FED 1d T.S.V.V.S F93- "No Name", fake or not?

Hello, Vlad,
Interesting that old article. When you have find it, could I receive a copy? I will make a try to read it....
Regards,
Ad

Hello Jacques,
Here is a picture of blades you meant. They look the same to me. The second looks a bit out of alignment.... (Metal version above.)

Hello Vlad, Jacques,
Why fire and firebrigade? Those are severe words :). It lookes like I've missed a dispute ...?
Regards,
Ad

OK. The springs are TSVVS ones.
Fed's are flat:



Sure Vlad will post here the article when he has found it.

Jacques.

Ad,

It seems I see a "17" on the right of your second camera. Can you confirm?
No cipher inside the corresponding bottom plate?

Jacques.

For now I was only able to find one of the articles placed in April 1968 Soviet Photo "courtesy of Czechslovakian reader": This one is how to adapt an LTM lens (Russar) into Contax mount. There are more drawings somewhere that throw hints here and there of crossover LTM/Contax technology that had been experimented on in Poland/Czechoslovakia in those days.

Hello Vlad, thanks a lot.
Now I'll have to search for my old Russian dictionary. (I haven't used it for more than 30 years...)
Regards,
Ad

Hello Jacques,
"17" you saw , on the right ...? ( Picture of 10:19:47, below?) Where exactly? Can you give me the coordinates :) ? (I feel like David Hemmings in Antonioni's Blow up... :) )
And what is the location "inside the bottom plate"? I'll have to remove something, the blade?
Salut,
Ad

Picture 10:19:47, camera with rivets. The "17" is on the right, between the right extremity of the spring and the screw...

Hello Jacques,
A "2"????? (Chromed version.)

OK, I have dreamt.
It would have been interesting: it's at this right place that there is a stamped number (at least on my "264").

I have nothing more to add now. You can see that there are vey light differences between these two backs of shutter box. More generally speaking, I always think that your cameras are pre or post run TSVVS.

The lens is most interesting too. It belongs to a series of 10 (only !!) Tessars delivered the 14/06/1951, by Thiele. It's the last series of this lens produced by CZJ. And the only one to be written "50mm", not "5cm". The date is interesting in itself: it could lead to a post series for the cameras.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Another thread about the same subject:

http://ussrphoto.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2094

Hello Jacques,
Merci beaucoup. Thanks a lot.
I'm going to read it with great enthousiasm.
Can we conclude (about the 2 camera's) that it is worth to make an investment for repair/ cleaning?
So yes, it is probably to difficult do do it yourself. Do you know a capable person here in Europe?
Amitiйs,
Ad

On the picture of the bottom plate (12 december (4:18:51) I can see a number: "1", I suppose. This is confusing... (Should be "2".) Below a detail/close up.
Regards,
Ad

About a repair/cleaning, you will do what you want, Ad.
But frankly, I would keep the two cameras in their actual condition, so that they can be studied a bit more closely, by an expert, for example...

If you decide to have them cleaned, a Leica screw mount specialist will be perfect. No doubt you have some in Netherlands. If not, I can provide you two adresses in France.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

I don't know if your "1" can be considered as an original cipher: impossible to say, only by a photo. It depends on the depth of engraving and the dimension of the cipher... And it would be necessary to compare the position of the numbers on all the TSVVS we know: are these numbers always put in the same place?

TSVVS are rare cameras (probably 1000 samples), so they are not completely known. Already for the running production! As for your couple...

Jacques.

Hello Jacques,
I've a question about your remark of Dec 15 2016 :  03:57:14 AM.
(It's a pity that I don't own the CZJ inventory book of Thiele.) You noticed that on 14/6/1951 a series of 10 were made.
Do you mean 1 serie of 10 lenses or 10 series of ... lenses? And only 1 lens with the inscription of 50mm? That's peculiar and rare...
Regards, amitiйs,
Ad

It was in 1951 that Zeiss modified the distance scale on their lenses (cm -> mm).

So, your lens belongs to a serie of 10 lenses in a Contax mount. This serie was the last for the f2,8-5cm/50mm (in Contax mount)and the only one to be marked in mm. All the precedent were marked in cm. There were no other 2,8/50mm in Contax mount later.

Of course, it's a rare lens, as only 10 exist!

Jacques.

Hello Ad,
As well as a very rare lens (which is likely original to the camera, considering the date) both of your TSVVS cameras are also rare. They are likely more rare than the usual TSVVS cameras seen in collections, auctions, and for sale.

Both have no TSVVS Soviet Military markings or logo. Niether has a serial number. So it is likely that they were never in the hands of the Soviet military services. They may be prototypes and that may be what the engraved "1" that you pictured refers to - prototype or example No. 1.

Also, one of your cameras appears to have a highly mirror polished chrome finish. This is very unusual and may have been the original idea for the finish instead of the normal acid-frosted finish found on other examples.

So, It would be my strong opinion that it would be better to leave the cameras in the condition they are in rather than to devalue them with a CLA just so they can work. There are plenty of working examples of the TSVVS but yours are special and any replacement or alteration of parts could be harmful to the originality and thus the history of each camera.

I have always thought that the probability of these cameras having been designed and produced in Soviet Occupied East Germany, with the exception of possibly having been engraved in the USSR (although the style of the engraving is not so much like other Soviet cameras either).

You have found a treasure trove of museum pieces, so please be careful with them!

Regards, Bill

This has been a very interesting topic, and may help in solving the TSVVS history.
But one wish: I would love to see better pictures of the whole cameras.

Best regards,
Juhani