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A Leica owned by a significant German military figure. |
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10-08-2011
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#1
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Digited User
jmilkins is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: landdownunder
Age: 43
Posts: 701
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A Leica owned by a significant German military figure.
I'm a user not a collector of cameras (though my wife would disagree!) and I have recently bought an M6 body. I'd been considering a user M and something about this one made me very curious. So curious I did some quick research, and what I found made me even interested enough to buy it.
[IMG]  Leica M6 by transalper, on Flickr[/IMG]
Leica M6 by transalper, on Flickr
The well used M6 is engraved "Graf Baudissin" and a simple google search leads to this : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Graf_von_Baudissin
My theory is this - Graf Baudissin was born in 1907, and the M6 is a late '86 model, with a German manual. Therefore, this camera would have been made a few months before Baudissin's 80th birthday! I think it's possible it might have been a gift from Leica, or colleagues, or family though I don't know how to go about verifying this. Baudissin passed away in 1993 and the camera has found new owners. The previous owner to me bought it near Hamburg where Baudissin passed away.
Plausible theory? I think so!
In any case I'm pleased to be continuing to use a camera that feels great in the hand and has a bit of added mystique. |
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10-08-2011
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#2
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Registered User
haempe is offline
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,335
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Ask Leica! I'm sure they will have something about in their records...
Interesting camera anyway.
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New is the new good.
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10-08-2011
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#3
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Registered User
raydm6 is offline
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: North Central Massachusetts (USA)
Posts: 313
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Doesn't seem to be any of the commemoration models listed here.
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M6 Classic | 35 Summicron | 90 Tele-Elmarit | 135 Tele-Elmar
M2 | 35 Summaron-M
IIIf Red Dial | 5cm Summitar
flickriver
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10-08-2011
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#4
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Registered User
hans voralberg is offline
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Birmingham, UK & Hochiminh, Vietnam
Posts: 2,065
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That is a very beautiful engraving!
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Bodies: Leica IIIf - Leica M3 SS - M6 Classic - M6 Black TTL - M8 - VC Bessa R2M
Lens: VC Skopar 21/4 II - VC Skopar 35/2.5 - Summar 50/2 - Summicron DR 50/2 - Elmar 50/3.5 pre-war uncoated - Summarit 50/1.5 - Summitar 50/2 - VC Heliar 50/2 - Nikkor S.C 50/1.4 - Canon LTM 50/1.2 - Nikkor P.C 85/2
My Flickr
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10-08-2011
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#5
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rangefinder user and fancier
xayraa33 is offline
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,140
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I want the Alfred von Schlieffen engraved Leica III .
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10-08-2011
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#6
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Registered User
Robert Lai is offline
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 419
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Well, you could go around pretending to be a Count Baudissin. The title must have passed on to his heirs.
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10-08-2011
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#7
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Registered User
Brian Sweeney is offline
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 15,160
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It looks like a gift, to be sure. Probably not an "official commemerative" from Leica, probably a gift from family and/or friends. Nicely engraved to make it personal.
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10-08-2011
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#8
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camera hunter & gatherer
Nikon Bob is offline
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,830
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I would go along with what Brian has said. It would be interesting to find something with the Graf's personal signature on it to compare with that on the camera.
Bob
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10-08-2011
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#10
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packin' light
buzzardkid is offline
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Assen, The Netherlands
Age: 42
Posts: 6,859
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That is not a commemmorative Leica, but a specially engraved one.
From the font, I wouldn't consider it a Leica-done job, so it will be unlikely to find it listed with Leica at all.
It's hand-engraved. If you want to know more about it you could either contact the heirs, or ask around with well-known jewellers stores in Hamburg and vicinity if they did the engraving?
I would consider having my M3 engraved when I would find someone able to engrave like that!
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Cheers, Johan
Leica II (1932), Elmars 50 & 135, Heliar 50: the nickel kit
Leica II (1942), Minifinder, Canon 28, W-Nikkor 35, Elmar 90: the chrome kit
Ricoh GXR Monochrom 
Visit johanniels.com! |
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10-08-2011
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#11
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Registered User
swoop is offline
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New York City
Age: 30
Posts: 1,557
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What is the condition of the viewfinder? Any dust or scratches? It could be worthless.
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10-08-2011
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#12
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Digited User
jmilkins is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: landdownunder
Age: 43
Posts: 701
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Hello all, thank you for your input and interest. I agree with the view that this particular camera is certainly not a factory commemorative issue, but rather a standard M6 with engraving done specifically for Count Baudissin.
The quality of engraving is high (great suggestion to try to find the Count's signature Bob) and I too think that it's a hand done piece,done after the sale of the camera.
What I like about the camera is that it has obviously been used. Nonetheless the viewfinder is perfectly aligned and free of any defects - just pure joy to bring to the eye. I wonder what images it has captured for the Count during the years he owned it and by its later owners.
I will send the details to Leica and see if there is any info there. Finding his family might be harder. In the meantime I suppose its the long savings goal to pair it with an appropriate Leitz optic!
Last edited by jmilkins : 10-08-2011 at 17:00.
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10-08-2011
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#13
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Registered User
zvos1 is offline
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Down Under
Posts: 275
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Hi John
You still got M4-P ??
I was actually bidding on that particular M6 but you beat me to it. I figured it was going to sell for less due to engraving and I think in the end it did.
Interesting fact about the Count is that he spent some time here in Victoria as prisoner of war in 40s' and now his camera ended up back in Victoria...
Enjoy the camera mate....
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Of course it's all luck. - HCB
M3 + 50 cron IV
M6 + 28 elmarit IV
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10-08-2011
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#14
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Registered User
MichaelW is offline
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 155
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zvos1
Hi John
I was actually bidding on that particular M6 but you beat me to it. I figured it was going to sell for less due to engraving and I think in the end it did.
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Funnily enough, a guy I know in Sydney was also looking at that camera & decided not to bid because of the engraving. It did go for a good price. |
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10-09-2011
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#15
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Digited User
jmilkins is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: landdownunder
Age: 43
Posts: 701
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zvos1
Hi John
You still got M4-P ??
I was actually bidding on that particular M6 but you beat me to it. I figured it was going to sell for less due to engraving and I think in the end it did.
Interesting fact about the Count is that he spent some time here in Victoria as prisoner of war in 40s' and now his camera ended up back in Victoria...
Enjoy the camera mate....
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heh thanks Nezvo - sorry 'bout the bid! I thought the engraving would add to it's appeal after i worked out who he was, but who can predict these things. I like the connection back to Australia too. Hope you r Os trip was great.
The M4-P and M6 make great stablemates and will enjoy each other's company! Same finder and one has a meter if needed. |
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10-09-2011
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#16
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Digited User
jmilkins is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: landdownunder
Age: 43
Posts: 701
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelW
Funnily enough, a guy I know in Sydney was also looking at that camera & decided not to bid because of the engraving. It did go for a good price.
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Heh Michael - it is a small world in Australia for rangefinder nerds eh!
Last edited by jmilkins : 10-09-2011 at 13:35.
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10-09-2011
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#17
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Registered User
El Jonbre Grande is offline
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 86
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Heya John - I almost bought that M6 before it went on ebay (the owner lived just down the road from me  but I decided I wanted an M5 or M4) - hope you get a lot of joy from it! |
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10-11-2011
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#18
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Digited User
jmilkins is offline
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: landdownunder
Age: 43
Posts: 701
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Yeah -an M5 is on my wish list because of the frame line and metering area match ups - just brilliant design in my view. There's one that's gone through at least 3 RFF members here and might come up again one day! I think it's an added bonus to be able to see images others have taken with a camera (or lens) you now own - gives the camera a history and a life of it's own, if that's not being way too sentimental. I have a Hexar RF that 2 other RFF photographers I admire once used.
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10-11-2011
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#19
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Registered User
Shade is offline
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 400
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Very interesting and yes I would agree that it is engraved beautifully.
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