FED-20?? What... is... this????

Ok, this thing is at a price point that I don't think will spoil anyone's bid, what the heck is this? Looks very homemade, and don't look like FED to me at all... opinions?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-russian-experimental-camera-FED-20-documents-/400271588908?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item5d320bbe2c#ht_14708wt_1018

Vlad.

Hello
This FED 20 is a mixture of Linhof IV and second series Linhof III.
Those were the best linhof series of 4"x5"/9x12cm portable studio camera. Fed although introduced three new features :
1)Fixed rear viewing hood. All Linhof cameras had foldable rear hoods
2)Sliding rear plate movement for increased perspective control
the third detail is the huge front mouth built to acomodate extra large lenses.
Beautiful!
At first glance I was thinking I am seeinga real LInhof IV.
Regards LP

Luiz, thank you for the reply! Have you seen or heard of this camera before? I am under impression this is a modified Linhof home project. Even with the documentation - it doesn't mention FED factory anywhere from what I can see from the photos.

Thanks,
Vlad

I agreed with Vlad. Some parts of the camera made definitely at the kitchen table, while other parts are definitely mass produced using highest quality machinery. This is not consistent with experimental cameras what made by hands but on high quality equipment. But who know, everything is possible in our world. Seller should provide more documentations and show good quality pictures of so to call "stamp", the grid located in right bottom corner on each page of drawings. Stamp should have information who order this drawing and what department made it, dates, names, titles and signatures, and marks of approval. More over designer bureau usually made 5 or 6 copies of each droving, one go to archive and keeps off side for security, rest used to make prototype. One what go to archive never will meet with hardware, the "production" copies usually end up in absolutely terrible conditions with stains, tears, holes. Not what we see on the pictures. Drawings in relatively great conditions, not abused. More over, at 70s and probably at the end of the 60s USSR has domestic and imported blue print copiers, so if this camera made after 1967-1969 drawings has to be blue or brown copies, not hand made as we see on eBay. I think that this camera is somebody personal, unauthorized project, likely made inside of the some factory, may be even inside of the FED. But not as prototype, but for personal use. I could be wrong and this camera could be totally original, or it could be total forgery to get money from unaware collector.

I have never heard or seen such a prototype.
By sure it is a FED 20 once it is written at border in at least two of the drawing plans. As I could observe by pictures, these papers are Xerox copies of the original drawings.
Considering the differences in machinery construction of the beast together a true Linhof this is an original model and not a fake once to build such fake the costs would be rather high!
A very important piece for a serious Russian camera collector!
LP

one can go to
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/linhof/tech-manual.html
and spot differences between both cameras

another site from the manufactures shows various details
http://www.linhof.de/download_e/linhof_master_technika_08_e.pdf

Luiz, I stand corrected, I gotta pay more attention, I did not notice the FED-20 written on the side of the drawings until you pointed out. Very interesting! Thank you! And it is indeed seems an attempt to copy Linhof camera, thanks for those links!

best regards,
Vlad.

I have to say, I am not convinced that this camera originates from FED. Looking at the photographs, it appears to me to be a modified Linhof, using the main carcass of the camera. Certainly the drawings are marked 'FED-20', but anyone producing the drawings could have given the modified camera any name they wished. The engineering of most of the camera parts seem rather crude compared to the carcass, which appears well engineered. The dark slide looks as if it comes from a Vostok.

David.

Luiz, what make you to believe that

quote:

---

these papers are Xerox copies of the original drawings

---

?
They does not looks to me as copies, but may be.
My doubts increased after I enlarged grid with signatures on second picture; I believe that I can see dates from 1964. I'm pretty sure that in 1964 FED did not have equipment good enough to make such copies. I'm not even sure that such equipment existed at that time.
Also "FED 20" is not necessary a camera name, It could be anything. FED made a lot of other staff and all this staff can have FED name. "FED", not like "Zenit" or "Zorki", was not reserved only for cameras. Any part of FED production can have it.
Also drawings seem to show only "home made" parts what we have concern with: back plate connector and focal plate for lens. I do not see droving of any body part or focusing mechanism.
Would it be possible that research was only about this plates, not about building new camera?
Also lens.... I would expect different lens. But of cause lens could be replaced later.
Also for mere few hundred $$ you can find experienced draftsman who can make these drawings today in few days or less. I'm not saying that the drawing and camera are fake, it just a possibility to make fake is wide open.
We need at list some publications in press to assume that "FED-20" camera project existed.

Okynek:
Pehaps you do not know but FED factory made cameras only to be internationally known. Since the II War days they rebuilt plane motors and jet turbines. Make a camera is quite easy.
Regards
LP

Hello,

Most interested by the camera, even if I am not really convinced it was made by Fed...
What about the lens and the Compur mechanism? They look much older than the camera, which is strange, even for a supposed prototype. A pity we cannot exactly see the serial number: it would have given an idea of the date of production. # 620x? 620xx? How many numbers? And Biotar if I see correctly?

Amitiйs. Jacques.
PS: I had not seen that Okynek too puts the question of the lens in his last post.

Sure, I know Luiz that cameras for FED was only cower up. I myself was working on plant what made tape recorders.... in one of the 13 buildings on one of the 3 locations, you get the idea. This was typical for Soviet Union.
Make new camera for FED (or for many other military plants) technically was no problem, but politically it was a huge problem, even small modification for existing camera was "taken away resources so needed for the country" (irony).
But in my last post by "copy" I mean copy of the drawings, not copy of camera. Just to be clear about this. Strangely enough make copy of paperwork is harder then make copy of the camera so I was researching the drawings.
I inkling, but not 100% convince that camera is personal project, modified LInhof, and drawings may not be related to the camera.