Fed 1a/Leica

Hello,

I have just received an interesting camera. It is a Fed 1a converted to a Leica.



The engraving is bad. As it was made on a "machined" top (galvanised), it is not regular and one can see the brass. And "DRP" on the top and Leitz on the lens are missing...



The serial number is 5431. There is no difference with my regular Fed 1a # 5330, except the engravings and the silver rims, rather than brass ones on the rangefinder/viewfinder. The lens is a Fed "1 turn" reingraved...

Of course, I am very happy to get this camera. But sad too to see such a rare camera converted into another one. Anyway, it would be interesting to know when that was made. Inside, near the rewind button, there are some cyrillic letters (difficult to read) with something which could be a date : 8/41...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Travesty! It probably would've fetched a lot more as a FED than a Leica too!! Geez!

Vlad

Jacques,

you have got a wonderful rare genuine FED-1 lens with circular engraving (a little bit spoiled with "Elmar" ), BUT what is about the camera, it seems to be some mix assembling. I'm not sure about the serial number. As I know, straight engraving was on the first FEDs until ∼5100, later FED-1a/b cameras had an italic engraving of s/n.

Regards, Alexander

Jacques,

the engraving of the "Leica" name looks as it was made with a tool, so I have no idea when this could be made. I think that it was reengraved short time after the fall of the iron curtain when they did not know in USSR that those very early FEDs are rarer than Leicas...

Alexander,

my 4xxx FED 1a has an upright engraving, and as I know the early ones were always engraved such way. So it seems to be an original FED 1a that some idiots make to a Leica ;-)

But it's an interesting camera at all, I think that there are only very few existing that were reengraved that way.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

One more detail: the rewind handle with a counter of shots (left on the first photo).
I have never seen a pin on FED cameras between 5 and 10. It is always between (0 and 35) and (15 and 20).


Regards, Alexander

Alexander,

I have a Zorki 1 where the pin is between 5 and 10. But the Zorki wind knob is more coarse miled, this one is finer milled.

The one of my FED-Zorki is also between 5 and 10, I think that the position of the pins is random :-)

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Hello,

I think there is nothing wrong with the serial number. The original 1a can have these straight engravings up to c. 60xx, and perhaps more, mixed with 1b engravings.
What I don't understand is why this camera exists.

If it was made later, it's a stupidity, as a Fed 1a is much more expensive than a Leica II. And what I paid for it is not attractive (for a seller), compared to the price of a real 1a...
If it was made much earlier, it becomes more valuable. Some Feds were reingraved Leica for political or war reasons, in the 30's or the 40's. Princelle says several things about that in his book. But this camera was roughly made and is only a "travesty": I agree with Vlad. It cannot dupe anybody, for sure.

So... If you have something to tell

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Ulrich,

you are right, it is standard for Zorki: 5/10 and 25/30, but NOT for FEDs.

Regards, Alexander

The positions 5/10 and 25/30 are too the ones of the Leicas.
So, this ring could be the only Leica part!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Jacques,

right, on my Leica IIIa it's also betwen 5 and 10.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

I hear rumors that FED intentionally made butch of cameras with Leica engraving in 1930th. Can it be one these cameras?

Hi Okynek!

I hoped so when buying that camera, without really believing it: the engraving is too bad...

As far as I know, there is no proof that these prewar Fed/Leica officially existed. JLP shows a chromed one in his book, and there is a black one (engraved "Fed Leica"!!) on DVD's site. Anyway, it seems they are exceptionally rare. And they were probably made outside the Fed factory, possibly in Poland already at that time.

About my camera, I think it was made by a craftsman from a complete 1a or almost: that famous counter ring! The shutter box, the details which appear when removing the shoe, the shoe itself which is badly erased and reingraved: all seems original. Even if it's often difficult (impossible?) to differentiate very early Fed parts from Leica's ones...

What would be interesting is to know why and when all that was made. Before the fall of the iron curtain, as Ulrich suggests? Earlier? Frankly, I don't know. Anyway, it would be totally stupid to fake such a camera nowadays.

That camera is probably not the "holy grail" I have looked for since years: a real prewar Fed/Leica. Nevertheless, it's a very interesting camera.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

PS: there is a Fed/Leica probably made at the end of the forties.
http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=77&ParentID=1&ContentID=1121&Item=Fed%2DLeica+%28from+a+1d+or+1e%29%2E