Japanese Leica-clones...

[Luddite Frank]

I 've been scouting around for a Tower 45 or a Yashica-badged Nicca...

I've been fairly stonkered by the prices they seem to command... often more than the Leicas they were modeled-on !


Wow.

 

[zuiko85]

As always,

Limited supply, sufficent demand to support those prices.

 

[goamules]

And in a lot of ways, with the lever winder, rear film door, better than a leica. Just keep looking, they show up about every 1-2 months on ebay.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

Well, leica M3 killed all those copies, for good... The astonishing thing was that USSR continued to produce their copies well into almost -80`s like they thought the russki leicas HAD to be superior...

 

[goamules]

That's like saying a 69 Ford Boss Mustang killed the 66 Shelby GT350 Mustang. All manufacturing moves forward to new designs, sometimes every year. But the earlier items were often just as good or better than the new ones. I've shot them all. My Nicca/Tower lever wind is my favorite. Small, compact, precision.

 

[Jan Pedersen]

Well, leica M3 killed all those copies, for good... The astonishing thing was that USSR continued to produce their copies well into almost -80`s like they thought the russki leicas HAD to be superior...

The reason they could do that was that no one East of the Iron Curtain knew about the M3 and the progress Leica made.

 

[shadowfox]

Those that Canon-made, are reasonably-priced.
Just as nice.

 

[Dez]

Well, leica M3 killed all those copies, for good... The astonishing thing was that USSR continued to produce their copies well into almost -80`s like they thought the russki leicas HAD to be superior...

Well, then there was the fact that the FSU RF cameras were cheaper than dirt, and therefore easily affordable. According to production figures on a popular FSU website, the combined total of FED and Zorki RF cameras is over 11 million, and there were more Zorki 4's ever made than RF Leicas. Looks like they had a pretty good market going for them.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[xayraa33]

I remember talking to an older camera store salesman and he said a lot of the Nicca/Tower Leica copies were thrown away if they did not work properly when taken in as trade-ins for new SLR cameras in the mid 1960s, only their Nikkor 50mm lenses were kept.

 

[johannielscom]

I remember talking to an older camera store salesman and he said a lot of the Nicca/Tower Leica copies were thrown away if they did not work properly when taken in as trade-ins for new SLR cameras in the mid 1960s, only their Nikkor 50mm lenses were kept.

Yikes.🙁


Happy to report I found my Tower 45 on eBay a few weeks back and will be teaming it up with my much-loved Japanese LTM lenses soon... One that got away...🙂


When searching on eBay, search for 'Nicca', 'Tower Leica', 'Tower camera', 'Yashica RF', 'Tower RF', Yashica rangefinder', possibly even 'Tower 45' or 'Tower 46' etc. I found quite a few with at least a transport lever, sometimes even the real deal with lever and back door. Those were made as a Tower, a Nicca or a Yashica in various guises. Expect to pay somewhere around USD 350-450.

 

[ray*j*gun]

Get a Canon..... their copies were better than the Leica's and are well priced even today. Okay I'll duck now... 😀 I own a number of Barnacks so I can say that and live to tell.....

 

[johannielscom]

FWIW, there's some nice Towers, Leotaxes and Niccas on www.leicashop.com.

Prices aren't in the bargain range but since I'm unable and unwilling to see the contents of others wallets, I'm pointing it out here.

Just sayin'...😎

 

[John E Earley]

 

[Timmyjoe]

It's interesting, on eBay I see Tower cameras listed as "made by Sears". I can see them being 'made for Sears', but I was unaware that Sears ever had camera manufacturing. Did they at one time own a plant in Asia?

 

[kbg32]

It's interesting, on eBay I see Tower cameras listed as "made by Sears". I can see them being 'made for Sears', but I was unaware that Sears ever had camera manufacturing. Did they at one time own a plant in Asia?

No, they were manufactured by others under the Sears name.

 

[KoNickon]

Only those later model clones are really pricey, I think. I'm holding right now a Tower Type 3, which was made by Nicca probably around 1950. Tower was the Sears store brand. It's really a spitting image of the Leica III, and I don't believe these are very expensive, even now.

 

[Roger Hicks]

After the M3, some people did indeed make better screw-mount Leicas. Leica was among them, with the IIIg. Late Canons were good (early ones were mostly pretty primitive); the Yashica YF/Nicca was nice; I rather liked the Hensoldt; but be deeply suspicious of anyone who says "better than Leica", though the Reid may conceivably have been better than the elderly Leica on which it was based. In the 1960s and 70s, Leica copies were fun -- even Corfield Periflexes. That's just the ones I've owned/used. Today, for the most part, they're worth far more to collectors than to people who want to take pictures.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Joe Vitessa]

Don't forget the Tanacks! The cameras are solid and my Tanar 50mm f2 is comparable to my glass from Leitz.

 

[Joe Vitessa]

Get a Canon..... their copies were better than the Leica's and are well priced even today. Okay I'll duck now... 😀 I own a number of Barnacks so I can say that and live to tell.....

Alas, I have to agree with this. My Canon IVSB feels more solid than my IIIf and is easier to use.

 

[furcafe]

You used a Hensioldt? I'm impressed, never seen any of them in person.

After the M3, some people did indeed make better screw-mount Leicas. Leica was among them, with the IIIg. Late Canons were good (early ones were mostly pretty primitive); the Yashica YF/Nicca was nice; I rather liked the Hensoldt; but be deeply suspicious of anyone who says "better than Leica", though the Reid may conceivably have been better than the elderly Leica on which it was based. In the 1960s and 70s, Leica copies were fun -- even Corfield Periflexes. That's just the ones I've owned/used. Today, for the most part, they're worth far more to collectors than to people who want to take pictures.

Cheers,

R.