ФЭД-2 / ФЭД-4
FED-2 (ФЭД-2)et FED-4 (ФЭД-4)
I have in my collection two KMZ Zorki’s (the Zorki type-1 version-d 1955 and the Zorki-4K year 1977) and two GOMZ/LOMO Leningrad’s (1964 and 1965), but still no FED camera’s.
In the USSR, the first 35 mm camera was the FED, first produced in the 30’s by the F. E. Dzerzhinsky Labour Commune in Kharkov, Ukraine. The FED was a straight reproduction of the pre-war Leica Iic. After WWII the production of camera’s was restarted in Kharkov and FED produced a first completely new model in 1955 with the FED-2 that was produced until 1970 under different versions. A total of 1.632.000 FED-2 were overall produced.
The FED-2 is rather different from le FED-1/Leica II with a completely new design. The camera back is fully removable for an easy film loading. The standard Leica lens thread mount (LTM) 39mm was kept. The camera is a bit larger with a very elegant and nicely proportionated drawing of the top cover that now includes a novel viewfinder directly combined with a large-base (67mm) range finder. The viewfinder covers the field of their normal lenses FED Industar-23 1:2.8 f=5cm (the exact focal length is in fact 52.5mm). The Industar-23 is a Tessar-type design with 4 optical elements in 3 groups, in a LTM 39mm rigid assembly resembling to the Jupiter-8 1:2 f=5cm lenses of the Zorki’s /Leningrad’s. The filters and hoods could be either screwed in the 40.5mm diameter or 42mm push-on like my series of French FOCA filters and shade hoods.
The FED-4 is the fourth model of the FED produced in Kharkov from 1964 to 1980. With the FED-3 and the FED-4, the camera inflated in size and weight in a less streamlined and less elegant design. The large-base range finder returned to a narrower basis. With a second version of the FED-4, the film advance is now advanced by a modern lever mechanism instead of a rotation button. The shutter could be now operated in the slow-speed (1/15s to 1s) range. The camera integrated a selenium photo-cell lightmeter with galvanometer. The normal lens Industar-61 1:2.8 f=52mm is also a Tessar type lens, its version »L » includes special glasses with lanthanum improving the lens performances.
I found my FED-2 and FED-4 from French sellers on eBay from 25 to 60€ with lenses. The first FED-4 (version « b », 1969-1980),had a very unusual problems with the missing rewind fork. I did not realized the problem until I had the camera in hand, otherwise in good working condition, including the photo-cell. The rewind mechanical system operates but the just the screwed fork is missing. I found just after another identical and complete FED-4b for 25€. Despite a very scarce description this FED-4 was in turn in overall even better condition than the first one, so I decided not to swap the missing part to the original camera. Both were sold to me with good conditionlIndustar- L 61 lenses and well conserved ever-ready leather bags. The lightmeter of the second FED-4b gives also coherent metering.
My FED-2 came without bag, but I found one for 35€ in a brand-new condition in a FED-2 a stunning red box « Пленочный фотоаппарат ФЭД-2 » (« Film camera FED-2 » ). The box has on the bottom side an original FED label stating « Фотоаппарат ФЭД-2 с автоспуском » (« FED-2 camera with self-timer ») and a serial number likely in 6xx.xxx corresponding to the FED-2 type-c with self-timer (produced from 1958 and 1959, 305.00° units ) like my camera with a serial number 791.158.
I detailed fully both camera’s, lenses and leather bags as usual using a damp then dry microfiber clothes without any additional product of detergent. The leather bags were also cleaned by the same way and restored with leather conditioners/wax. The FED-4’s range finders are still correctly aligned but I had to recalibrate the range-finder of the FED-2 both at infinite and close distances. This service operation is well described in several documents available from the net. The camera’s look now ready for testing with films.
June 6, 2025
69004 Lyon
France
References for camera’s identification and collection :
1- The Authentic Guide to Russian & Soviet Cameras: 2nd Revised Edition Broché – 1 septembre 2004
Édition en Anglais de Jean Loup Princelle (Auteur), Charles M. Barringer (Traduction)
Éditeur : Le Reve Edition; 2e édition (1 septembre 2004)
Langue : Anglais
Broché : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 2952252114
ISBN-13 : 978-2952252119
ФЭД-2 / ФЭД-4
FED-2 (ФЭД-2)et FED-4 (ФЭД-4)
I have in my collection two KMZ Zorki’s (the Zorki type-1 version-d 1955 and the Zorki-4K year 1977) and two GOMZ/LOMO Leningrad’s (1964 and 1965), but still no FED camera’s.
In the USSR, the first 35 mm camera was the FED, first produced in the 30’s by the F. E. Dzerzhinsky Labour Commune in Kharkov, Ukraine. The FED was a straight reproduction of the pre-war Leica Iic. After WWII the production of camera’s was restarted in Kharkov and FED produced a first completely new model in 1955 with the FED-2 that was produced until 1970 under different versions. A total of 1.632.000 FED-2 were overall produced.
The FED-2 is rather different from le FED-1/Leica II with a completely new design. The camera back is fully removable for an easy film loading. The standard Leica lens thread mount (LTM) 39mm was kept. The camera is a bit larger with a very elegant and nicely proportionated drawing of the top cover that now includes a novel viewfinder directly combined with a large-base (67mm) range finder. The viewfinder covers the field of their normal lenses FED Industar-23 1:2.8 f=5cm (the exact focal length is in fact 52.5mm). The Industar-23 is a Tessar-type design with 4 optical elements in 3 groups, in a LTM 39mm rigid assembly resembling to the Jupiter-8 1:2 f=5cm lenses of the Zorki’s /Leningrad’s. The filters and hoods could be either screwed in the 40.5mm diameter or 42mm push-on like my series of French FOCA filters and shade hoods.
The FED-4 is the fourth model of the FED produced in Kharkov from 1964 to 1980. With the FED-3 and the FED-4, the camera inflated in size and weight in a less streamlined and less elegant design. The large-base range finder returned to a narrower basis. With a second version of the FED-4, the film advance is now advanced by a modern lever mechanism instead of a rotation button. The shutter could be now operated in the slow-speed (1/15s to 1s) range. The camera integrated a selenium photo-cell lightmeter with galvanometer. The normal lens Industar-61 1:2.8 f=52mm is also a Tessar type lens, its version »L » includes special glasses with lanthanum improving the lens performances.
I found my FED-2 and FED-4 from French sellers on eBay from 25 to 60€ with lenses. The first FED-4 (version « b », 1969-1980),had a very unusual problems with the missing rewind fork. I did not realized the problem until I had the camera in hand, otherwise in good working condition, including the photo-cell. The rewind mechanical system operates but the just the screwed fork is missing. I found just after another identical and complete FED-4b for 25€. Despite a very scarce description this FED-4 was in turn in overall even better condition than the first one, so I decided not to swap the missing part to the original camera. Both were sold to me with good conditionlIndustar- L 61 lenses and well conserved ever-ready leather bags. The lightmeter of the second FED-4b gives also coherent metering.
My FED-2 came without bag, but I found one for 35€ in a brand-new condition in a FED-2 a stunning red box « Пленочный фотоаппарат ФЭД-2 » (« Film camera FED-2 » ). The box has on the bottom side an original FED label stating « Фотоаппарат ФЭД-2 с автоспуском » (« FED-2 camera with self-timer ») and a serial number likely in 6xx.xxx corresponding to the FED-2 type-c with self-timer (produced from 1958 and 1959, 305.00° units ) like my camera with a serial number 791.158.
I detailed fully both camera’s, lenses and leather bags as usual using a damp then dry microfiber clothes without any additional product of detergent. The leather bags were also cleaned by the same way and restored with leather conditioners/wax. The FED-4’s range finders are still correctly aligned but I had to recalibrate the range-finder of the FED-2 both at infinite and close distances. This service operation is well described in several documents available from the net. The camera’s look now ready for testing with films.
June 6, 2025
69004 Lyon
France
References for camera’s identification and collection :
1- The Authentic Guide to Russian & Soviet Cameras: 2nd Revised Edition Broché – 1 septembre 2004
Édition en Anglais de Jean Loup Princelle (Auteur), Charles M. Barringer (Traduction)
Éditeur : Le Reve Edition; 2e édition (1 septembre 2004)
Langue : Anglais
Broché : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 2952252114
ISBN-13 : 978-2952252119