Soviet Cameras 5 - FED-35 / FED-50 / Zorki 10

[Cameras - 35mm - Rangefinder and Direct View]

Probably the best compacts from the former USSR. They’re well made and have very decent optics, the nicely coated four elements Tessar-like Industar-81 32mm F2.8. The camera body is metal made with some plastic parts.

The I-81 is a decent lens, on par with the D-Zuiko 40mm F2.8 and a bit wider. 

FED-35 and FED50 - Image (C) Alexandr Komarov (fotoua.com)

The Fed 35 is the high-end model, with a nice viewfinder and rangefinder. It can work on Automatic, Shutter priority and manual. 

Speeds are from 1/4 to 1/300 + B. The low speeds works just in manual. Speeds over 1/30s can work on shutter priority. Metering uses a CdS cell and doesn't work when in manual mode.

This camera is for me the best pick from all soviet cameras. It's like a simplified Minolta Hi-Matic or a Konica C3.

The FED 50 has no rangefinder and it’s just auto exposure provided by a selenium light meter and of course you can set the apertures for flash photography (speed fixed to 1/30s). The Fed 50 is very similar to the Olympus Trip 35 and other typical Japanese compacts from the ‘70s like the Mamiya 135 and many other ones. See Zorki-10 for auto exposure details.

There's also the FED 35A. It's like the FED 35 but without the rangefinder.

All cameras from this family are very reliable and they are good performers. 

Zorki-10  Image (C) Alexandr Komarov ( fotoua.com )

This camera is a copy of the Ricoh Auto 35V and NOT an original Soviet project. It's a very clean art deco design, and heavy, very heavy.

It's an auto exposure camera, very similar to the Fed-50 plus a rangefinder. The lens is a Tessar type Industar-63 45mm F2.8. I have the impression of this lens being sharper than the Industar-81.

The exposure control is made by a selenium cell around the lens and an internal galvanometer that locks the proper aperture and speed.

Be aware that selenium cells of this age usually give inaccurate readings and if is this the case, maybe you can compensate for the error by setting a LOWER film sensibility. For example, if the reading is 2 stops lower, shift film speed setting likewise.

The exposure range is from 1/30s F2.8 to 1/500s F22. There's also a B setting and a manual flash setting when you set the aperture and the speed locks at 1/30s that can be used if for some nasty reason your light meter stops working.

It's remarkably similar in operation and features to the Olympus Trip-35, and a tough challenger (of course, Ricoh always rocked !)

If you like cool-looking cameras this one is a must-have, but be advised that it's not easy to find one in perfect working order, the light meter assembly is very prone to fail, due corrosion, selenium cell decay, and broken galvanometer.