Engraving:
ФЭД НКВД - YССР Харьковский комбинат им. Ф.Э. Дзержинского
(FED NKVD-UkSSR Kharkov Combinat in the name of F.E. Dzerjinsky)
35 mm / coupled-rangefinder / Leica II copy
Lens : FED - 50 mm f.3.5
Factory : FED Labour Commune / Kharkov, USSR
It is the first model of FED-1 to have the "NKVD" engraving on the rangefinder housing as the F.E. Dzerjinskij Work Commune is now under the control of the "Ministry of the Interior". Many different versions of this type exist.
The first version of the FED-1'b' camera was made in spring of 1935. Characteristic features are: viewfinder frame is "notched"; lack of accessory shoe; square-shaped rangefinder cam (top interior of lens mount); circular plug on the back (to help adjustment of the measurement of the focal distance to film plane); eyepiece rings painted black. An example is camera #7377 owned by Bill Parkinson, shown in the images to the right.
Known serial numbers:
Serial Number / Lens Number / Owner-Seller / Remarks
## 1126 _____ 46654 (4,5/28mm) _____ Jacques ____________ odd s/n.
## 2969 _____ ? ___________________ S.Berkowitz coll. _____ burnished finish
## 4580 _____ 38131 _______________ Jacques ____________ odd s/n.
## 5298 _____ 5977 ________________ Alexander K. ________ burnished finish
## 6368 _____ 23727/70 ____________ (Christian G. Niko80)
## 6921 _____ 505 _________________ Alexander K.
## 7122 _____ 844-122-662 _________ Jacques _____________ 1 turn lens
## 7373 _____ 152812-161 __________ Jacques
## 7377 _____ 98158 ______________ Bill Parkinson
## 8528 _____ 8999 _______________ Jacques ____________ 1/2 turn lens
## 8656 _____ ? __________________ Alexander K.
# 10020 _____ 10328 ______________ Jacques
# 10558 _____ 1082/331 ___________ A. Komarov
# 10875 _____ 10631/123 __________ (Christian G. Niko80)
# 12840 _____ 077995/6425 ________ Jacques
# 14722 _____ ? __________________ Alexander K.
# 16270 _____ 16978 ______________ Jacques
# 16766 _____ 17338/19 ___________ A. Komarov
# 17356 _____ 20261 ______________ A. Komarov
# 18771 _____ 1162 _______________ Alexander K.
# 20251 _____ 1-16 _______________ Jacques
# 21225 _____ 21557/41 ___________ Jacques
# 23021 _____ ? __________________ seen on ebay
# 23161 _____ 90425/610 __________ A. Komarov
# 25617 _____ 27227 ______________ Jacques
# 26234 _____ ? __________________ A. Komarov
# 29299 _____ ? __________________ seen on ebay
# 34270 _____ 37625/110 __________ Jacques
# 35020 _____ 39293/54 ___________ A. Komarov
# 35509 _____ ? __________________ seen on ebay
# 38501 _____ 43115/35 ___________ A. Komarov
# 39641 _____ ? __________________ Alexander K.
# 46012 _____ 93040/54 ___________ A. Komarov
# 47042 _____ 69136 ______________ Jacques
# 47994 _____ ? __________________ seen on ebay
# 51287 _____ 51xxx ______________ Jacques
# 51294 _____ ? __________________ Vyacheslav K.
# 53713 _____ ? __________________ seen on ebay
# 54223 _____ 58982 ______________ Jacques
Without s/n:
# c. 30000 ____ 317977 ___________ Jacques ________ last 1g cover