Brown FED 1 "Frankenstein" camera

Hello,

recently I saw a Zorki 1 on ebay that has a brown body. I wondered because it looks like a FED 1 body (no stripes on top or bottom even if the serial number says it's a Zorki 1d).
Then I have seen PE0325 on Aidas' site and wondered if it could be one of this bodies.
Some days ago the camera arrives here. It's a FED body with the dark brown-red finish. It was modified to fit on a Zorki shutter. I am not sure if it is real or a painted FED 1 body. But why should somebody repaint a FED 1 body and fit it to a Zorki 1 then?

I have mounted the brown-red body to a late FED 1g, look at the pictures, it looks really nice :-)

The question is, are these coloured FEDs in original painted or is the vulcanite coloured?

http://ritzelkiste.de/ussrphoto/fed1b01.jpg

http://ritzelkiste.de/ussrphoto/fed1b02.jpg

http://ritzelkiste.de/ussrphoto/fed1b03.jpg

Ulrich


http://fotos.cconin.de

Interesting...

On the "regular" coloured Fed 2, is the vulcanite dyed in mass or painted? Most of the Fed 2 we see on eBay are certainly painted... What is your feeling about your Fed 1, Ulrich? It seems the same colour as our two year anniversary camera...

Anyway, this Fed should be fine among files of black and chrome cameras...

Amitiés. Jacques.

Hi Ulrich!
I was sorry not to be able to say something.
So, I have just bought the same coloured one, really used and which could be original. Comparison in some weeks!

Jacques,

good idea to compare the color of a red FED 2 and this one.
I own 3 red FED 2 and they are all painted, as my other colored FED 2 (dark green and dark blue) as well.

Now two comparison pictures:

http://ritzelkiste.de/ussrphoto/fed1b04.jpg

Compared to the original red FED 2 the color looks the same, also the same grade of gloss.

http://ritzelkiste.de/ussrphoto/fed1b05.jpg

Compared to our anniversary FED 2, the color of our FED 2 is more purple.

It would be nice to see your comparison pics if you have the time.

Ulrich


http://fotos.cconin.de

Hi Ulrich,

For the moment, my camera is not yet arrived, not even sent.
Here two picts of the seller.

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/1612020_Fed 1 red 5.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/1612020_Fed 1 red 5.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/1612020_Fed 1 red 6.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/1612020_Fed 1 red 6.jpg

The fact that this camera is well used, and even worn, makes me think that it could be genuine, if such painted Fed 1 can be genuine... Anyway, it was not freshly painted!

Amitiés. Jacques.

Jacques,

very nice! Another brown FED 1. I hope it arrives soon at you and you can show us pics.
Most of my colored FED 2 look very good, because I bought some of them over the years and kept the best of them [:)] But I also have one brown red FED 2 that looks very used and that is painted.
I always mean the dark colors, the dark red brown, the dark green and the dark blue FED 2 of which I think that these are the original camera colors.
At the moment there are some sellers on ebay that sell strange painted FEDs and Zorkis, light blue, green, silver and so on. They look ugly [:D]

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Hi Ulrich,

I received my "brown" Fed 1 this morning. And it is a Frankenstein too!
The drop shape sensor has been replaced by a Fed 3 one! As it was put in a bad position, I partially dismounted the camera to correct that. Nothing else is irregular. Just heaps of old grease with a strong smell, and some rests of film.

The brown colour is well used, with strong marks, corresponding to the position of the two hands.

All in all, the colour is certainly not original. The camera was probably repainted in the sixties, and much used after. But I am very happy to get it: it gives a touch of colour in my collection!

For me, the existence of these coloured Fed 1 remains open...

Some more photos when I can.

Amitiés. Jacques.

Jacques,

congrats that you have received it. Even if it also seems to be a fake, it's nice to have colored cameras in the collection. Can you compare the red-brown color of your FED 1 to a red-brown FED 2? It would be interesting to see if it's so close as on my picture.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Jacques, sorry you were dissapointed.. I don't think besides the early plastic covering they existed... [:(]

Thanks, Vlad But I would have been surprised if I had found a real genuine coloured Fed 1... I have never seen any "official" report concerning that, except on Aidas's site.
Anyway, a touch of colour is always welcome!

I will post a comparison with my own anniversary Fed 2 as soon as I can, Ulrich. I have sold all my other coloured Fed 2: lack of space...[:I]

Amitiés. Jacques.

Here are two photos with my Fed 2 "anniversary" to compare.
The colour is different, probably a bit different too if we compare to Ulrich's Fed 1. And first of all, the camera was used, and the colour has a tendancy to wear out.

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0026.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0026.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0036.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0036.JPG

A photo more, with the part which is worn out:

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0032.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0032.JPG

Looking at it carefully, we can see traces of black on the hollows of the brown paint.

And the famous Fed 2/Fed 3 sensor. Note that its axle is (visibly) on the right on Feds 1, and on the left on Feds 2 and 3! But it works well as it is...

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0030.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/3112020_IMG_0030.JPG

So, a very pleasant home made Fed 1!

Amitiés. Jacques.

Jacques, thanks for the pictures. As I can see the brown color ist totally different to mine. But very interesting that some people have painted their camera dozends of years ago.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Just a question about these coloured Fed 2.
Is the colour "painted" on the original vulcanite, or is it tinted in mass?
I have the vague feeling that it is a chemical process, but I have no more official coloured Fed 2 to be affirmative...

Thanks. Jacques.