for sale is a vintage stalinets camera.
this camera is a pandora box of USSR relics and rumors. few things are a fact: Soviet renown camera “FED” was a cleverly adapted (yes, stolen) Leica II. the rest is a convoluted set of interpretations. for instance, it was made up that FED cameras were given as a token of appreciation to those that achieved certain levels of success within the structures that were design to keep the whole nation in fear: KGB (Committee for State Security) and NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs). and yes, the acronyms don’t match due to language discrepancy. as rumored by one online sources, “the original idea and legend behind the "STALINETS" is that they were special FED cameras given by Joseph Stalin to important Communist officials, Military Generals, and other VIPs of the Soviet Union. the engraved and enameled 'star" motif is quite reminiscent of the authentic TSVVS camera that was of a high quality and was produced in very limited quantities. a lot of work and time went into this camera and the last photograph shows it with several photographs of its' two namesakes ... Josef Vissarionovich Stalin (in 1919) and Felix Edmoundovitch Dzerjinski (together with Stalin, circa 1925). "
fact: original Fed was produced around 1934–55. During the “Perestroika” era, a lot of Soviet relics were in demands, which bred a whole market of falsified relics. we did some research, and the culprit seems to be the modded bottom used to actually take a shot. our Stalinets looks just like the original – could it be for real?! still, can’t be sure either way.
either way, it’s a beautiful part of history. amazing conversation starter. fall of empire that was standing for something, but turned capitalist. largest country in the world and what marked its most turbulent times.
35 mm film / coupled rangefinder ..... lens: FED / 50 mm f.3.5
unique body serial and matching lens – both #340
much like the rest of the country, we're dealing with breakdowns of labor shortages and the supply chain. given that the cost from Chicago to California has doubled in a month, we feel it's currently unethical to our customers to include the shipping in the price.
what's still included in the price is exceptional customer service. feel free to reach out before purchasing, and we will sort it out after.