FED 4 for silly money

[PeterW]

Last Sunday I picked up a FED 4 at the local boot fair for really silly money because the focus on the N-61 lens is so stiff it unscrews when you try to focus - Russian yak grease again! I would have preferred a FED 2, but never mind.

It was a cold day with a biting wind, the chap was just packing up, and looked thoroughly cold and miserable. He had a price tag of £20 on the camera. I said no way, and pointed out the stiff focus, and he quoted a really silly price 'To save me taking the bl@@dy thing home'.

I dug in my pocket and found enough loose change to buy it. I've already got a FED 4 in pristine condition and told myself I didn't need another one, but for chicken feed money I weakened.

It's in lovely condition, with an almost unmarked ever ready case, and all the speeds and the delayed action seem to work fine. The rangefinder seemed OK when I tried it with my other N-61 lens. When I eventually get around to it I'll relube the lens and probably put it up on ebay. Never know, I might even get enough to buy something I fancy and haven't already got!

PeterW

[kiev4a]

Peter:

Responding to a rather old post of yours but trying to generate some dialog on this here forum.

Does your FED 4 have knob wind or lever wind? They made both. Same with the FED 3 and FED 2--although the FED 2 lever wind looks like a FED 3

[PeterW]

It's got a lever wind, Wayne, the same as my other one.

I just now went to check the serial numbers to see how far apart they are, and guess what? It hasn't got a serial number on the back, though it's got 'Made in USSR' in English. But there's a serial number 0127xx on the bottom plate. The lens number is 8843xxx.

My other FED4 has the serial number on the back - 8591xxx, and the lens on that is 8584xxx. So if it's got the original lens I assume the one I bought in June is about three years later?

I've lubed the lens which is now nice and smooth. I said I might put it on ebay, but looking at the low prices FED4s have been fetching lately on ebay UK I think I might hang on to it.

BTW, the 'silly money' was £1.50 ($3).

PeterW