FED-2 - ФЕД-2 in Soviet red, even

<p>FED-2 - ФЕД-2 <br />(Red)<br /><br />Collector model 2d ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FED_2 )<br /><br />Kadlubeks Nr. FED0080<br /><br /><br />Industar 26m - ИНДЧСТАР-26м 5cm f/2,8<br /><br />Kadlubeks Nr. ~RUS0380<br /><br /><br />1955~1970<br /><br />The orphanage, later commune, then camera factory in Kharkov was named after Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Cheka, what eventually became the KGB ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Dzerzhinsky ).<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>The company, FED, was the lineal descendent of a labor commune at Kharkiv in Ukraine, named after the founder of the Cheka (later > NKVD > KGB), Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FED_%28camera%29 ). Its manager was a well-known advocate of reform in orphan education, Anton Makarenko. By 1932, the success of Alexander Rodchenko, one of the world's great photographers ( http://masters-of-photography.com/R/rodchenko/rodchenko.html ), shooting with a German Leica was famous in the Soviet Union, so it was decided (Stalin?) to use the workshops at the orphan's commune to produce a Soviet copy of the Leica. Large scale production started in 1934, and in the same year, what was then the NKVD took over production at the commune. The children (of course, by this point, adults) were originally orphans from the great famine of the 20s in Ukraine. I do not know if any of them at the FED commune were the children of enemies of the state (as in the film The Inner Circle (IMBD http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103838/ , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inner_Circle_%281991_film%29 ). <br /><br /><br />The prewar FEDs of the first types are one of the early clones of the prewar Leicas, done in this case before the legal permission to use German patents and copyrights that was done by the Allies during WWII and afterwards by the Allied Control Commission as a part of reparations. <br /><br /><br />Many Leica copies were made ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leica_copies ), of which the FED may be the first acknowledged version although the prewar Japanese camera industry was not enormously careful about copying German cameras, either. By the middle 1950s, the Leica design had been widely copied in cameras from the Canon RFs, to a number of British and American copies. Ironically, the biggest beneficiary of the open season on German rights was its former Axis partner, Japan.<br /><br />By this time, Leica decided, it seems, that it would be a good idea to update the old M39 system, all the more since new designs would once again be legally protected from copying. The 1954 introduction of the Leica M3 was seismic in the camera communities. Nikon's RF cameras were external copies with the mount of Zeiss Contax, but on the interior owed much to the Leica. Canon made superb modern versions of Leica-based RFs. Both Nikon and Canon responded to the M3 by moving to SLR development. The FED factory in Kharkov, decided, however, to improve the old bottom-loading Leica thread-mount design - of which the FED-2 is the example. Film loading was made enormously easier by a removable back, the rangefinder base was lengthened, and so on.<br /><br />Moreover, the Soviet Leica copies (the FED and their Zorki sisters) were built not in the thousands, like the Leica, but in their millions. The story of how an essentially bench-built hand-assembled camera became a mass-production camera for the masses is fascinating, but the miracle is that the Soviet versions work at all. While you don't ask whether a singing dog sings well, as a rule, in this case, most of these old Soviet-built cameras do still work pretty well, though perhaps not with the smoothness or precision feeling of a real Leica.<br /><br />Although I had been using my FED-2, in a highly appropriate RED color, for quite a while, I realized that I hadn’t done a real 'report' on it, although I had done one on its FED-4 descendant ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YQxX ).<br /><br />Here is my beloved FED-2.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>Here is the improvement to film loading made possible by a removable back:</p><div></div>

<p>Focusing is done through a combined viewfinder/rangefinder with a golden ‘dot’ in a light free tinted area. It is fairly easy to use and reasonably good by 1950s standards. Does make you appreciate things like the Nikon F viewfinder, though. <br /><br />This version had no strap lugs, so the case is an important adjunct.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>The film used, however, was not the Soviet-era film shown in the picture above, but one my favorite remaining films for color work- Ektar 100.<br /><br />Here is a view of the nearly completed earth sculpture/garden that replaces the former swimming beach. Since my Canoscan 4000 is currently dead, this was done with my Canoscan 9000F at what was claimed to be 4800 dpi resolution. <br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>Although the ‘closure’ is only recent, I’m thinking this may have had something to do with maintenance issues concerning the campus lake and the loss of our beach.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>Despite claims to sloppiness in construction, the only Soviet-made lens I have that is not good to excellent is another Elmar copy which is fogged - if I can get to it, I suspect it will be OK once it is cleaned.<br />Here is the lens design (based, so it is said, on the Leitz Elmar) of the Industar 26m:</p><div></div>

<p>Here is a close-up showing both the saturated Ektar film in the autumn light and the slight touch of “Leica glow” to the lens and camera combination.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>However, the Industar does not do well shooting into the sun</p><div></div>

<p>But, handled carefully, it can do nicely with contrejour</p><div></div>

<p>A few days later, a local barn I have been photographing "to destruction" ….<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>I like this camera a lot more than I did the old old IIIg that I used back in back in 1963. Never got used to bottom loaders.<br /><br />By the way, since my beloved local camera store went out of business, and Walgreens tells me that they will stop on-site developing before August of 2015, this was my first trial with mail away processing, I sent this roll of Ektar and a 120 roll of Reala off to Dwaynes in Parsons, KS, last Thursday afternoon and received the process only negatives back on Wednesday. The negatives were not without some need of ’spotting’; but they were the cleanest I’ve seen in a long, long time. I can’t get 120 processing from Walgreens, but even with postage both ways, the price on the 35mm 36-exposure roll was competitive.<br /><br />That’s all folks.</p>

<p>Nice! The foliage shot is very cool.</p>

<p>Good write up and results. I always thought the name"Industar" apropos for some Russian lenses. So functional sounding. </p>

<p>Very informative, thanks for posting. Its interesting to see how the various USSR Leica "copies" gradually diverged from the original Leica concept, with better usability at the expense perhaps of a little charm. I was impressed by the results from the Industar on my Fed 1, which I posted a few months ago - except where there was a bright light source in the frame. I've also used a Fed 3 but not got around to posting the results yet.</p>

<p>Very nice looking FED. The read covering matches its history quite well. One can't beat FED2 and its wide spread rangefinder. Speaking of bottom loaders, I once tried to load 3OPKNN C on 15 F Winter day - no fun.Thanks for sharing.</p>

<p>Very nice review of the FED. The pictures speak for themselves as always. I like the FEDs. My only problem is when I have to rebuild the curtains. Dismantling is easy. Re-assembly is a bit cumbersome as the grooves and fitment are not standardized with good tolerance. So one has to try each fit several times to get it right. The model you have posted is probably the best of the FED- 2 series. Thanks for the post. sp.</p>

<p>I believe the "A" serial number dates your FED2 to the last half of 1960.</p>

<p>This is the only FSU rangefinder I would consider. I like the earlier model with the small wind knob and no self timer, a very clean design. I also like it because of the minimum of features, no slow speed escapement to gum up and limited shutter speed selections. No 1/1000 to fire at 1/650th. <br>

But, I already have an M4-2 and a couple of CV lenses and that will do me as long as it needs to. </p>

<p>A scholarly dissertation, <strong>JDM</strong>, informative and enjoyable. Your sample images have great colour and clarity, though I think I'd go easy on the barn... The red facelift certainly brightens the ordinarily rather severe appearance of the camera. I have a couple of the later FEDs, but I think I prefer these earlier, more basic models.</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing. I've had lots of 1950s & 60s cameras, but never a FSU one, and always been curious about them. Your write-up was welcomed. Maybe I'll get inspired to acquire one early next year.</p>

<p>Well, by golly, here I am reviewing this thread shortly after I posted my own red-FED-2 summary here:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00d0NR</p>

<p>JDM is a better photographer and historian than I, so I'll just bask in the reflected glow of his leaf pics. ;-)</p>

<p>But I'll add a portrait of which I'm proud:<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17923109-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

 

<p>Nice work, Brad. <br>

The more the merrier, after all. :)</p>

<p>Oh, here is a part of the FED-2 English-language manual. It is very important, so pay careful heed:</p>

<div></div>

<p>That warning almost gains something in the translation!<br>

One warning I suspect not mentioned by any instruction book, in any language, is that the geared rim of the viewfinder is a very effective eye-glass scratcher, at least for plastic lensed glasses. I have yet to run a second roll through my FED2 for just that reason.</p>