| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| nightphoto |
Posted - Nov 04 2007 : 11:23:19 AM
Dear Luiz and all,
Here are the photographs of the FED-670 that I had in my files and promised to post. A very interesting camera although I have been told that these prototypes did not function completely.
Regards, Bill
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| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Luiz Paracampo |
Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 8:01:09 PM
Bill
1) Very good addition this FED 670. This is the third different model I saw Two others on Sovietskoe Foto magazine. The camera construction Phylosophy obviously remains the same. As soon as I will find the other different model I will post it for you and mebers of our forum.
2) You certainly is the man of oddities. Two years ago(Three Years ?) I did see on E-bay and original GOMZ Leningrad of 1950. Who bought it? Where is it? Very interesting addict. Important matter is that This camera shutter gave origin to the Kiev 10 fan shutter.
Kind regards to you and your collection!
LP |
| AidasCams |
Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 07:19:33 AM
Hello Bill,
The great job was done - thanks a lot for your outstanding information! I obviously need some time for close examination of the information you have written above.
Best Regards,
Aidas |
| nightphoto |
Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 01:23:26 AM
Hello Aidas,
Yes, I have been in contact with Peter and I sent him the early KIEV III camera to examine in person, in Sweden. I have not received the camera back yet, although it is on the way.
Peter was kind enough to partially disassemble the camera and examine the individual parts of it. He also gave me, by e-mail, a report about what he found the different parts to be.
It seems not to be so simple a matter of it is fake or not fake.
The leather case for the camera is very early, 1948-1950 (with block letter KNEB on the front), and of the type made in Germany. The 1948 ZK lens is authentic and from a batch that left Zeiss in 1946 (has Zeiss numbers on back lens group barrel). The front plate which is engraved with the early script Kiev logo is authentic and definitely from the "Kiev project" 1946-1948 period. The main body of the camera is a Dresden Contax, except for replaced shutter ribbons (however, there is no serial number on the body either inside or outside). The light meter is marked "27.8.39", so maybe from 1939. The separate back is a later Kiev back which has been made to look like a numberless Dresden Contax back (which would be the correct back for this type of early project Kiev), however Peter found photos of this same camera taken before I bought it (probably photos from a previous Ebay auction) that show this same Kiev back before it was made to look like a Contax back.
So different conclusions can be drawn from these facts and although I will not decide exactly what I think in the end until I get the camera back in my hands, examine it and talk with a few other people, my preliminary thoughts are something like ths:
This was a Dresden Contax that was bought to Russia with other parts and cameras as part of the Kiev Project. At sometime during 1946-1948 this Dresden Contax III had a Kiev script logo front plate put on it and was fitted with a Kiev leather case (probably one from Germany, or partially from Germany) and a ZK 1948 lens, probably to show what the new Kiev III would be like. Later in it's history the back was replaced with a Kiev back, and relatively recently that back or another was made to look like a numberless Contax back (probably by the seller I bought it from) to help it sell easier since it had been called to the attention of the seller that the back was not authentic.
Another conclusion, which I have doubts about, is that the whole camera was faked to make it look like an early Kiev II Project camera. To me this is a bit hard to see as it would require either an unused Kiev script logo front (and this one is obviously used) or a script logo front that had been used on a 1947-1948 Kiev II camera, in which case why not just sell it with that camera, or if it was found without the camera, why not put it on an early Kiev II or on a Contax II?
So, Aidas, that is what I know so far, but my investigations are not over yet and I will let you know more when I find out more, or have more ideas. When I get more answers I will put the complete report and other information I have , along with detailed photos on my web site and probably on this site too.
I know that this is a complicated matter and I would be happy for any ideas you, or anyone else may have from what I have said.
Peter Hennig did a very fine job for me and his report and answers to my questions were outstanding in every way. I will always be indebted to him for his efforts in this unusual case!
Regards, Bill
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| AidasCams |
Posted - Nov 05 2007 : 12:50:43 AM
Hi Bill!
Many thanks for those amazing photos! One more question to ask you - did you have any contacts with Peter Hennig?
Best Regards,
Aidas |
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