1938 leica II - a question

[greyelm]

Just a question to answer my curiosity

I have recently obtained a 1938 Leica II s/n 2946xx and notice that the rewind clutch lever has an extra piece of metal which engages with the top cover when set to A. My IIIA, IIf & IIIf do not have this extra piece of metal, is this a design feature of all model II's or is it just this year? Also the speed dial has 20-1 on it which I thought was meant for those with a slow speed dial on the front, it could be a replacement or was it the 'standard' dial used in 1938?

 

[Livesteamer]

I have never seen that. It looks too neat to be from a broken die. Maybe it's some kind of different lever they were testing. My 1934 Leica II has the normal kind of lever. Joe

 

[martin_t]

My black '39 IId has one exactly like yours, whereas my '36 IIIa has the normal lever.

 

[David Hughes]

The speed dial's "20-1" or vice versa appears on all mine of that vintage (give or take a year or two) with and without slow speed dials.

Can't comment on the lever, sorry.

Regards, David

 

[colyn]

Many of the early Leicas had this style of rewind lever so it is normal.

My Leica III also has it..

 

[John Shriver]

My IIIa has that lever.

 

[Luddite Frank]

My 1932 Leica II, two 1933 Leica III's, and the "daily driver" 1934 III all have the "normal" type re-wind/advance lever.

 

[radiocemetery]

My IIIb has that lever. My IIIa does not.

 

[john neal]

The knob looks like a IIIa one, and the lever could be too - I have seen this use of available parts before on the II / III range. With a '38 II it should be OK with the smaller diameter IIIa knob - the earlier II bodies (1932/33) had the larger dia knob, and it does make a slight difference to shutter speed if you fit the wrong one.

At least it has "Z", not "B", which would indicate a much later knob.......

 

[Rob-F]

Mine is from 1934, and does not have the same kind of rewind lever. Mine has the more usual kind. In fact, yours is the first I have seen of that shape lever. Mine does, however, have the 20-1 designation. I looked in Jim Lager's book, but did not see a lever of that type. I imagine it is fairly rare.