Copy or not?

[Chimera]

Hi there.

I´m completly new to the great Leica-family. My question is; how to determine if the camera is a copy or real?

for instance:

http://www.blocket.se/vi/8481317.htm?ca=11_s

serialnr is 276135

Anyone? :confused:

[OldNick]

The serial number corresponds to a Leica III from 1938, and the photo, though not very sharp, resembles that camera.

Jim N.

[Rich Silfver]

Not sure, but the direct translation of the sentence in the ad;
"Leica tillverkad efter kriget i Ryssland" means
"Leica produced after the war in Russia".

[FrankS]

The lens is not a real Elmar. It has an aperture ring rather than a tab. I'm guessing it's a copy!

[wlewisiii]

Zorki 1. Edit: See the square around the middle window instead of curved as on the real Leica II. See here: http://www.btinternet.com/~stowupland/index.htm and follow the left hand menu down to fakes for a good intro to spotting them. ISTR that Mr. Gandy has a good page on it too at http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm

William

[kestas]

http://jay.fedka.com/index_files/Page367.htm

[Marc-A.]

Definitely a russian fake.

[Chimera]

Wow! I never could expect it so difficult to tell a real one from fake...! Thanx for all tips. I asume the one is fake, refering to the links above.

BUT. There is another one on the market here in Sweden where the seller says it is a fake one, but again refering the the links above, this one really seems to be genuin..?! I guess one way to tell, is to remove the lens...

http://www.tradera.com/auction/Foto__Kameror___Optik/aid_31816235

What is your guessing?

[bob cole]

Leica has made gold-colored Leicas but as far as I know, never when this camera was produced...It looks like a Fed, which made good copies of both the body and the lens back then but they were never machined as well as the Leica...If it's gold-colored, it's a good bet that it's a copy...

[The Leica Lexus, made in 1929-1930, was gold-plated with red, green, blue or brown lizard skin...about 60 were made...It is extremely rare and, therefore, very expensive...]

leica also made an M4-2 in gold, an R3 and an R4, according to Ghester Sartorius in Identifying Leica Cameras...

[merciful]

The "Luftwaffe" model is a fake. Göring, Milch, and their cohorts didn't spec their service bodies with gold plate (though perhaps the Reichsmarschall would have appreciated the style.)

[RdEoSg]

Definate fake. We have one in our case at the shop just for the hell of it!

[Chimera]

Thanx everbody, helping me out!! A TRUE Leica will be my wet dream futhermore, although I own my pressious Contessa...chers

[colyn]

It's a fake...
The first thing I look at is the shutter button. If it is taped for a cable release then it is a fake since no Leica screwmount camera is. You have to use an adapter when using a cable..