THE FED ONE is a great little gem of 20th century history. I think this fact is what pleases me the most. I like to imagine--What scenes and in what distant lands have been seen by its original owner? MINE IS of a later manufacture--about 1957. It was originally copied from a LEICA camera contemporary to about 1939. In 1957, I was 7 years old. At that time, anything RUSSIAN may have been regarded with suspicion and FEAR. After all, the camera was produced in Russia after a division of the Leica company been nationalized along with the communization of East Germany. Besides HISTORICAL INTRIGUE, there are also TECHNICAL reasons for wanting one of these cameras. It is, after all, A COPY of one of the legends of photo optical achievement: How else might I have had the experience of something approaching an early Leica for less than $200? OF COURSE IT ISN'T LEICA GLASS. But when it comes to cameras, they are just black boxes; the film or whatever exposed media we use does not care about anything other than all the photons getting to it in exactly the right way so the photons turn into electrons in the media, whether film or CCD. For this purpose, of course ANY CAMERA'S LENS GLASS has some importance. At the time my Fed 1 glass was ground, in 1957 the Russians were planning SPUTNIK, being the first technical culture in the world to do so. Spurn cheaper copies as one might, aren't optics vital to space technology? I suspect Russian optical glass in general to be among COLLECTIBLE "SLEEPERS," since it is often reviewed as somewhat less than first class glass. Frankly, I also suspect that I have, along with many others, been somewhat TAKEN IN by claims of camera manufacturers' optical sharpness. It must be fun to afford a $9,000 lens that can discern so many lines per millimeter at the corners. In fact I'm sure it would be. So sure that no doubt I'd spend 9k on a lens if I were in that class. SO WHAT if that sharpness only makes a difference at the fastest speeds, with a TISSUE THIN DEPTH OF FIELD, which I would actually want in only nearly 2 dimensional subjects? Almost never in portraits, glamor, or landscape pictures? Which means almost never?? Anyway, the camera MAKES GREAT PICTURES when I use it right. More accurately, I have made some examples of real art with this camera. There are no technical obstacles that it presents; the focus, rangefinder and shutter mechanisms are "good enough." The diaphragm is nice and round for decent, "OKEH BOKEH." My Fed 1 was made in a culture and in a time when being the first in orbit was important enough to be "okeh." It was OK to be GOOD ENOUGH, for national pride, to get the JOB DONE.Read full review
Fits right in your pocket easy to use a great day to day carry camera in a common film size 10/10
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Workmanship on a par with competition
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Amazing! Why Buy a Leica if you have this good similar machine with a reasonable price!!! well constructed as a Leica! I find out rangefinder technology with this camera! Something that let me thinking about that there was inteligent life before SLR cameras!
Focal plane shutter, range finder in operate. Good dust collector!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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