Charles Woodhouse
Collector,User,Repairer.
The funniest (or most stupid) Leica copy/fake I have seen was brought to me by a customer for a service.Initially it looked just like another Russian fake of a Leica II with the usual spurious serial number and four strange chrome studs on the front instead of body fixing screws.But when I removed the body shell and the obviously Russian top cover the rest of the camera was pure Leica IA converted to Leica II.
The serial number engraved on the top plate between the two range/viewfinder tubes was a late IA number and the rangefinder sensor was a wheel.Inside the body shell the two screw holes for securing the "hockey stick" infinity lock were visible,and the shell still had the small baseplate securing pin.The only part not Leica was the top cover,identifiable as Russian from that curious slope from the rangefinder eyepiece to the viewfinder eyepiece,as seen from the rear.
If the Russian faker had been really smart he could have reproduced the original serial number on the top cover and passed the camera off as a genuine IA converted to II and later chromed.
My guess is that this camera originally went to Russia as the personal property of a German soldier circa 1942,and was captured by the Russians possibly even then with a damaged top cover.Unfortunately for my collection the current owner wanted to take it back to Japan for local sale.
The serial number engraved on the top plate between the two range/viewfinder tubes was a late IA number and the rangefinder sensor was a wheel.Inside the body shell the two screw holes for securing the "hockey stick" infinity lock were visible,and the shell still had the small baseplate securing pin.The only part not Leica was the top cover,identifiable as Russian from that curious slope from the rangefinder eyepiece to the viewfinder eyepiece,as seen from the rear.
If the Russian faker had been really smart he could have reproduced the original serial number on the top cover and passed the camera off as a genuine IA converted to II and later chromed.
My guess is that this camera originally went to Russia as the personal property of a German soldier circa 1942,and was captured by the Russians possibly even then with a damaged top cover.Unfortunately for my collection the current owner wanted to take it back to Japan for local sale.
ErnestoJL
Well-known
It sounds logical. A Ia converted to II isn´t that rare. But later repaired in Russia with original russian parts, seems to be very strange.... perhaps not too valuable but rarest as nothing else, I guess.
What a pity the owner doesn´t sold it to you!
Cheers
Ernesto
What a pity the owner doesn´t sold it to you!
Cheers
Ernesto