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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
 Posted - May 11 2012 : 10:52:13 AM
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Hello,
I have had my Red Flag for some weeks. And looking for other pictures of that camera on the net, I am a bit surprised by the differences between these cameras: fake or variations due to factory difficulties ...?
So, perhaps we could put together what we know. When a camera is rare, it is difficult to compare it with the other items of the series...
First, a general view of this # 200209 Fed Red Flag:
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1152012_Fed Red Flag 001.jpg
Next message about the cover.
Jacques.
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
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David Tomlinson
RCCCUK
United Kingdom
163 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 02:25:09 AM
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Hi Jacques,
I have checked my Red Flag, and it certainly matches the description in Jean Loup Princelle's book. The wind and rewind knobs have much finer milling than the standard FED of the time. The body covering is much smoother and most importantly, the shutter housing is made of brass not aluminium. I hope this helps.
David. |
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 10:12:16 AM
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Thanks, David. Of course it helps: the milling of the knos, the body covering and the brass shutter cage are certainly the main features common to all the Fed "Red Flag".
But I wonder if there are other common features. And if genuine variations can exist.
We know the factory had really important difficulties to restart the production in the years 1946-48. A possible series of 1e was probably mounted in 1946 at Kharkov with parts coming from Berdsk. After, it's the Red Flag. Was it made with parts made at Kharkov? Totally? Partially? Are there parts which can come from a prewar board ? If yes, one can find genuine variations. If no, fakes lie under them.
For example, the milling of the knobs.
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1252012_Fed Red Flag 009.jpg
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1252012_Fed Red Flag 010.jpg
No doubt: it is finer than the on the 1c, d, e,f and g. It looks like the 1a and first 1b's. But I cannot decide if it is exactly the same or not. The (evident) question is: did they found 1a and b's buttons and put them on the Red Flags? Can we find other buttons on Red Flags which "seem" genuine? David, are the buttons of your RF exactly like mine?
I go on with other detailed pictures! |
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 10:30:22 AM
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Now, the disconnecting button.
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1252012_Fed Red Flag 003.jpg
I have not found in my prewar Feds such a coarse milling. It exists too on early Fed 1f: my 1f # 210921 has exactly the same, my # 215495 has a finer milling (and a slimmer button). We can suppose that this type of button was specially made for the RF and used after on 1fs.
On the RF like on all the prewar cameras and the first 1f, there is a hollow near this button:
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1252012_Fed Red Flag 004.jpg
So, we can suppose that a RF without that hollow is not a genuine one!
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Edited by - Jacques M. on May 12 2012 10:34:40 AM |
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 10:49:36 AM
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The metallurgy of the cover is interesting. For example, the angles near the speed button.
On my RF, these angles seem blunt, much more than on the other RF I have seen on the net.
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1252012_Fed Red Flag 002.jpg
On the other hand, JLP shows in his book the RF # 200161 with the same blunt angles. Does that mean something about metallurgy? A sub series of some RF? I don't know...
The other Feds of the same period (1e and f) have sharper angles.
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 11:04:14 AM
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The two last points (for me) seem common to all the genuine RF: the cover of the body and the brass shutter cage.
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1252012_Fed Red Flag 008.jpg
One can find this cover with "horizontal" pattern only on the RF and the very early 1f. As for the shutter cage, brass was the rule till the # 110000/120000, then it was replaced by aluminium. After the RF, brass was used on 1f (very roughly till # 250000), then aluminium was re used.
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1252012_Fed Red Flag 013.jpg
I have seen these two features on all the RF, except Alain's one which had an alu shutter box and a regular (1d type) body cover. It's interesting to know, as Alain had bought his RF at a time when it was not interesting to make fakes...
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Edited by - Jacques M. on May 12 2012 11:44:58 AM |
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2012 : 11:14:23 AM
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Well, I am now at the end of the pictures I had prepared for this topic.
I would be very happy if we could discuss about all that...
One more detail, probably the strangest: my RF has a yellow rangefinder. What about yours, David, Alexander...? I don't know other Fed with such a colour. But the TSVVS has it too! 
Amitiés. Jacques. |
Edited by - Jacques M. on May 12 2012 11:17:01 AM |
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Alexander K.
AlexanderK
Germany
210 Posts |
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2012 : 03:04:30 AM
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Thanks, Alexander for your pictures!
As I have said, I am a bit surprised too by the lack of the two letters.
The other interesting difference is the corners of the cover (soft on mine, sharp on yours).
For the buttons, it seems they are the same.
What about the shutter cage? Alu or brass? And about the rangefinder? Yellow or not?
Thanks again. Jacques. |
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Alexander K.
AlexanderK
Germany
210 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2012 : 04:18:41 AM
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Jacques,
shutter cage is brass, rangefinder spot is yellow.
If you need more photos, let me know.
Regards, Alexander |
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2012 : 08:45:35 AM
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Great!
So, the Red Flag could be the only Fed to have a yellow rangefinder. The same as the TSVVS's... But two owners, it's not enough to make a rule...
Here, there are some more Red Flags. Curious, even if we consider that the factory had problems to restart the production...
http://hylee617.tripod.com/hylee617/russian/fed/fed1eftg.htm
Amitiés. Jacques. |
Edited by - Jacques M. on May 17 2012 08:52:21 AM |
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Jacques M.
France
962 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2012 : 2:29:25 PM
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No news about the yellow colour of the rangefinder? 
Jacques. |
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Topic |
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Fed Red Flag
