in the 1950's. This if true, would explain in some way why a very painful piece of history is engraved on the top plate of these cameras. FED stands for Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, also
known as Iron Felix. He was one of Stalin's henchmen, a founder of the NKVD and KGB, he died in 1926 aged 49. The NKVD, stands for Narodny Komissariat Vnutrennih Del which roughly translated means Interior Ministry. This organization was responsible for the murder of millions of innocent lives. In the years of Stalin's Great Terror, the mid to late 1930's, millions were arrested, tortured, executed or sent to remote labour camps called Gulags. Women, children, old and young, this made no difference to the NKVD officers. When Stalin had finished his reign of terror he had killed more people than Hitler had in World War II.

It all started in June 1932, camera production was planned based on the Leica II which was launched in Germany in April 1932. On the 26th October 1932 the first of 30 prototype Soviet Leica 1a copies was assembled. The following year 1933 was used to tool up for mass production. It must be remembered that nothing like this had ever been attempted in the Soviet Union, the economy at this time was predominantly agricultural. Stalin was trying to industrialize the Soviet Union as quickly as possible through a series of disasterous five year plans.

On the 5th November 1932 the first prototype of the planned Leica II copy appeared and was called the Pioneer. The camera consisted of more than 300 detail parts. The Optics and prototype cameras were first made at the VOOMP experimental factory in Leningrad. Production of which was halted in June 1934 after less than 500 cameras had been produced. The production was then transferred to the Geodezia factory in Moscow where it was planned to mass produce the camera which was now known as the FAG, only a 100 examples of this camera were ever produced. The events at Kharkov FED factory were now bearing fruit and the camera went into full scale production in January 1934. The camera was known as the FED 1 or Fedka. By December 1934 they had produced 1800 examples. More than 700000 were to be produced between 1934 and 1955.

Historically this is the most significant Soviet camera. It is a very close copy of the Leica II - it differs in some minor detail and was available at a far more realistic price. The photographs are of very high quality and may even be better than the Leica II. This camera was aimed at the Soviet mass market and not the elite few as the Leica is in the western imperialist world.

A prototype of this camera existed in 1940 but due to World War II it was never put into production. After the war in the early 1950's, it re-appeared with a far more elaborate body, larger combined 67mm rangefinder and viewfinder, a Leica type dioptric control and removable back for ease of film loading. The design was obviously influenced by the contemporary Leica and Contax cameras of the early 1930's. It being a combination of Leica shutter, Contax 67mm rangefinder, Contax film loading and superb packaging. It is in some respects a copy of a Leica II and IIIG. It even has that familiar shape and feel of a screw thread Leica. The superb viewfinder was possibly taken from the Leica IIIG. This camera has taken everything that was good about German pre-war cameras and created an unknown timeless classic which is in a league of it's own.

This camera was very popular in the Soviet Union between 33 and 48 years ago. They were very reliable cameras that were neither beautiful or ugly, being a superb photographic tool.

The FED 2 is a combination of ergonomic design and classic, timeless elegance. It has a very quiet shutter release with no noticable camera shake. It features an unsurpassed precision long base focusing rangefinder which even works well in poor lighting conditions. It is small in size but has a solid feel in the hand. With the FED 2 you can take an interesting trip back into the past of photography. For example the typical black finish of the moulded alloy case. The detail components such as the top plate, baseplate, knurled knobs and 39mm lens mount give a reassuring quality feel. It is a combination of fascinating 1930's technology and 1950's style.

The Soviet Union is held in very high regard for its high quality optics. This FED 2's lens is no exception, an Industar -10 F3.5/50mm lens in a collapsible mount. Having excellent sharpness, high contrast and extreme resolving power even at full aperture. This is partly due to them being based on Pre-World War 2 Carl Zeiss Tessar F3.5/50mm optics. Being collapsible they are extremely compact in design, very tough in operation, with smooth finger tip focusing.

This is an all time classic camera design, with the added compatibility of hundreds of Leica screw mount lenses. A camera that is a real alternative to the high-tech contemporary Leica's.

These cameras were produced by factory "FED" (Ukraine) since 1955 up to 1970.
About 1,632,600 copies were made
Frame size 24X36mm

Shutter speeds [before 1958]: 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500 of a second and "B".
Shutter speeds [after 1958]: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 of a second and "B".

Lenses:
FED (3.5/50mm),
Industar-26M (2.8/50mm) [since 1957],
Industar-61 (2.8/52mm) [since 1963],
Industar-61L/D (2.8/55mm

Type 1 Variant-1 Dark-Green Body Also available Dark-Blue and Dark-Red body	Type-1 Variant-2 Synchronizer is on upper part	Type-2 Variant-1 The switch of shutter mechanism is lever Approximately up to numbers 10,000. Rare
Type-2 Variant-2 With inscription "FED Factory of a name F.E.Dzerdginski." Comes with lens FED	Type-3 Variant-1 Added selftimer Produced since 1958 up to 1969. (with lens Industar-62M)	variant-2 (with lens Industar-61) This type be found is also Dark-Blue, Dark-Red and Dark-Green body
Type-3 Export variant Produced since 1958 up to 1969. With ears for shoulder strap

Type 2 (E) Dark Blue Body Lens: Industar 52mm F2.8	Type 2 (E) Lens: Industar 50mm F2.8	Type 2 (D) Lens; Industar 50mm F2.8
Type 2 (D) Green Body Lens: Industar 50mm F2.8	Type 2 (D) Lens: Industar 50mm F2.8	Type 2 (D) Lens: Industar 50mm F2.8