FED-4

FED-4 type 4b c.1975 image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)

The FED 4 is a 35mm film rangefinder camera made by FED and produced between 1964-80 with quantity 633.096 units.

Its main improvement over the FED-3 is its added uncoupled selenium meter, with a window in front of the speed dial. The meter has a scale on the user's left of the top-plate, with a match-needle linked to a calculator dial. The placement of the meter calculator leaves the rewind as a thumb-wheel on the end of the camera.

Foto-Quelle sold the FED-4 in Germany as the Revue 4 (F194). Special editions were produced for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution in 1967.

There are 6 types and 10 sub-types of the camera, as to Alexander Komarov ^[1]

Specifications

Lens: Industar-61 (ИНДУСТАР ) 52mm f/2.8 Mount: M39 screw mount, filter slip-on
- Aperture: f/2.8-f/16 setting: ring and scale on the lens shutter barrel
- Focus range: 1-20m +inf
Focusing: matching yellow rangefinder images in the viewfinder, distance scale and ring on the lens, w/ DOF scale
Lens release: simply screw counter-clockwise
Shutter: rubberized silk double cloth curtain, horizontal focal plane,
- Speeds:1-1/500 +B, setting: dial on the right of the top plate, Note. When setting to low speeds you will hear a clockwork winding voice.^[2]
Shutter release: beside the winding lever, w/ cable release socket
Cocking lever: also winds the film, short stroke, retractable, on the right of the top plate
Frame counter: coupled with the cocking lever, advance type, manual reset
Viewfinder: coupled viewfinder/ rangefinder, w/ Diopter correction ring, around eyepiece
Exposure meter: uncoupled Selenium cell sensor, metering by a needle window on the top-plate
Exposure setting: Set the film speed on the setting dial. Even though the speeds on the dial are in GOST, just set the ASA value; Point the camera to the scene you want to photograph; Turn the light meter dial until the needles in the window match; Read off the suitable shutter speed and aperture combinations on the dial and set the camera accordingly
Re-wind knob: a thumb wheel on the left side of the camera
Re-wind release: set to B the collar aroun the shutter release
Flash PC socket: on front of the camera
Cold-shoe
Memory dial : on the winding knob
Self-timer
Back cover: removable, opens by two folding levers on the top plate
Engraving on the back of the top plate: FED logo, Made in USSR and serial no.
Tripod socket: ¼"
Strap lugs: none
Body: metal; Weight: 780g

FED-4 type 4b c.1975 Images by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)

Notes and references

↑ in Fotoua
↑ The early Leica cameras, and the other Leica inspired cameras like Canon III, FEDs and Zorkis, and almost any camera which winding also causes the film speed selector turning, always cock the shutter before changing film speeds.