The Fabulous FED-

What distinguishes the FED-2(e) from previous versions is the progression of its shutter speeds. Previous versions were based on a non-geometric progression B- 25- 50- 100- 250- 500; but the 'e' was 'modernized' by adopting the linear progression of speeds that included B- 30 -60- 125- 250- 500. The shutter itself remained the same; the change required nothing more than recalculating the distance between the slots on the selector disk inside and then machining the slots appropriately. Correspondingly, the shutter speed dial on top was engraved such that the 'modern' progression of speeds could be selected --and the shutter still needed to be cocked before changing speeds-- but otherwise all remained the same. The accompanying photo shows the selector dial on an 'e' (bottom) and an earlier version, in this case, a 'd' version of produced a few years previous (top).

Other characteristics incorporated into the 'e' version include a slight change in the wind knob and a 'riser' that sits beneath the cold shoe. These both provide key identification points that assist in distinguishing between the 'e' and its predecessors, but confusion can arise if only a single trait is relied upon as a model designator.. All 'e' versions will have a revised rewind knob (the 'e' has a slightly 'cleaner' raised 'bump' in the center of the knob and sports a revised film reminder), but approximately equal numbers of the 'e' seem to have been produced which retained the low cold shoe as use the raised platform beneath the shoe (see the photo below).

The raised platform under the cold shoe meets with and corresponds to riser block that had been cast into the body shell, so within the context of this article, it may be best to designate the low shoe version as a Version 9 and the raised platform type as a Version 10. At the same time, while all of the V-9 types I've seen have the standard FED logo engraved on the face of the r/f cover, some of the V-10 types will likewise have the solo Cyrillic emblem while others will have the new style 'dual logo' Latin and Cyrillic emblem on its cover. Go figure. A truly compulsive person might designate these as FED-2(e) "Type 1" and FED-2(e) "Type 2" cameras, but this might be going too far. (The accompanying photo shows a raised platform 'e' [top] in contrast to a standard low platform as had been used on previous models --in this instance a FED-2(a) [bottom]. Why the change? That depends on who you ask and the configuration and design of certain of the accessories that might be used. Raising a flash unit by a matter of a few milimeters may make little practical difference in its function, but raising certain of the accessory finders --either the multi-finder or a dedicated 35mm or 85mm (etc.) finder-- does indeed make a difference.

In any event, despite the noteworthy differences mentioned, they're largely cosmetic as opposed to being significantly mechanical or functional. That being the case, one could instead consider the FED-2(e) a 'family' of cameras, somewhat the same as the FED-2 'c' family, but in this instance more is going on than coloration, and as such the 'e' is comprised of a number of different sub-types. Complicating sub-group types further is the fact that some single-logo Cyrillic versions of the 'e' have a raised 'bezel-like' stamping that surrounds the front v/f window while others do not (whereas none of the 'dual-logo' types have this raised stamping. What's more, and as had been the case among both the 'c' and 'd' versions of the FED-2, various red-, green-, blue- (and presumably gray-) bodied cameras likewise continued to be produced, so one could say there are sub-types to sub-versions of the 'e', and considering the possible combinations, trying to designate any of these might be a better exercise for somesome suffering from an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder than it would be for me, so I'll let it go at that. In any event, at least so far as factory produced colored variants go, these were limited, these were phased out as a possible result of either lack of interest or because the additional steps required in their production were not deemed worth the effort, so by the early 1960's production of the colored versions ceased.

Typical serial number range is very wide and varies:

727xxx thru 988xxxx (or high 6 digit and well into 7 digit s/n's) are common.

Many 'e' version cameras are found with the enigmatic "A" serial number.

Zarya

The Zarya was produced between 1958 and -59, and for all practical purposes it was a Version-9 FED-2(e). The difference, very obviously, is that the Zarya was designed to be rangefinderless, so naturally the camera's profile is different and body castings are not interchangeable.