FED (camera)

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

The factory emerged from the small workshops of the Children's labour commune named after Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (the acronym of which gave name to the factory and its products) in December 1927 in Kharkiv (Soviet Ukraine, now Ukraine). Initially the factory was managed by 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.[2]

From 1955 FED began to innovate, combining the rangefinder with the viewfinder in the FED 2 and all its successors. The FED-3 added slow shutter speeds and on the later 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 end of the FED rangefinder family and was meant as a replacement for both the FED-3 and FED-4, which were in production at the time of its introduction. There 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 later FED-5C had reflected framelines showing field of view of 50mm lens and an exposure meter. All FED-5 cameras were delivered with an Industar I-61L/D lens. Production of FED rangefinder cameras ended 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: "Start of serial production of vertical drive for control system of tanks. Production of all types of camera has stopped. 8,647,000 cameras were manufactured since the beginning." This may be accurate as there are FED-5 cameras in existence with serial numbers up to at least 596692.[3]

FED 1 collector information

The following types are nomenclature used by collectors since no FED 1 or Fedka camera was actually marked in this way. Brief descriptions are included to help with identification.

• 1a 1934–1935 SN 31- 6000 (some sights have been done on early style, read 1a, cameras up to number 6500.

• 1b 1935–1937 SN 6000 – 55000 – Some with the NKVD engraving "Peoples Commissariat of Internal Affairs", which was the new name for Stalin's secret police.

• 1c 1937–1939 SN 55000 – 125000 – In 1937 a triangular cam-follower replaced the circular Leica-type cam follower and the speed dial was modified slightly to resemble the Leica II.

• S 1938–1941 – Identical to 1c except that 2000 cameras were produced with a faster 1/1000" shutter speed.

• V (B) 1938 – Identical to 1c except with a faster 1/1000" second shutter speed and a slow-speed dial.

FED 1 serial numbers and production numbers

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

• 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) - see below
• 1946 SN 175001 - 176000 - 1k - see below
• 1947 SN 176001 - 186000 - 10k
• 1948 SN 186001 - 203000 - 13k
• 1949 SN 203001 - 221000 - 18k

FED 1 lens type information

All pre war FED lenses had non standardized flange to film distances. Most of them require a shorter flange distance than Leica (28.8mm) and hence they can't be used on Leica screwmount camera bodies. On Leica bodies they will not focus to infinity and the rangefinder will not be accurate, resulting in unsharp images. This may be the reason for the sometimes poor reputation of FED lenses. However, properly adapted to a modern digital mirrorless camera body, that allows for accurate focusing, these lenses show an amazing image quality (provided the lenses elements are still unscratched and clean).

• 100 mm FED tele lens: Consists of 4 elements in two groups and was released in 1938 and produced until 1941. Official model designation: FED-36. A very sharp little lens that can be used wide open. Stopping down increases the tendency towards internal reflections, since the aperture blades are quite shiny.

• 100 mm 1937–1938 FED prototype lens, best used at or smaller aperture.

• 50 mm collapsible FED lens: Consists of 4 elements in three groups like the Zeiss Tessar 50 mm (the Leitz Elmar has the aperture located behind the first element, the Zeiss Tessar has it behind the second element). The official model designation before the war was FED-10. There are actually no FED-10 lenses engraved with an "Industar-10" designation. The designation "Industar" was first used on the succeeding model, the Industar-22. The FED-10 was manufactured 1934–1946(?) and fitted to most FED 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d. Pre war lenses feature the old-style aperture scale and a 50 M/M. Post war lenses feature the new-style aperture scale and a 50 MM engraving. Most post war lenses were coated except for some very early ones.

FED 1 technical specifications, 1934 (or Fedka)

• Copy of the Leica II.
• Manufactured 1934–1955 (spec as 1934 Fedka).
• Aperture settings:, , , , , Lens is screw mount 39mm Leica-type, but not standardized to the Leica 28.8mm flange distance!
• 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 separate viewfinder.
• Film is standard 35mm.
• Loading via a removable bottom.
• Weight is approximately 630 g.

External links

• Film about FED company history "To be the first!" (Rus)
• The FED company site (Rus)
• FED General Information (Rus)
• FED company history (Rus)
• Rangefinder cameras of the Soviet era
• Faraway, yet so close "Are Leica LTM lenses really compatible with Soviet LTM bodies?"
• Industar 26 and 61 Relubing