And yet another one..

[HuubL]

People seem to think this is the right stuff. Already 25 bids and eight hours to go. What do you think? Another one to beware of....?

[ChrisN]

The focus knob seems to be the wrong pattern for a 50mm 3.5 Elmar. The "bell-push" type knob was found on the 5cm 2.5 Hektor, but the knurling on the one pictured is not correct - it is diamond pattern rather than the square pattern found on the Hektor.

Edit: were these bodies even made in a chrome finish?

[HuubL]

This doesn't look like a Leica. Too many details are wrong. The housing for the speed selector is too high. The vulcanite is wrong, the finder seems to narrow, etc... Why doesn't the seller shows the lens front up, but only with the cap on? Someone suspicious suggested that it could be a fake and the seller answered he didn't know, but I feel he knows more than he wants to show. In the other pictures the cap is off, but we can't see the front of the lens, which would immediately reveal it as a faked Elmar. Why is the RF sensor in the dark? To let us believe there is a roller...?

[HuubL]

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Edit: were these bodies even made in a chrome finish?

I think there never was a Leica I type FED or Zorki (without RF). Only Leica II lookalikes.

[ChrisN]

Van Hasbroeck states that the interchangeable-lens Leica 1s started at #37,280.

[S.H.]

Looking at the "vulcanite", I have some doubts... Look like the covering in the russian Zorkis.

[funkydog]

The alarm bells should start ringing whenever the lens cap or body cap is a prominent feature of the photos instead of the things they're covering.

[Frontman]

Originally Posted by HuubL

I think there never was a Leica I type FED or Zorki (without RF). Only Leica II lookalikes.

There are many fake Leica I copies made from old FED cameras, the rangefinder and top cover are removed and a simple cover made for the shutter assembly. They are usually painted black. This one is chrome, but is still an obvious fake.

[DNG]

Leica 1c with 5cm Elmar





eBay fake

[radiocemetery]

Just asking, why would a Leica I need an rf sensor arm since it does not have a rangefinder anyway? Am I missing something?

[buzzardkid]

Originally Posted by HuubL

This doesn't look like a Leica. Too many details are wrong. The housing for the speed selector is too high. The vulcanite is wrong, the finder seems to narrow, etc... Why doesn't the seller shows the lens front up, but only with the cap on? Someone suspicious suggested that it could be a fake and the seller answered he didn't know, but I feel he knows more than he wants to show. In the other pictures the cap is off, but we can't see the front of the lens, which would immediately reveal it as a faked Elmar. Why is the RF sensor in the dark? To let us believe there is a roller...?

There is no RF and thus no RF coupling.

[Dralowid]

Stamping on back of lens flange is classic Fed/Zorki as is paint finish on the bottom of shutter crate.

There was a Fed variant of the Leica I. I have never seen one, it may only have been a run of prototypes. As I understand it production stopped when they developed the classic Leica II type Fed. This certainly isn't one, apart from anything else, (and there is a lot), early Fed chrome looks more like galvanising!

[buzzardkid]

The knurling on all knobs is off. The accessory shoe is square as opposed to round on the true Leica I. A later model Leica had the square accessory shoe, the Standard (Modell E). But, the rewind knob is too large in diameter for any model Leica.

Vulcanite looks VERY Russian. Bottom plate is original Leica though. Top plate might be original Leica too, but all the screws have been replaced with too modern ones.

The housing for the speed mechanism might be machined specifically for this camera and if a forger could do that, there might be business in that alone, since a housing for a speed mechanism that would fit a FED or a Zorki might be worth something to many people in itself. We've seen projects here were people were converting a FED or Zorki into 'Standard' camera but the original Leica housing always caused the trouble since it could not accomodate the FED or Zorki mechanism.

The lens is a FED for sure, in one shot there is a number hammered into the rear of the mount and only FED did that with their early lenses.

[jarski]

never knew I's were/are faked as well. good information. been thinking non-RF Barnack as platform for CV12.

[HuubL]

Originally Posted by radiocemetery

Just asking, why would a Leica I need an rf sensor arm since it does not have a rangefinder anyway? Am I missing something?

....ehh...right... so it was in the dark to hide there was one...

[greyelm]

Another thing that suggests a fake are the silver screw heads on the front, Leica always had black ones.

[HuubL]

Originally Posted by buzzardkid

But, the rewind knob is too large in diameter for any model Leica.

Well, the big rewind knob makes it kind of look original. That's a part that is consistent with the original Leica I, that also has a rewind knob with a bigger diameter than on the later Leicas.

27 bids already, 282 US$, and 4 more hours to go.

[wolves3012]

I'm not expert enough on the Leica I to say it isn't genuine, however it could easily be derived from a FED I.

[xayraa33]

These guys should fake something that is really rare like this Japanese Muley Leica 1 copy from the late 1940s.

[Bobbo]

Hmm... wonder if the owner sees this thread and reports it as a counterfeit product sold through eBay...

[Contarama]

So what is it worth?

[jtm6]

Originally Posted by Bobbo

Hmm... wonder if the owner sees this thread and reports it as a counterfeit product sold through eBay...

I tried to report a few counterfeit products and bogus listings on ebay. They never replied and the auctions always stayed up until they ended normally.

[farlymac]

Well, it's the new owners problem now. $320 is a bit much for a fake Leica. But then, some folks collect these things, and might see it as a bargain.

PF

[Dez]

I attempted to contact the vendor with a link to this thread, suggesting he might want to contact the buyer. I got the following not very useful reply.

Hi! I'm not arguing with You, but Russians would never use German Brand name, espetialy after WWII. You are right, Russian copy of Leica is FED (Felix Edmundovich Dzerzinsky)Chif Of (CHK) Cherezvichainaya Kommissiya, after revolution 1917,later KGB or Zorki.

Doesn't look like the vendor will come clean. The lack of articles in the vendor's text tend to suggest that his mother tongue is Russian.

Cheers,
Dez

[funkydog]

Ah leave em be. Let the buyer enjoy his Leica. Ya can't police the entire Ebay. There're many other sellers with questionable practices like under representing foggy lenses, bad photos that hide more than they reveal, shilling, and relisting items when the final bids in no-reserve auctions are too low for their liking.