Magnetic properties of FED1 cameras

There is a strange black FED1'd' on ebay for a while that apparently has it's top and bottom plate made of steel instead of brass or aluminium.
http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/Rare-Metal-BLACK-FED-1-NKVD-USSR-1939-1941-35mm-RF-camera-with-FED-3-5-50-lens-/390568741576?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item5aefb60ac8

I thought I should check whether any of my FED1 cameras also were magnetic.
The results are quite interesting.:

It appears that Fed1'a'-FED1'd' cameras generally have Top- (with the engravings housing the RF), Middle- (where the rewind knob sits) and Bottom-plates (which you take off for film loading) made of Alu or Brass so they are not magnetic. Same for my post- war FED1 Anniversary.

Only FED1'e' (Berdsk) cameras seem to have Bottom- and Middle plates made of steel which are magnetic - at least in all of my 4 FED1'e'.
The Top-plate with the enngraving is made of brass. A very stromg magnet will adhere to certain parts of the RF underneath so it will weakly stick to the Top-plate in certain places in all FED1 cameras. I suppose this is the case with the black FED.

Please check your cameras, I ihink this could be interesting if truely all FED1'e' are partly made of steel.

Regards,
Christian

Christian,

At first sight, it seems that most Fed 1 from 11xxxx to 18xxxx have magnetic plates.
I will check that as soon as possible.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

My FED1'd' #129277 (which has a later serial than the black FED) as well as the 4-digit FED-S'd' #2570 are not magnetic.
Unfortunately I have no late FED1'd' to compare.
How about the FED NKAP?

Regards,
Christian

I have just checked out the magnetic properties of my FEDs, and here are the results:
SERIAL NO / TOP PLATE / BODY / BASE PLATE / LENS CAP
#3227 / N / N / N / -
#6698 / N / N / N / -
#9776 / N / N / N / -
#16046 / N / N / N / Y
#29525 / N / N / N / N
#58087 / N / N / N / N
#65494 / N / N / N / Y FED-C
#74464 / N / N / N / Y
#132610 / N / N / N / N FED-C
#160568 / Y / N / N / Y
#168836 / Y / N / Y / N
#175082 / Y / N / N / -
#179965 / Y / N / Y / Y
#200114 / N / N / N / -
#225526 / N / N/ /N / N
#409446 / N / N / N / N
#464565 / N / N / N / Y
#468497 / N / N / N / Y
#546454 / N / N / N / N
N = Non-magnetic Y = Magnetic - = No Lens Cap
Lens caps can obviously be swapped and possibly also the base plates, but my cameras seen to show that steel was used for the top plates from serial number 160568 to 179965. This would have been during the war years.

David.

Here is my contribution!

If the order is top plate/middle plate/base plate (cf Christian), and if we have Y (for yes = magnetic) and N (for no = non magnetic): cf David,

- my 29 first Fed 1, between s/n 2092 and 104370 are "N-N-N", including the S-s. One exception: the S s/n 93609 which is of the "N-Y-N" type. This camera was probably repaired or else: it has an alloy shutter box instead of brass.

- for the other 1d and e:
119792 (S): N N Y 127195: N Y Y
157694 (S): N Y Y 164433 (S): N Y Y
175011 : N Y Y 180971 (S): N N N
182912 : N Y Y 200209 : N N N

- for the 1f and g:
210921 : N N N 215495 : N Y N
the 8 remaining ones, from 232140 to 708667, are of N N N type.

- for my Fed-Zorki, the two first ones (2373 and 3278) are N N Y; the last one (5159, a 1949 engraving) is N N N.

We could do the same for the Zorkis. My first ones are of N N N
type, probably because of Fed parts. Then, they are of N Y N type.

I have not checked the lens caps: I fear I don't pay much attention to this accessory...

All that is much interesting. It seems there are differences between pre war and war time like David says. Lack of alloy, used for planes?

David, could you please tell what you mean exactly by top plate and body? I don't know if we speak of the same things...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

There is a possible correlation between the apparition of the alloy shutter box (in the 11xxxx, as it seems to me) and some magnetic parts. For prewar and wartime cameras only.

After the war, all the Feds have alloy and non magnetic parts.

Jacques.

Hi Jacques,

Thanks for adding your findings.
By 'top plate', I mean the flat top cover of the FED, excluding the rangefinder cover, and the 'body' is the camera housing holding the shutter box between the top plate and base plate.

David.

It looks as if we have more exceptions than general rules here.

Jacques, your FED-S'e' #180971 is not magnetic at all?
Anything else odd about it?
My 4-digit FED-S'd' #2570 and the standard #129277 have shutter cages made of aluminum, yet no magnetic parts.

Regards,
Christian

Thanks, David.

Yes, Christian, my Fed S s/n 180971 is absolutely non magnetic and yet absolutely normal. Two possibilities, of course: it was made from previous parts, or it is a fake... But I don't know if we can directly jump to that conclusion.

Amitiйs. Jacques.