Leica II copy..anyone have one?

[photobizzz]

Just wondering if anyone had one of those Leica II copies that *bay seller grizzly33bear sells for $109 USD with the copy elmar. I think they look pretty good in the auction, just wondering how they function. I was thinking about the "golden" copy, although it is pretty obviously a fake I still want one...LOL

[laptoprob]

Nope. I got a real one for less!

[photobizzz]

At least you hope it is real....or is it?

[Keith]

It would be a pain if you were going for one of these FSU clones and finished up with a real Leica because of a dishonest seller ... I mean, how annoying would that be?

[laptoprob]

It is real allright. So is my '37 Elmar 50. I was surprised it works so flawlessly though!
All I had to figure out and correct was the fine banding at 1/1000 and 1/500.

[photobizzz]

Yea I paid more, but I got a nice III w/summar that is E++ condition that dosent need any work plus I am waiting for a IIIf RD and a black 9cm Elmar + ROSOL finder right now, cant wait to try those out...it would be fun to walk around with at gold plated "leica" and see how many people think it is real!

[jamiewakeham]

Photobizzz - go look at my ad! Not gold-plated but really convincing; it's fooled a couple of dealers. In fact, I should go back and sell it to one of them...

[wolves3012]

If you want one, you want one! The only real drawback to them is: why someone would do this to a camera. The answer is often because they had a junk camera or several parts cameras that were not marketable, so they turned it/them into this. If you get a decent one it'll work just fine, if you don't it'll have problems. For display purpose, why not? For a user, beware!

[wolves3012]

Originally Posted by jamiewakeham

Photobizzz - go look at my ad! Not gold-plated but really convincing; it's fooled a couple of dealers. In fact, I should go back and sell it to one of them...

No offence here but it was obviously a Zorki 1 - the shutter release is an easy giveaway and the RF sensor is clearly Zorki. If it fooled a dealer he must be very green!

[jamiewakeham]

I think that used to be generally true, and there are certainly still some out there that have been turned into looky-leicas because they'd be unsellable as actual functioning cameras.

There are, however, people taking good Zorkis and FEDs and leicaficating [sic?] them to produce reliable copies. Spotting the difference can be tricky... I've nothing but good experiences with DVDTechnik, though, and they usually have a few for sale.

Cheers
Jamie

Edit - fair enough, it wouldn't fool anybody who really knew Leicas. It convinced the guy who ran Morris in Oxford, which (to be fair) didn't have much of a high-end rangefinder stock. Surprisingly, it also convinced the guy who runs the camera stall in the antiques centre in Warwick, and he did have a shelf of IIs and IIIs.

I've found it invaluable for weddings; you always get a know-it-all who is bemused/dismayed/even angry to find the photog using a russian camera, but smiles knowingly when he spots my 'Leica'. Of course, now I have an M3...

[photobizzz]

I dont know about someone turning junk cameras into one good one, this seller on ebay has them listed continuously so someone must be producing them. They are also in several rare (if real) models like the lutwaffe, anniversary, and olympic editions.

[payasam]

Rob, a II with 1/1000?

[laptoprob]

Yes, a IIf. Not an early II. Leica numbering... grmbl.
I did have a Zorki 1 earlier, great camera that didn't cost me ¤ 109 though...

[wolves3012]

I have a Zorki 1 and two FED 1s and I find them really nice (and not to mention the umpteen derivatives I have). I'm about to invest in a IIIc, it'll be an interesting comparison...

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Originally Posted by photobizzz

Just wondering if anyone had one of those Leica II copies that *bay seller grizzly33bear sells for $109 USD with the copy elmar. I think they look pretty good in the auction, just wondering how they function. I was thinking about the "golden" copy, although it is pretty obviously a fake I still want one...LOL

Saw some of these golden fakes at local market here but obviously they had lost most of their shine: after a while, the gold changes into an unpolished brass color. However people may like that, at least the camera then looks much older. May give you quite some polishing work

[Leigh Youdale]

Yes, I have one of the 'gold' plated Fed I fakes. Bought it on EBay a couple of years ago from an FSU seller thinking if it was OK I could save on the cost of a real Leica. Although listed as a "Vintage Leica II" there was some fine print saying it was a replica, so I knew what I was getting.

It looked gorgeous in its sealed plastic wrap. Since then it has taken on that old brassy look someone else noted. I ran one film through it. Loved the feel of it but didn't like the quality of the photos and went back out and bought a couple of real IIIf's.

Thought I might get Charles Woodhouse to give the Fed/Leica an overhaul, but with two working IIIf's it's going to end up beign sold or used as an attractive paperweight!

[dee]

There have been questions about Grizzly from some people in the past.
I have far to many Leica-ized ex-Zorki / Feds.
The best have been the OTT wartime chrome/ black cameras from moscowphoto.
I bought an older Brass '' wartime ''Leica '' because it has the older shutter button . I bought some brasso and it looks lovely - to the extent that I would love a brass real Leica II !
To black Leica cameras from moscow were not so good , but again , I cut my losses , and , thanks to Oleg , now have twin Fed 1g '' Leicas '' to complement my twin black Leica IIs !
I intend to have the brass camera Oleged - and shall recover it myself.

These cameras are likely to have parts from several dud camera , so don't expect any thought of originality [ though Oleg was surprised hwo original my black Fed pretenders were ] - for me , it's a worthwhile method of recycling - but then , I am registered crazeee !!

dee

[Mr_Flibble]

I've had several fake leica's, 2 came from Grizzlybear on Ebay. The first was a right mess, curtains were so full of holes they might as well have not been there. Shutter was hesitant. First roll I shot throught it was a complete loss.

The second one I bought had trouble rewinding, cam on the rewindswitch did not function. Tore the film in half. the photos that came out were quite good though.

The third I bought through someone else and it was of the horrible golden plated kind. But it did seem to function okay. Never bothered to shoot with it though. Gave it to a guy in the UK.

Then I bought my original Leica IIIa, it's not given me any grief yet

[ErnestoJL]

Some time ago I bought a Zorki 1 made in 1954.
I knew it and I accepted it was just a Leica II copy, because I couldn´t aford the real thing.
But anyway It was a satisfying purchase.
Now, I´m thinking of a IIIc....

Cheers

Ernesto

[Mudman]

Funny Thing is that I'm getting a FED 2 sometime this week from a friend of mine... While another friend without me knowing got me a Leica III! So I'm going to be awash in Leicas and Fakes soon enough. I can't wait to run a role through both of them.

[Brennotdan]

Originally Posted by Mudman

Funny Thing is that I'm getting a FED 2 sometime this week from a friend of mine... While another friend without me knowing got me a Leica III! So I'm going to be awash in Leicas and Fakes soon enough. I can't wait to run a role through both of them.

I need new friends!

[Mudman]

Originally Posted by Brennotdan

I need new friends!

I do seem to be blessed with knowing good people. However I think the Leica was more of a end of the year Bonus from a professor that I had set up the class and helped get everything in order for for the semester.

[Brennotdan]

Originally Posted by Mudman

I do seem to be blessed with knowing good people. However I think the Leica was more of a end of the year Bonus from a professor that I had set up the class and helped get everything in order for for the semester.

I need new professors!

Not really, I have had some great ones. Sounds like you worked for it, enjoy!

[ErnestoJL]

Originally Posted by photobizzz

Just wondering if anyone had one of those Leica II copies that *bay seller grizzly33bear sells for $109 USD with the copy elmar. I think they look pretty good in the auction, just wondering how they function. I was thinking about the "golden" copy, although it is pretty obviously a fake I still want one...LOL

One thing I forgot, is that the lens is only an Elmar copy in regard of the external styling. Inside, the Industar 22 is a good coated copy of a prewar Zeiss Tessar 3.5
Some time ago, Zorkikat pointed out that the Elmar (even being a Tessar like lens) has the iris diaphragm placed between the first and second element, unlike the Tessar which iris is placed between the second element/group and third group.
It´s said that this was done by Leitz as a try to avoid vignetting at full aperture.

Ernesto

[shadowfox]

How about the Fed 50/3.5? is it an Elmar copy or not?

I have one like sitemistic does, and it takes darn sharp pictures.