Hole in FED 1 pressure plate: any justification?

Hello all,

I own several FED 1 from 1939 to 1941 and all of them have a hole in the pressure plate. I assume that the hole is there to allow body register distance to be matched with lens but to do so, body back should have also a hole to look through.

Among 5 bodies I own, only one seems to have a pierced back which could justify my explaination.

So, is there any other explaination or is it just the result of massive overproduction of drilled pressure plates ?!

Thanks.

Hello,
As far as I know, there is no real justification, unless, as you say, that there is a hole in the back to test and regulate the cuple body/lens. This hole in the back disappeared at about # 11500 or so.

The hole in the pressure plate can be found till # c. 150000 so up to 1941, as you say. I don't know anything more!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Bonjour Jacques,

Your comment about the hole in the back is interesting. You wrote that it disappeared at about #11500 serial number but my FED has a much higher SN... I don't have it right now in front of me but it is more #8xxxx or #9xxxx if I remember well. I will check as soon as I am back home.

Do you think my camera was rebuild from various "dead bobies" which could explain such oddity (I guess that everything is possible with so old cameras)?

Cordialement.

Jacques, I checked the serial number: 94157, far from the 11xxx serie you mentioned.

Another russian mystery...

Bonjour Nicolas,

I think the holes in the back are only for 1a and 1b up to 11500 or so. Difficult to be more precise. No more than 12000, probably. If you have a camera with that hole in the 94xxx, so 1c (YCCP engraving) or 1d (CCCP engravings), I think is has been rebuilt.

It's not very surprising and even very interesting for some cameras: for example I own a 1b (with fine knurling on knobs, oval rangefinder cam, top front center screw obstructed by the lens rim, holes in the back and in the pressure plate etc.) but with the cover of a 1g!.. Certainly the mechanism of a 1b found in some cupboard in the fifties and used to reach the Plan!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

The probable explaination for the holes in the pressure plates is that there was a batch of pressure plates made initially with holes in them. At the time they had not perfected setting the register externally. Once they had perfected the external setting of the register they just used the pressure plates they had. "Waste not want not" or perhaps do not get the attention of the KGB for wasteful manufacturing processes.

Because of the great number of skilled techs looking for ways to make money there are large numbers of cameras made from 2 broken ones.

Do not expect their processes to be the same as ours.
If a skilled technician has a lot of time on his hands he can do amazing things. Especially if he is hungry for an extra ruble!

Trйs Facile!
Those pressure plates were produced in much larger quentities than the rest of body parts. which were much more difficult to produce. So they used the remaining stock up to the end.
Avec amitiй
LP

Jacques, it might be a rebuild camera but it is very well adjusted. I disassembled it to change the shutter curtains which were dry and unglued and it was a piece of cake. Now, it works fine with butter smooth winding mechanism and a rather silent shutter.

I have also other FED 1 and some were a pain to work on, difficult to re-assemble as parts were not well adjusted; maybe they were build from not 2 but 3 or more wrecks...

Yes, Nathan. But it would not be very clever to make a 1c or d with parts from 1b which are much more expensive, unless there is a reason to do so. On eBay, some "fake" 1b from 1d are now being sold.
About your special Fed, Nicolas, it would be interesting to have pictures: there are some cosmetic differences between 1b, c and d.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Jacques, here are some pictures of the body.



http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/DSCN0768.JPG


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/DSCN0770.JPG


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/DSCN0772.JPG


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/DSCN0771.JPG

On the third picture, you can see the hole in both pressure plate and back. The last picture shows the plugged hole on the vulcanite back.

So, what is your diagnosis? Original back or adaptation from another camera?

Amicalement.

Simple
The hole seems to be original in both the back and in the pressure plate.
The original back metal disk was lost, and it seems not to be well repaired. acording to the number, these cameras should have no more holes on the back.
Regards
LP

Could it be home made "addition" to better fit lens to the camera?

Could also be

The plug does not really look factory... it would've been neater, look at all the residue around it.

Vlad.

Hello Nicolas,
So your NKVD is a 1c (YCCP engraved) with some features of the 1d: no screws under the rewinding button and the central screw is no more obstructed by the lens rim. It's quite ordinary between c.90000 and c.95000.
The hole in the pressure plate is regular. The one in the back looks strange (I agree with Vlad), as if it was made later to regulate the couple body/lens. I own such a body: a S one in the 115xxx on which the work is neater...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Hello everyone,

I'm of the same opinion as Jacques and Vlad. To my mind the hole through the vulcanite and back of the camera body was added later, and the quality of the work would suggest not by a professional.
I have several Fed-1-C cameras with serial numbers quite close to this one, and though they all have a hole in the pressure plate, none have a hole through the camera body and vulcanite.
Come to think of it, very few of my Fed-1 cameras have this hole through the vulcanite, even most of the very early ones that I have don't show this feature. I will need to check when I am next home, (two weeks from now), but it would be interesting to know from other forum members how many of their early Fed's, (1a & 1b)have this feature, and how many without.
Regards, Jim.

Hello James,

My Fed Ib s/n #29581 has the hole in the pressure plate (no hole on the back.)

Regards,
Michel.

Hello Michel,
Jacques and Bill could probably answer your question better than I am able to, but as far as I know the hole pierced through the back of the camera had already dissapeared before serial number 12,000 was reached.
The hole in the pressure plate continued until much, much later. We can only assume that either the pressure plates were produced in vast quantities during 1934, and 1935, or that the Fed factory didn't see the need to modify the punch that stamped the plates out. After all the hole does no harm, and isn't detrimental to the operation of the camera.
That said I have several Fed 1a and 1b prior to serial number 12,000 that have the usual pressure plate with the hole, but no hole pierced all the way through the back.
Your camera serial# 28581 is as I would expect, ie hole in the pressure plate but not pierced through the back.
So we come full circle and that is to say that there are no hard and fast rules where these fascinating cameras are concerned, but that's just part of what makes them so special.
Cheers, Jim

Michel,
My apologies that my reply to your post was long winded. I do realise that you were providing information rather than asking a question. I just seem to get carried away with my own thoughts where these cameras are concerned!!!!
Cheers Jim

Looks like a very sloppy job for factory, maybe someone tried to make it look like an old Leica, When back focus had to be determined to get to infinity setting. Don

ZORKIE'S Survive

James,
No apologies are necessary !
Your answers are very interesting for me.
I'm learning…

Regards,
Michel.