The FED 2 turns 50 this year! - Post yours

Laika · 03-17-2005

Hi all,

Well I thought it was worth pointing out the FED 2 turns 50yrs old this year! The FED 2a went into full production in 1955 and can still be bought today for a ridiculously low price. This was the first FED to not really be a copy as such, sure its got the Contax style removable back and long base RF, the Leica cloth shutter etc.. but rather than a straight copy you get the feeling they were just taking the best parts of other designs and making there own superb and some may say rather sexy Soviet RF camera.

Anyone who hasn’t got themselves one yet should do so

So post a picture for your favourite FED2 for all to see!

Here is picture of my friend who I infected with the Soviet bug using his dual logo FED 2 with 85mm/f2 Jupiter 9 and matching external finder …. MMmmm tasty camera eh?

kiev4a · 03-17-2005

My FED 2B is very smooth operating but the covering is rough enough to use for scraping barnacles off your boat.

denishr · 03-17-2005

Here's me with my FED 2

(taken with Yashica Lynx 14c).

Denis

yauyaursk · 03-17-2005

My dear Fed-2 now still at repair shop for a detail check~~
Wait for the result~
Hope It can back soon~

Gordon Coale · 03-17-2005

Happy Birthday!

Taken with a Mamiya Super 23.

sockeyed · 03-17-2005

I've got a later-model Fed 2 with a raised accessory shoe that allows easier use of an accessory finder. Mine also came with the suprisingly good I-61 'Panda' lens.

jorisbens · 03-17-2005

These pictures make me want a fed-2 even more, but I still have to wait a week. I'm getting extremely impatient.

Joris

Solinar · 03-17-2005

A FED 2, type e from Bratislava.

jon_flanders · 03-17-2005

Ok, top this Fed.

You can get more than just cameras from Russia on EBay.

John Robertson · 03-17-2005

Mine is about to celibrate its 45th birthday with me, I bought it in Leningrad in 1960 on a school trip, and it has been in use ever since, Sorry I so far I've taken pictures WITH it not OF it, will remedy the offence in the near future.

taffer · 03-17-2005

Happy birthday comrade !!!! For many years more of loyal use !

Fedzilla_Bob · 03-17-2005

Za zdorovia FED 2! I wish you many more years of glory! Long live the prolitariat!

(I get St. Patty's day, A new job, a new Jupiter 8 and the FED 2 B-day all in 24 hrs)

My baby below- (it is shown with my Bessa R that is wearing a Soviet lens)

John Robertson · 03-17-2005

Thanks Bob, my Fed2 is identical to yours!! What I find funny but also kinda sad is the respect these cameras at last rightfully get. When I took mine to the local camera club in the 60's the older members with their TLR Rolleis, 111g Leicas and Contaxes could barely hide their contempt for my camera, although they reluctantly had to accept it took good photos when I won a couple of competitions!!! I eventually added the 20,28,35,85 and 135 lenses which I also still have.

AndersG · 03-17-2005

Here is my FED 2 outfit (sans my KMZ universal finder). I think my FED 2 is a version d / v8 (Jim Blazik's version definitions).

Fedzilla_Bob · 03-17-2005

John, 45 years is a great long time for an old friend. I hope you enjoy many more years with yours!

John Robertson · 03-17-2005

Bob. if only it could talk!!!! In these years it has been to 22 countries, including your own city!! as well as Greenland, Iceland, to the summit of the Jungfrau in Switzerland (13300ft) and many others. I had the barefaced cheek to take it with me when I attended the Leica School in Wetzlahr Germany in 1972, I was boarded out to stay with a Leitz technician and his family, he looked at it and took it into work with him, where he overhauled and serviced it, he reluctantly said its lens was very good. I wonder how many other Feds have been inside the Leitz works?? I'm in my early 60's now so I hope I have a good few more years with it!!

Warren T. · 03-17-2005

hmm, for some reason, I can't insert a link to a picture in this message thread. But you can see my pair of Feds (2B & 2C), both with Industar 26M 50mm lense in my avatar.

--Warren

RML · 03-17-2005

That's a nice anecdote, John!

As soon as I return home from work I'll try to post a shot of my FED2.

Solinar · 03-18-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Robertson

I attended the Leica School in Wetzlahr Germany in 1972, I was boarded out to stay with a Leitz technician and his family, he looked at it and took it into work with him, where he overhauled and serviced it, he reluctantly said its lens was very good.

John, I would have been satisified with just plain good. While I'll occasionally screw in a Jupiter 8 when I'm indoors and know that I'm going to run out of FED. My collaspible Industar 50 is my favorite FSU lens.

Here are a couple of snaps from this Tuesday. I hope I'm forgiven for taking a little liberty here, as the lens was mounted to a Zorki 3.

RML · 03-19-2005

My FED2, in monochrome. Damn, it looks nice, doesn't it?

Fedzilla_Bob · 03-19-2005

I think the combination of a good collapsable lens and the FED 2 is great. Glad to see others out there with the same combination.

Gordon Coale · 03-19-2005

I use the J8 when I need the extra couple of f stops but it's the I-50 that usually is on my FED 2. What a nice small package it makes.

John Robertson · 03-19-2005

Just to show what the Fed and its lens can do!!! The yellow border shows the area enlarged in frame2. shot on Ilford XP2 1/500 @f5.6. The screw head on the deadlamp rim is 1/4inch in diameter!!!

Laika · 03-20-2005

My first FED2, bought for $20 off ebay.... a few months later I bought a cheap FED5 to steal the lens and fixed take-up spool.... a few months later I stripped the chrome and refinished it in automotive gloss black and bought a nice black J8 to finish it off

Laika · 03-20-2005

I'm not sure who originally posted this picture on RRF but thought it was fitting addition for this thread

Picasso with his FED2