Leica LTM Early Leica II .... or not?

[Simon Bruxelles]

This camera is an odd one. It is supposed to be a Leica II and has the serial number 82565 which would date it to 1932 the first year of production. The surprise is that it is chrome rather than black paint. According to the references I've found the chrome cameras weren't produced until the following year. The serial number is correct for a Leica II so it is not an upgrade from a Leica I. It does have the later style speed dial and top housing so I suppose it could have been damaged and repaired, but I have never seen a window around the viewfinder like the one on this camera which has a sharp corner at the top right rather than a curved one. Can any experts here cast any light on it? Simon
PS If it is inappropriate to discuss live auctions please delete

 

[D.O'K.]

Could it be a FSU fake? Pictures not good enough to tell, but to me it doesn't really look quite right for a Leica in two or three respects. But I might be wrong...

Regards,
D.

 

[Ronald_H]

That's obviously a fake. Which means it is fraud as well.

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-213.html

 

[_goodtimez]

I screams fake even from far.

 

[Filzkoeter]

Both, lens and camera are fake.
The top housing with it's sharp housing is definitly FED or Zorki.
The RF windows also scream FED/Zorki.
Also the shutterbutton looks wrong for a Leica.

As for the lens; i'm not 100% sure. It's propably a early uncoated and rebadged Industar-10 lens... as I can see the numbers of the distance scale are pointing clockwise; not counterclockwise like on a real elmar. It's different to tell from these photos.


And that everready case behind the camera... that's everything... but not Leica. Look at the Leica-badge, how awesome badly made it is.

 

[greyelm]

Another anomaly is the infinity lock button on the lens which is obviously Soviet and it lands at 10 o'clock not 7 o'clock.

 

[wolves3012]

Looks more like a FED to me. I don't claim to be a Leica expert but the engraving looks wrong somehow and I thought the II had the contoured shape around the VF window?

Shame the pictures aren't clearer, it would make life easier. A shot of the bottom plate and one of the lens-mount area without the lens fitted would seal it beyond doubt. Overall, I'd bet far more money on fake than real.

EDIT: Also, note the seller's feedback. Not encouraging.

 

[batterytypehah!]

If that's a Leica I'm Cartier-Bresson...

As for the seller's feedback, don't know what to make of it. They've never sold anything, now they have 8 photographic items going at the same time, including some genuine Leica items with apparently honest descriptions. Quite possible they fell for the fake themselves.

 

[xayraa33]

It is a Fed 1

 

[Chris Bail]

I like how it's shown with a KMZ turret finder. I don't have enough expertise in spotting fake Leica II's, so I'll leave that to others.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Fake. Not odd.

Erik.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Ex-USSR lock to infinity lock but black screws(?) on the front around the lens mount. Anyway, he said about 2 hours ago that he's found it's a fake. So 5 stars for that. I worry about his choice of name for ebay...

Regards, David

 

[Filzkoeter]

[...] black screws(?) on the front around the lens mount.[...]

Actually I don't see any screws at all. Looks as if the cover was made new and no one cared about the front screws, someone propably only covered the holes.


And well, I also replaced the screws around the lens mount on my Zorki with black ones, looks more pretty. 😉

 

[batterytypehah!]

Hi,

Ex-USSR lock to infinity lock but black screws(?) on the front around the lens mount. Anyway, he said about 2 hours ago that he's found it's a fake. So 5 stars for that. I worry about his choice of name for ebay...

Regards, David

5 stars? Not in my book. He's still claiming the lens and VF are genuine. I was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt earlier but that is some nerve.

 

[bowieknife]

obviously a fake, based on a FED, ( and he clearly states it's a COPY !!!)too funny the 'genuine' KMZ viewfinder that comes with it ! if you get it for no more than 100€ it could be a nice user camera tough, my Industar-22 and Industar-50 are both very sharp lenses, not worse than a 50mm Elmar ! and the turret viewfinder will prove useful in case you decide to buy other lenses later ( 28-35-50-85-135mm ), with Paypal you have full buyer protection and risk nothing

 

[batterytypehah!]

^Seller has changed the text. The original auction claimed it was a genuine Leica.

 

[David Hughes]

5 stars? Not in my book. He's still claiming the lens and VF are genuine. I was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt earlier but that is some nerve.

Hi,

That's 5 stars on his ebay feedback: different standards apply... Well, I'd give him that for the description.

Regards, David

 

[n5jrn]

It's now gone from eBay entirely. Hopefully that's because complaints of it being a counterfeit item caused it to be removed, not because it sold as Leica equipment.

 

[David Hughes]

It's now gone from eBay entirely. Hopefully that's because complaints of it being a counterfeit item caused it to be removed, not because it sold as Leica equipment.

Hi,

Pity really; I've noticed fakes with a true description are like "spares or repairs" cameras and often sell for far more than a good one... But that's ebay for you.

Regards, David