Leica copy (Russian) I.D

Looks like a Zorki 1A with incorrect top plate to me. Flash shoe missing also.
 
Asha, looks like a Fed1 to me, made in Moscow. Copy of a Leica II. Possibly rare. There were a number of variants I think. That said the soviets made so many variants it can be hard to be specific. As Arthur says it also looks very much like a hybrid early Zorki.

I find this site quite useful for identifying soviet kit:

http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?414372438
 
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serial puts it as a Fed 1d, 1939 - 41
 
Also With the engraving NKVD,it could be a secret service/ police issue of the time.
 
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medwaygreen said:
Also With the engraving NKVD,it could be a secret service/ police issue of the time.
Click to expand...
According to the website that I have linked to above:

"In July 1934, the police functions of the Soviet state were transferred from the OGPU to the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD). The administration of the Dzerzhinsky Commune was thus also transferred to the NKVD (although still with Makarenko in charge). This change is reflected in the second version of the FED, which appeared in early 1935 and carried the new engraving FED/Trudkommuna/NKVD-USSR/im./F.E.Dzerzhinskogo/ Khar'kov [FED, F. E. Dzerzhinsky Labour Commune of the NKVD of the Ukrainian SSR, Kharkov]."
 
You have to remember that with Russian cameras engravings were (and are) quite often added to increase the supposed value.
This is not to say the engravings are not original, but take it with a pinch of salt- who knows?

There's no doubt it is a Fed, and as Ambermile says a Fed 1d.

As for the lens- is it original? I don't see a serial number on these pics.
 
Hi, It's a "FED-1D"

Hope this helps.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS"
 
kendo1 said:
You have to remember that with Russian cameras engravings were (and are) quite often added to increase the supposed value.
This is not to say the engravings are not original, but take it with a pinch of salt- who knows?

There's no doubt it is a Fed, and as Ambermile says a Fed 1d.

As for the lens- is it original? I don't see a serial number on these pics.
Click to expand...


More importantly, as a 1D it was made after 1939... as a late iD (post 1941) it would have been made with old parts from the defunct Ukraine factory - which could explain the mismatched parts, but they were numbered from 174000 up.
 
Thank you all for your help, links etc.

The camera belongs to a local gentleman who wishes to pass it on to a younger generation.

I could be tempted to take it off his hands although i'm actually in the process of trying to reduce my collection, not add to it!! lol

Anyhow, if I decide to decline his offer, I shall nonetheless pass onto him the helpful info you guys have offered.

@kendo1 Re the lens serial number, I am awaiting a reply to an email I sent asking if a SN is present.

@Ambermile Your observation re the flash shoe is interesting in so far as it not being present yet all 3 mounting screws are there........all the images I've come across of fed 1d camera bodies have a shoe in place!
 
According to one of the links up there ^ It referred to it as PE0262. which is rare, apparently?
 
I'm still looking for the serial number on the web. The lens is of the right vintage, with the correct apertures marked. They changed the aperture values in later lenses to 5.6, 8, 11 and 16.
The serial number is in the correct place too. They changed the position in later lenses.
It seems likely that the lens is correct. I'll see what I can find.
The camera seems to be from late 1941:
http://ussrphoto.com/wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=98&ParentID=1&ContentID=962
 
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