Rare Leica M2 on Y.A. in Japan right now

[WJJ3]

To my surprise I saw that an auction for a black Leica M2 began on Yahoo Auction this evening, and it looks to be a legit camera/lens/Leicavit combo from the batch of 500 cameras from 1958. The shop listing it is one I've noticed on YA before and is not a camera specialty shop, but more of a pawnshop that sells electronics and tools etc. It makes me wonder what events led to this camera ending up there...

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d512545796

One thing I notice about this camera set is that the lens mount of the 50mm Summilux looks like unfinished brass. Is that how Leica made these black paint lenses? It would be great if some of the vintage Leica experts here could chime in about this.

 

[Erik van Straten]

One thing I notice about this camera set is that the lens mount of the 50mm Summilux looks like unfinished brass. Is that how Leica made these black paint lenses? It would be great if some of the vintage Leica experts here could chime in about this.

There were two batches of the black painted Summilux 50mm f/1.4, both of 200 pieces. The first batch starts with number 16xxxxx and the second with 17xxxxx. The "16" batch has a brass bayonet (blackend) and the "17" batch a chromed bayonet. Another difference is the scalloping of the focusing ring: the "16" batch has ribbed "hills" and the "17" batch has ribbed "valleys".

The "16" batch in black appears before the chromed series.

The optics of the black lenses of the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 were made by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson. They are different from the "normal", chromed version of the lens. I have both versions; the black one is quite a lot sharper. Also the coating is different, the different colour is obvious. I presume the black lenses are made with different glasses.

Erik.

 

[raid]

What will be a likely ending bid here? I mean, what is such a camera/lens worth?

 

[WJJ3]

There were two batches of the black painted Summilux 50mm f/1.4, both of 200 pieces. The first batch starts with number 16xxxxx and the second with 17xxxxx. The "16" batch has a brass bayonet (blackend) and the "17" batch a chromed bayonet. Another difference is the scalloping of the focusing ring: the "16" batch has ribbed "hills" and the "17" batch has ribbed "valleys".

The "16" batch in black appears before the chromed series.

The optics of the black lenses of the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 were made by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson. They are different from the "normal", chromed version of the lens. I have both versions; the black one is quite a lot sharper. Also the coating is different, the different colour is obvious. I presume the black lenses are made with different glasses.

Erik.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Erik, very interesting to learn these details. I wonder why an unfinished brass mount. It’s a curious choice by Leitz...

 

[Erik van Straten]

What will be a likely ending bid here? I mean, what is such a camera/lens worth?

A lot of money: camera, leicavit and lens ... all rare collectibles.

Erik.

 

[WJJ3]

What will be a likely ending bid here? I mean, what is such a camera/lens worth?

Good question. 3-4 million yen? I really don’t know. But the really interesting thing is it seems this shop doesn’t really understand what they have here.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Erik, very interesting to learn these details. I wonder why an unfinished brass mount. It’s a curious choice by Leitz...

There are also Summicrons with black feet, these were made for the original black MP's. These first batch of Summiluxes are sometimes seen on the MP's too.


Erik.

 

[raid]

Very interesting. The bidders will drive up the selling price in the end. Then this beauty will be hidden in some safe.

 

[steveyork]

You wonder about the history of those original black paint cameras. Photojournalism? Ha, ha, lucky for me black paint and chrome all the same. No temptation. Hope it finds a nice home, where it can be used a bit, if only for a little.

 

[WJJ3]

It appears the seller has realized or was told by someone what he has because the auction has been canceled.

I find it amazing that this camera was sitting in someone’s house, got pawned at a second hand shop, and put on YA and nobody realized how rare it is.

I wonder where we will see it pop up next...

 

[CameraQuest]

It appears the seller has realized or was told by someone what he has because the auction has been canceled.

I find it amazing that this camera was sitting in someone’s house, got pawned at a second hand shop, and put on YA and nobody realized how rare it is.

I wonder where we will see it pop up next...

Things happen. Once an original Leica MP sold here that had been thrown away in the trash. really.

 

[maddoc]

Things happen. Once an original Leica MP sold here that had been thrown away in the trash. really.

A stranger told me back in Tokyo, looking at my black paint M4, that they had thrown away a similar looking camera plus one more body and a couple of lenses some years ago after her father had passed away. It was considered as an old worthless camera taking up precious space.

 

[WJJ3]

Things happen. Once an original Leica MP sold here that had been thrown away in the trash. really.

Crazy, I can’t imagine

 

[steveyork]

An interesting question is how many of those old cameras of any model really do exist, today, and how many are spare parts or in landfills. Probably a higher percentage than we realize. I account for a couple M2's in my house. Ha, ha, doing my duty to preserve history.

 

[Archlich]

The shop listing it is one I've noticed on YA before and is not a camera specialty shop, but more of a pawnshop that sells electronics and tools etc. It makes me wonder what events led to this camera ending up there...

リサマイ is not a mom and pop pawn shop. It's a large volume dealer of which the photographic subdivision has been very active. They usually know what they're up to and has no lack of buyers.

 

[WJJ3]

An interesting question is how many of those old cameras of any model really do exist, today, and how many are spare parts or in landfills. Probably a higher percentage than we realize. I account for a couple M2's in my house. Ha, ha, doing my duty to preserve history.

Definitely an interesting question. Like the black button rewind M2 this thread is about. Of the 500 made in ‘58 I wonder how many are still around. And how many are sitting in a box in someone’s closet being ignored...

 

[WJJ3]

リサマイ is not a mom and pop pawn shop. It's a large volume dealer of which the photographic subdivision has been very active. They usually know what they're up to and has no lack of buyers.

You are right, this is not a shop, it’s a big company with a network of buy-and-sell people. Have you bought from them? I see their auctions on YA.

In regard to the M2 in the auction this thread is about, リサマイ surely did not know what they had when they started the auction, and whoever sold it to them surely didn’t know either.