Real or Fake

I don't know what it is. The FED and Zorkis cameras did not come with strap eyelets, except for the rare Zorki 2. Also, the FSU Leica copies did not come with a slow speed dial or block-off plate on the front of the camera. And, it's damn near impossible to remove the vulcanite from Russian cameras. The only suspicious thing I see on this camera is the top cover, but the photos are not sharp enough to be sure. The camera is most likely a genuine Leica, but the top cover may have been changed to make it more "collectible".
 
The pictures are too small but the rounded corner VF window is typical of a mid-late 30s Barnack, the strap lugs seem right and the blocking plate for the slow speed control suggest it may have been a III or IIIa. The lens is blurred but has tell tale signs of being an Elmar.
 
If it was real would it be a good price ? Dont worry cosmonaut, I dont want to buy it but I was going to buy A II with a lightly scracthed Elmar 6 months ago locally for $650 plus tax. Plus another $150 for CLA. I decided not to in the end
 
I went back & saw the bottom photos. Plus saw that the top photo's were of the vulcanite stripped off. My first look at it I thought it was one of those pearl looking fakes that those soviet cams are famous for. (note to self) Pay more attention next time dummy.:bang:This looks real. especially the way the shutter looks. Tom Eisner would know for sure.
 
The lack of diopter correction gives me to think.
But I agree, if it is a fake, someone have put a lot of effort into this...
 
Leica II does not have the diopter correction. It was introduced with Leica III.


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haempe said:
The lack of diopter correction gives me to think.
But I agree, if it is a fake, someone have put a lot of effort into this...
Click to expand...
 
I agree with those above, the photos are not sharp/large enough to be certain. FEDs don't have strap-lugs but, contrary to what is said above, the vulcanite isn't that hard to remove. The VF window also does not look like FED. The blanking plate could easily be added on a fake.

On balance, it looks genuine but you need better photos and certainly one without the lens, to see the RF roller. Plus a more expert opinion!
 
Much of it looks real, such as the solid shutter button, and the engraving looks all right. However I don't like the looks of the frame around the finder window. I think it may be flush with the top of the top plate, with no relief there. Hard to see in that picture. The top edge of the window should be recessed below the camera top. If it is flush, it's not a Leica. But I don't know of any fakes anyone bothered to make with a slow speed dial cover plate. It could be a II made during the production period of the III or IIIa, when an opening for upgrading was left as a matter of course.
 
Thanks all I thought it was over priced, I am more interested in a user IIIa. I just haven't seen any pass through in awhile. I just though something looked fishy about the thing.
 
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