FED 2L

I have added a Wiki entry on the FED-2L. Unfortunately I messed up the first photo but have asked for that to be removed.

The "L" classification is a bit confusing but shouldn't be ignored because it is official, even if only appearing on passports. In this regard, I believe that the camera in the Wiki that has been identified as a FED 2d 50th anniversary is actually a 2L (still 50th anniversary) - it has the 61, and unlike the standard 2d, it has a nylon covering with metal trim around the lens mount and no strap lugs.

As I understand it, there are also 2ds with the Industar 26 with the 67 numbers (Aidas has one) and were probably produced as Anniversary models.

Aidas also showed a regular bodied FED-2d fitted with an early white 61 lens. Does this qualify as a FED-2L? We would have to see the passport.

As well as the anniversary entry, there are implications for the FED-2E which according to the passport on the DVD Technik site is also a FED-2L.

I haven't linked to either of these entries yet, just wanted to see what the opinion is.

I understand that there are 3Ls as well but that is getting outside of my area of knowledge.
Regards,
Paul

The 2L on the dvdtech cameras site is not easy to find. I realise I should have provided the link [http://www.dvdtechcameras.com/collect/fed/fed.htm]
Camera 6699614 is interesting in that it has the nylon covering and no strap lugs with I26 - not a 2L and it has a passport to support that its original. From my limited experience, this seems much rarer than 2L.

Camera 6754952 with I61 is both a 2L (confirmed by the passport) and an anniversary model (confirmed by body and lens 67 numbers and correct box). There is a previous thread regarding anniversary models [http://www.ussrphoto.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=700&SearchTerms=anniversary}

Camera 8271724 is Princelle's type 2E but the factory called this a 2L as well - see passport.

On the FED-3 page, there are examples of a 3L and Anniversary 3L. The common denominator for both 2 and 3 "L" designations is obviously the I61 but generally, it also seems to be the nylon covering, trim ring around lens mount and lack of strap lugs. Except 6699614 breaks the trim connection - perhaps it was a special order or they ran out of I61s?
Paul

Sorry, I missed it but there is also a FED-3 with nylon covering and I26 but again this seems rarer than FED-3L.

Hello Paul,

Sorry, but if you have no answer, it's probably because we don't know! Anyway, these 2L-s puzzle me too...

For the moment, we only have one passport from DVD for these cameras. It's really too short seeing that it's necessary to consider the body and the lens.
For the body: I share your opinion. The 2L-s very probably had nylon covering, stepped shoe and no strap lugs. An evolution of the "d" (after Princelle).
For the lens: it seems obvious that the L comes from lanthanum.

So the 50th anniversary cameras should be "L"-s too, but only if they have 61 lenses. Well. But why these 50th anniversary cameras with a matching 26m lens (I own one too) or even these 66XXXXX cameras with an always matching 26m lens, always with nylon (I own one) etc. Fed would have made L-s and non L-s at the same time... Difficult to understand, unless they had plenty of 26m-s they decided to re-number in the same range as the 61-s.

On the other hand, it's really easy to make an L now: it suffices to screw a 61 lens on a body. It seems some cameras sold on eBay are in that case.

Of course, all that add other questions to yours... If we want to go further, we need passports...

Amitiйs. Jacques.
PS: I have not spoken of the 2-s coming from 3-s: another problem!

Hi Jacques,
Yes, as others have said, it's the uncertainty of Soviet camera collecting that makes it interesting! When parts/models changed over, it seems certain that older, left over parts got used on later models until all were used up - so called transitional cameras eg in my database are some FED-1s with serial numbers on top after the first change to the back had occurred (not the commemorative). Similar with lenses. But who really knows?

I agree with your points. Indeed, the 66 numbers are a mystery. FED-3 numbers are more confusing to me than FED-2s but there is what I would call a 3L on eBay at the momemnt that has a 68 body number and 68 lens number. A theory might be that in 1966, the factory decided to use year dates in their serial numbers (the lens numbers lready seem to have been in the 65, 66 range) but his didn't seem to continue past these three years. Then perhaps the "marketing department" realised the signifigance of 1967. Why would you go to the trouble of changing your numbering system and only add a graphic to your packaging? Who knows?

I understand that you agree that the Anniversary 2D (with the nylon covering and I61) in the Wiki is more likely a 2L Anniversary. There may well be other anniversary models but that needs the original packaging for confirmation - even harder than a passport!
Regards,
Paul

Hi Paul,

OK with you for the 1966 and 67 years: I wrote something like that in the topic "A" serial numbers for Feds.
You will probably find some interesting things too about the numbering of Fed 3a-s in another topic: "Fed 3a type 2".

Certainly Fed had to "scrape the barrel" to reach the aims of the Plans. I even own a Fed 1b before 2xxxx, with a cover of 1g with one engraving!

About the 2d "anniversary", I think that the "67xxxxx" bodies with "67xxxxx" lenses (26m or 61) probably belong to this category. As you say, it would necessary to have the box to be sure! But among them, only the bodies with a 61 lens should be L-s ... of course!

Amitiйs. Jacques.