User_4525289 Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>http://www.gizmoshop.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=134<br> can anyone translate what is going on? If that true? Rumors says that a Japanese company bought out the remnants of FED parts from Ukraine and restart production in Taiwan? I can not understand a word...Thanx </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>Use google translate.</p> <p>Old cameras, "remanufactured." (Google Translate says "remake"). Not new production. Take a cold shower.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_the_waste Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>Funny coincidence. I just finished off a film with my Fed 5C. The meter is now dead, but my Gossen Polysix more than makes up for it. Photos posted later this week. I'm still trying to come to terms with my now dead truck transmission. Hell of a holiday.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_4525289 Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>Just curious whether they do better quality control then FED in the late 80-ies early 90-ies?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q.g._de_bakker Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Are you sure, Dan?<br>Japanese appear to love those old European thingies. So perhaps indeed remake - as in start making again - though in a slighty altered form (viz the Cosina "Bessa"s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starshooter Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>The company that has the website makes cell phone covers that look sorta like Leicas, they do not make cameras.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>QG, the site Kuzma's link points to contains a link to redarmycamera.jp and says that redarmycamera is the manufacturer. I used Google Translate on redarmycamera.jp, which says "RED ARMY CAMERA is a 35mm rangefinder camera FED has been produced at the factory in the city of Kharkov from 1977 until 1990."</p> <p>I'm pretty sure that redarmycamera is selling reskinned FEDs. I can't tell one FED from another, believe that they are FED 5s.</p> <p>Kozma, the rule is, garbage in, garbage out. Fine clothes do not a fine lady make.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>Hard to imagine a 35 mm rangefinder camera with new lens in LTM for only JPY 27,600.</p> <p>At least they're not trying to sell tarted-up FEDs as Leicas.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerwb Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>According to the currency converter the dollar price is $349.95<br /> Plenty of them on the bay for about $35.00</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_4525289 Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>Dan, the point is that what is under the skin? In the late 80-ies and early 90-ies FEDs were technologically outdated and suffered quality issues. They did not survive the influx of imported cheap and convenient Japanese PaS cameras. However shall FEDs be built by the design specification they would be at least fine performers. I would not call them a garbage anyway. If this Japanese company do quality assembly cameras they would be OK, at least for hipsters.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q.g._de_bakker Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 And if they don't, if these are still suffering quality issues, they would still be OK for hipsters. It is not unknown, is it, that they will pay a premium just for that extra bit of (lack of) quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>Kozma, buy one and find out.</p> <p>FWIW, I don't believe in the tooth fairy either.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_4525289 Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>Dan, I already have a very cool "Leica-5B" with a gift signature from Mueller to Stirlitz...;)<br> Q.G. trend is interesting. FED-5B if it works produces very high quality sharp pictures.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_lockerbie Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>The quality thing is very much a part of FSU camera ownership, like a lottery, you never know what you are going to get. If you find one that works well you feel quite elated.<br> Also, will they get the smell right? That's the big question.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerwb Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>I am sure that removal of the smell is part of the refurbishing process. Even so, with the rebuilding, $350 is a lot of money for one of these, especiallly when the base cost is around one tenth of that. If you want to gussy up your existing Fed or Zenit, skinslove.com has a plethora of cool coverings for many cameras.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_the_waste Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>Yeah, but will it smell the same? It's sort of grown on me, this smell. It's part of its charm.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerwb Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 <p>The smell comes mainly from the never-ready case, which is not pictured on their site. Unless yak fat is the basis of the camera's lubricant.<br> BTW, I have two zenits and three Feds, a 1g and two Fed 3's. All work just fine although I did have to replace a shutter curtain in the 1g.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex_Es Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 <p>What I gather is that there is a weird little trading company in Japan that is selling new old stock Feds that they have reskinned. For 27,000 yen (about $300) you get a box with a FED, an Indrustar 55/2.8 lens and a roll of film, plus detailed instructions on how to load the camera. This is mostly likely run out of someone apartment, like a lot of cottage industries in Japan. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerwb Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 <p>I noticed today that they are sold out ! Sounds like that they were inspired by the Lomo business model. Buy up a bunch of camras that no one really wants then hype the hell out of it.<br> At least they are helping to keep film in production. :)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_4525289 Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 <p>The question remained whether cameras were just resckinned or reassembled from the old parts?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermoon Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 <p>As a Taiwanese I'm curious to find out, but I just didn't find the word Taiwan mentioned anywhere in the linked page.<br> " ... Our cameras are packed in original boxes one by one carefully remade in Singapore, all of which is the process of art. "</p> <p>As for the info on the specific product, it means to declare that "RED ARMY CAMERA is a 35mm rangefinder camera FED has been produced at the factory in the city of Kharkov from 1977 until 1990.", as already mentioned in Dan's previous post. These are FSU cameras refurbished to good working condition. The keyword there means <em>refurbish</em>, as far as I know(it uses Kanji characters here that I understand). So the only thing new is probably the colorful skin.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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