The early ("stepped") Fed 3

Hello,
I have recently completed my collection of Fed 3s. It's a camera I love; don't ask why... It is well known and common. But it seems there are (very!) tiny details not known until now.
So, if you are interested...

The first of my Fed 3 is the 1000245, so the 245th.
All the very early Fed 3 have in common one logo only on the front, the special cornered top plate mouldings and the rim around the finder. This one has too:
- an ocular with radial stripes,
- very fine engravings on the speed dial, perhaps made by hand.
Please, have a look at the photos.

Now, the s/n 1005855.
The special top plate mouldings and the rim around the finder are still there.
But
- the ocular wears decorative dots,
- the speed knob has ordinary engravings,
- the rewind button is different with a protruding axle. This sample is the only one I know with that detail.

Next Fed 3: the s/n 1018303.

Jacques.

The s/n 1018303 shows an "ordinary" rewind button, without the protrusion of the axle on the s/n 1005855. All the rest is the same.These 3x Fed 3 correspond to the Fed 3 type 1 first version, by the wiki : USSRPhoto.com - Russian / Soviet Cameras Wiki Catalog - Fed 3a Type 1 first version- From 1961.
Around 23000 samples were made by the factory in 1961.

Jacques.

Jacques,
my 1005960 has the flat rewind button axle, so it is only 105 numbers after yours. No other changes at all.

Ulrich

https://ritzelkiste.de

Thanks, Ulrich.
In fact, I have in my data the s/n 1002136 which has too this protruding axle. Probably a trial of the factory before dropping it...
To morrow, the Fed 3 type 1 second version, before the type 1 third version and then the type 2...
A too complex classification, certainly (it's me who made it in the wiki!). For the factory, it's rather a question of evolution towards reduced costs...

Amitiés. Jacques.

Now, the s/n 1023245.Only one difference with the precedent camera: there is no more rim around the finder.
Classified Fed 3, type 1, second version in the wiki. USSRPhoto.com - Russian / Soviet Cameras Wiki Catalog - Fed 3a Type 1 second version.
It still belongs to the first year of making (the "1"). And it is the 23245th. Total production of this second version: around 8000 cameras only.

Second year of making (1962): the s/n 2073086.
The only difference, well visible, is the round cornered top plate.
Classification Fed 3, type 1, third version in the wiki. USSRPhoto.com - Russian / Soviet Cameras Wiki Catalog - Fed 3a Type 1 third version.Total production of this third version: around 40000 cameras in two years: 1961 and 1962.

The s/n 2073140, only a few numbers from the 273086!
This sample has a new speed selector with the engraving on a disc.
It is the last variant with the single logo on the front.





It seems that this variant is not so common. I did not know it before this research.

The s/n 2130652.
The first variant to have a double engraving latin + cyrillic on the front, certainly for export, even if it does not wear "Made in USSR" on the back.For the wiki, it's a Fed 3 type 2. USSRPhoto.com - Russian / Soviet Cameras Wiki Catalog - FED 3a Type 2
No other modification.

Last, but not least...
This s/n 3177410 still has a double engraving on front.That time, "Made in USSR" is added.All the rest is the same.
I have put on it a rare Industar 61L "Lytkarino" made in 1964 (s/n 641176), not original on this camera.











Total production of the "double name": around 400000 samples, by Sovietcams. That seems much in only three years (?). I wonder it there was not a "hollow" taken by one of the other Fed cameras in production at the same time.
Of course, all comments are welcome!

Amitiés. Jacques.

Jacques,
thanks for the detailed overview of the different FED 3a models :-) I didn't know there were so many differences.
I also like the FED 3b with the quick-release lever, especially the one engraved (not silk screened) with “Revue 3.”
The lens on the last FED 3 is interesting.

Ulrich

https://ritzelkiste.de

Thanks, Ulrich.Me too, I like the "flat top" Fed 3b, especially the two "Revue" and the "50th anniversary". Perhaps an overview of the 3b would be interesting too, though they are better known than the stepped 3a, I think.

For the moment, I try to know approximately how many 3a were made. Around 550000 if we follow sovietcams, but that seems too much.
If we follow the continuous numeration of the factory, that would be rather around a maxi of 400000, and that only if there is no hole due to the other series -Fed 2 and 4- produced at the same time. I have found (and ordered) a late Fed 3a, s/n 4391088, so made in 1964, with a "panda" Industar 61. I will show it when it arrives.

Amitiés. Jacques.

Jacques,
I only own a FED 4b with the "50 anniversary" engravings.
Maybe the high production numbers can be explained this way: If the ones starting with a 1 stand for 1961, the ones starting with a 2 for 1962, and so on, there could be gaps when the year changed.
I also can't believe that so many FED 3s were built in such a short time on their own.

Ulrich

https://ritzelkiste.de

You can be right, Ulrich. Fed always managed to avoid problems with their complex numbering in the sixties by multiple gaps (cf the numbering of the Fed 2...). But there can be gaps too inside a year: it would be a work to check very closely the entire continuity...

About the Industar "Lytkarino", I have found that article. Very interesting:
https://radojuva.com/en/2020/07/industar-61-l-2-8-50-lzos-rare/

Amitiés. Jacques.

Jacques,
that is an interesting site to that lens.

I also have found a late FED 3a with number 4332021 and "Made in USSR" engraving on the back. The lens is a non zebra I-26M. It is one of the lenses where the meter scale in engraved wrong. It is engraved like the aperture scale ;-)
It looks like new and works (shutter clothes are good) but it must be cleaded and relubed. Maybe a next project on my repair site ;-)
By the way, the Start repair is a hard task. To get access to the broken shutter curtains you have to remove the mirror and a lot more parts. I hope I have made enough pictures of the disassembly to get it together again ;-)

Ulrich

https://ritzelkiste.de

Ulrich, I would not call this markup wrong, but rather strange. It corresponds to the marking in meters

Hello,
About that question of meter scale, I must confess that most of my 26M are struck by the same illness. I knew this oddity without checking until now... What the hell did they have in mind?😲

Concerning the numbering of the Fed 3a (stepped), I am testing the continuity between 1xxxxxx and 4xxxxxx on ebay for the Fed 2, 3 and 4 (nothing else in those numbers, I think?). Not a very funny job... For the moment, nothing to say, all seems OK.

Good luck with the "Start", Ulrich!

Amitiés. Jacques.

Alex,
you are right, the distances are correct engraved, which wonderes me a bit :-)
Was it a joke of one of the workers who engraved meter scales? Or why should one do this.

Ulrich

https://ritzelkiste.de

Jacques,
the next days we will have rainy and windy weather here. Then I have the time to continue with the "Start". The next step is to cut new curtains and re-glue them.

I have checked the serial numbers of my FED 3b. Some are 6 digits long, some 7. According to Aidas site the ones with the 7 digits are the earlier ones. And there were approx 1,4 millions built of all FED 3b. That is a lot :-)

Ulrich

https://ritzelkiste.de

Hello Alex and Ulrich (and others!),
It seems we have enough questions to open new threads about the 26M and the Fed 3b!
Concerning the scale of distance, I don't see any reason, but of course there is one... At first sight, it seems that this "special" scale only affects the second series of 26M, not the first one with the original body of that type:
USSRPhoto.com - Russian / Soviet Cameras Wiki Catalog - Industar-26m

Radojuva doesn't speak of it in his interesting article:
https://radojuva.com/en/2020/06/industar-26m-2-8-f-5-sm-p-fed-50mm/

Amitiés. Jacques.

I looked through my collection. With this distance scale (up to 22m), I-26M (not Industriar-26M!) lenses with numbers from 117xxxx to 187xxxx