The FED-2 is a completely new design with many new features. It introduces a new body with solid stripes top and bottom and a removable back that locks onto the camera with 2 keys. This assembly is die cast and not machined and has shoulder strap lugs. The rangefinder assembly has also been completely redesigned. It is now a 67mm extra long base combined range finder and viewfinder. There is a pointed rangefinder cam with the rotation axis on the wind side. There is a diopter adjustment lever under the rewind knob. There is also a new shutter [2].

  

Name: „ФЭД-2“
Producer: FED
Frame size: 24x36
Lens: Fed   3.5/50.
Shutter: 1/25s, 1/50s, 1/100s, 1/250s, 1/500s + B.

Quantity: ±1.632.600 units (all types).



Thanks to Patricia Gaffey (United Kingdom) for camera #2334538 donation!
Thanks to Alexander Nezvanov (Moscow) for camera #795050 donation!     
                                                                     

preseries  1955

PE0345. The prototype version of the particular camera.  Rangefinder's window is stamped yet. Signally different design of the film rewind switch (see picture below).

Camera opposite from Žiga Četrtič (Slovenia) collection.

PE0345 - Fed-2  #000004. 

PE0350. 2nd earliest known version of the particular camera. Rangefinder's window is stamped yet. Camera almost identical to PE0345, but with regular film rewind switch already. An earliest so far known camera has serial number #000352 (see opposite).

Camera #000352 opposite from Yuriy Davidenko (Ukraine} collection.

PE0350 - Fed-2 #000352.

PE0355. Camera is identical to PE0350, but with screwed rangefinder's window already. Although called as preseries, still easy to find nowadays. Very few cameras can be found without FED logotype on the top plate. An earliest so far known camera is #000007 (Alain Berry coll.) Camera opposite from V.Nagorskij (Lithuania) coll.
 

Serial numbers range: #000.001-#018.500 (many numbers are mixed with PE0360).

Quantity: appr. 10.000 units. 

PE0355 - Fed-2  #000889.

PE0360. Camera identical to PE0355, but with round window of rangefinder already. Shutter knob still with switch lever, same big shutter head (see picture below). An earliest so far known camera is #004.966 (private coll.). Can be found in serial numbers range: #004.500-#027.000. Camera opposite from Ilya Stolyar (USA) coll.  

Quantity: appr. 22.000 units (many numbers are mixed with PE0355).

PE0360 - Fed-2  #008579.

PE0365. Camera identical to PE0360, but shutter knob comes with switch ring already. Still big shutter head (see picture below). Comes in serial numbers range: #027.000-#065.000 (though camera with s/n #023015 is known in U.Witte coll.).

Quantity: appr. 38.000 units.

PE0365 - Fed-2  #053226.

PE0370. Camera identical to PE0365, but with shutter head changed to regular one already. An earliest so far known camera is #067986 (Fotoua.com). Can be found in serial numbers range: #065.000-#087.000.

Quantity: appr. 22.000 units.

PE0370 - Fed-2  #085186.

PE0375. Camera identical to PE0370, but without Zavod Dzerzhinsky ... markings on the top plate already (see picture below). An earliest so far known camera has s/n #114115 (private coll.)

Sample #114115 opposite from private collection in China.

PE0375 - Fed-2  #114115.

Camera identical to Fed-2 (A), but with flash synch already. Body may be covered in various (black, green, red or blue) paints. Although an early cameras still fitted with FED 3.5/50 lens, new lens Industar-26M 2.8/50 become regular now. Starting from PE0385 only stylized Fed logo on camera top plate.

Serial Numbers Range: #087.000-#475.000 [1].

PE0380. Transitional version between type-A and type-B cameras. Flash synch already, but with Zavod Dzerzhinsky ... markings on the top plate yet. An earliest so far known camera has s/n #088.498 (eBay 2009). Serial numbers range: #087.000-#097.000 [1]

Quantity: appr. 10.000 units (some numbers are mixed with type-A3 numbers).

PE0385. Camera identical to type-B1, but without Zavod Dzerzhinsky ... markings already. Still FED 3.5/50 lens. Only black body covering yet. An earliest so far known camera is #098.440 (private coll.). Serial numbers range: #097.000-#230.000 [1]

Quantity: appr. 133.000 units.

PE0380 - Fed-2  #092584.

PE0390. Camera identical to PE0385, but with new design of shutter speeds disk already. The non-moving cylinder in the center of the disk is 3.9mm, instead of 4.22mm on later cameras. No more black arrow on the top plate. Still FED 3.5/50 lens. An earliest so far known camera has s/n #235.719 (VChazeev coll.). Serial numbers range: #230.000-#236.000. Quantity: appr. 6.000 units.

PE0395. Camera identical to PE0390, but fitted with new lens Industar-26M 2.8/50 already. Standard black body coverings. An earliest so far known camera is #236.086 (SovietCams). Serial numbers range: #236.000-#475.000 (very few numbers are mixed with PE0415). Quantity: appr. 239.000 units.

PE0395 - Fed-2  #236086.

PE0400. Identical to PE0395, but with red body coverings. Less common to find nowadays.


PE0405. Identical to PE0395, but with green body coverings. Quite common to find nowadays. Investigated camera has s/n #448597 (SovietCams).


PE0410. Identical to PE0395, but with blue body coverings. Less common to find nowadays. Investigated camera has s/n #249863 (SovietCams).

PE0400 - Fed-2  #256726.

Identical to Fed-2 (B), but with new style advance knob (film-speed memo). Fed-2 (C) camera comes both with/without selftimer. Synchro on the upper part of camera body. Body may be covered in various paints.

Serial Numbers Range: #475.000-#9900.000 [1].

  

PE0415. New style advance knob (with film-speed memo) added. Synchro on the upper part of camera body. No selftimer yet. An earliest camera known so far is #475.400 (DVD Technik), although some early numbers are known to exist.


PE0420. Identical to PE0415, but with blue body coverings. Investigated camera has s/n #449007 (SovietCams) - very early number for C version cameras.



Serial numbers range: #475.000-#560.000 [1]

Quantity: appr. 85.000 units.

PE0415 - Fed-2  #513312.

PE0425. Camera identical to PE0415, but with selftimer added. An earliest so far known camera is #563.459 (Fotoua.com).


PE0430. Identical to PE0425, but with blue body coverings. Investigated camera has s/n #702766 (SovietCams).


Serial numbers range: #560.000-#865.000 [1]

Quantity: appr. 305.000 units.

PE0425 - Fed-2  #795050.

PE0435. Camera identical to PE0425, but with new serial numbering system already (c.1959).  All cameras, starting from appr. #865.000 have prefix "9" already. Date prefix "9" stands for year 1959 (see camera #9872903 opposite). Afterwards this system becomes regular for following 10 years. For instance, date prefix "0" stands for year 1960, etc. Now it's quite easy to determine the exact year of particular Fed-2 camera production.

Serial numbers range: #9865.000-#989000.000 [1].

Quantity: appr. 25.000 units.

PE0435 - Fed-2  #9872903.

Camera identical to Fed-2 (C), but with new, standardized speed sequence: 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s, 1/500s + B. Although an earliest Fed-2 (D) cameras still came with low accessory shoe, it was raised on later cameras. Fed-2 (D) can be found with/without decorative rim around viewfinder. Single or double name writing. Some cameras have "Made in USSR" markings on the top plate. Body may be covered in various (black, green, red or blue) paints. 


Serial Numbers Range: #989000.000-#6835.000 [1].


  

PE0440. New standardized shutter speeds sequence: 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s, 1/500s + B. New design of advance knob. Lens markings "Industar-26M" still old style. An earliest so far known camera is #9893.943 (eBay 2008).


PE0445. Identical to PE0440, but with raised accessory shoe already. An earliest so far known camera has s/n 0995481 (Molotok 2008).


Serial numbers range: #989000.000-#0999.999 [1]

Quantity: appr. 110.000 units.

PE0440 - Fed-2  #0965576.

PE0450. Just before FED have decided to use "A" prefixes for the first 100.000 cameras of 2nd million (see information about PE0455 below), a limited batch of Fed-2 cameras with strange serial numbers have entered the market. The same 7-digits serial number, but serial numbering system is changed again.  

Quantity: unknown.

PE0450 - Fed-2  #9022351.

PE0455. Prefix "A" in serial numbers!

At the middle of year 1960, Zavod FED have reached the number of 1.000.000 (!!!) produced Fed-2 cameras in total.  The new numbering system (c.1959) was intended for 7 digits serial numbers only. Although having an opportunity to start numbering from 1xxxxxx (though prefix "1" was reserved for year 1961), FED have decided to use "A" prefixes for first 100.000 cameras of 2nd million.

In my opinion, that's why serial number range from #1.000.000 till #1.100.000 was reserved for new-born Fed-3 type-1 camera (see chapter FED-3).

Raised accessory shoe on very early cameras and from appr. #A010.000.

PE0455 - Fed-2  #A046226.

PE0460. Camera identical to PE0455, but without raised accessory shoe yet (see picture below). Less common to find nowadays. An earliest so far known camera has s/n #A003525 (eBay 2009).

PE0460 - Fed-2  #A006531.

Exception to the Rule!

The very interesting sample of PE0455 was found recently. The particular camera opposite comes with serial number # A197.404, though the total number of appr. 100.000 cameras with "A" prefix are known to exist! I can't explain this oddity right now.

PE0455 - Fed-2  #A197404.

PE0465. Camera identical to PE0455, but without prefix "A" in serial numbers already. Raised accessory shoe as on PE0455. Lens markings "I-26M", instead of "Industar-26M". An earliest so far known camera is #1112.643 (Renato Rizzo coll.).

Serial numbers range: #1100.000-#2248.500 [1]

Quantity: appr. 148.500 units. Some serial numbers are mixed with type-D5 camera.

PE0465 - Fed-2  #1178481.

PE0470. Camera identical to PE0465, but without decorative rim on the viewinder's window already. An earliest so far known camera is #1248.672 (source: UssrPhoto).

Serial numbers range: #1248.500-#2320.000 [1]

Quantity: appr. 71.500 units. Some serial numbers are mixed with PE0465.

The sample opposite is fitted with wrong KMZ lens!

PE0470 - Fed-2  #2251006.

PE0475. Camera identical to PE0470, but with binary markings (Cyrillic/Roman) already. Starting from appr. #4597.000 were fitted with Industar-61 lenses (so called version "Fed-2L"). Some cameras have an additional "MADE IN USSR" markings on the top plate. An earliest so far known camera is #2324.687 (Molotok 2008).

Serial numbers range: #2320.000-#4597.000 with I-26M lenses [1].
Serial numbers range: #4597.000-#5640.000 with Industar-61 lenses [1].

Quantity: appr. 320.000 units.

PE0475 - Fed-2  #2334538.

Exception to the Rule!

Very important camera for historical reasons, while fitted with new Industar-61 lens! Lens  has unusual "white" body, serial number #000104!!!

I'm almost sure, that particular camera and lens are authentic, so it's quite easy to determine which year Industar-61 "Lantanium" lens have entered the market ... 1962!  

This camera could be considered as the forerunner of cameras with Fed-2 L designations. Another known camera has s/n #3418028, fitted with white I-61 lens #000321 (R.Smith coll.).

PE0475 - Fed-2  #2396372.

PE0480. New black leather covering. No more strap lugs on body. Fitted with Industar-61 (sometimes with old stock Industar-26M) lenses. An earliest so far known camera is #5641.515 (Molotok 2009).
 
Serial numbers range: #5640.000-#6835.000 [1]

Quantity: appr. 195.000 units.

PE0480 - Fed-2  #5656381.

Exception to the Rule!

FED have issued a small batch of Fed-2 cameras in 1966. These cameras are identical to PE0480, but extremely well done. New "Made in USSR" markings on the top plate. The most interesting feature are the serial numers, which are out of usual Fed-2 numbers range.  Although at least 25.000 copies of type-D6 cameras were manufactured till year 1966 (appr. range #5640.000-#5665.000), Fed have started with numbering #6600.000 in 1966 again!  Even the serial number on the lens starts with new "66" date prefix (see sample opposite). Old stock Industar-26M lenses.

PE0480 - Fed-2  #6600619.

To commemorate the 50th Birthday of Great October Revolution (1917-1967), Fed issued limited quantity of Fed-2 type-D6 Anniversary cameras with commemorative box "1917-1967". These cameras have no commemorative markings on body. Fitted either with Industar-61, or old stock Industar-26M lenses! (see camera #6735223). No otherwise different from PE0480.

PE0480 - Fed-2 Anniversary  #6735223.

Economy version of the Fed-3b (see chapter Fed-3 cameras), of which it takes the castings and the specifications, but incorporates the shutter mechanism of the Fed-2 (D). Comes without strap lugs.


  

PE0485. Economy version of the Fed-3 (B). New serial numbering system (unclear for me yet). Black leather covering. No strap lugs on body. An earliest so far known camera has s/n #8169.857 (I.Mandich coll.).

Serial numbers range: #8170.000-#8280.000 [1].

Quantity: appr. 110.000 units (PE0485 and PE0490).

PE0485 - Fed-2  #8246126.

PE0490. Camera identical to PE0485, but with another body covering already (like on Fed-3 L/D). No otherwise different.

PE0490 - Fed-2 camera.