Leica M - the chinese version

[Krosya]

I have been looking around Ebay and found many interesting and unusual items. Here is one of them:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Red-Flag-20-1-4-50mm-case_W0QQitemZ280099775167QQcategoryZ711QQcmdZViewItem

I never knew that there is such a thing, - very Leica M- like camera. And price of it for sure puts it in a Leica category, if nothing else. I wonder how good these are? Anyone has any info?

BTW this seller has some amazing items (at outrageous prices - I wonder who ever buys from them?). Like this one - I didn't know there was one like it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Leica-M3-Mount-...itemZ280099775291QQcategoryZ711QQcmdZViewItem

Check them out - if nothing else - very educational.

 

[drewbarb]

This is a pretty rare camera- it'll be interesting to see what it goes for. For more info, check out this old thread: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23143

 

[thafred]

haha...photoarsenal are crazy! I too wonder if they ever actualy sell anything!
in fact, Westlicht Auction Vienna sold a chinese Red Flag 20 with Summilux and Summicron 90 clone in November for just under 7000 (and I thought they are generaly expensive ;-) )

the camera is a interesting item thou

 

[EmilGil]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I can remember; Photo Arsenal and SHphoto (RFF sponsors) are the same company. I've never seen an item with a reasonable price there...

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Looks like a strange hybrid of Leica M and Canon V or P to me.

Didn't Gandy mention a Chinese rangefinder camera in his website? There's one with a mispelling, IIRC.

 

[bob cole]

Leica M-the chinese version

Leica M-the chinese version

Both "300 Leica Copies," by Pont/Princelle and "Leica Copies," by HPR say that Chairman Mao's widow, Chiang Ching, ordered the Red Flag...Pont Princelle, with more detail, says she ordered it built at the No. 2 Shanghai camera factory to "prove" they could match the best Leicas and lenses... The first two numbers engraved on the camera tell the year it was made... Production: about 200...

Here are details from the two volumes:

 

[erikhaugsby]

Can't we just open a single thread discussing this store, their prices and stock?

What's to discuss? Arsenall is, is always overpriced, and always is with an infinitely large number of collectible items for sale. Not much more than that.

 

[colyn]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I can remember; Photo Arsenal and SHphoto (RFF sponsors) are the same company. I've never seen an item with a reasonable price there...

They have a third name.. Arsenal...

And yes they are very high priced and usually dump several hundred auctions on ebay each week.