What could this be? Leica II top plate

[onaclearday]

Hello,
Today I received a Leica II (apparently converted from a Leica I) in a pretty good condtition shutter curtain has no holes speeds work perfectly rangefinder is calibrated. I managed to find out it was made in 1930.
The only thing I cant figure out is the top plate, there is a rivet in place there(Ill put some pictures up). I cant understand its functionality, it doesnt seem to hold anything in place as it moves pretty loosely.
Has anyone seen something like this? Is it common? Was it from a repair?

Thanks for reading!

https://imgur.com/a/WtqAyxd
https://imgur.com/a/JVlWHoM

 

[Luddite Frank]

I don't know. That's unfortunate.

I have a black Leica III from 1933 which has had a co-axial PC flash socket added in just about the same place.

Perhaps yours had a similar flash connection added, then removed, and this is plugging the hole ?

?

LF

 

[Jerevan]

An aftermarket flash synchronisation, that someone later decided to replace with whatever is there now (small plug/knob?).

 

[onaclearday]

Man, why do people feel the need to abuse these beautiful old cameras... Anyways at elast I have an usable 1930 Leica 🙂)

 

[johannielscom]

remnant of a flash sync.
and an ugly one at that too.

Loads of repairmen could do a much better job plugging that hole with something decent, I'm confident. Somebody might even be able to make it look good again.

Enjoy the camera anyway!

 

[p.giannakis]

If you are in UK, call Alan Starkie from https://www.cameraworks-uk.com/ to see if he has any idea how to rectify it. It will be at a price though.

 

[B-9]

It can be brazed shut, likely to lose a fair bit of the engraving.

Alternatively, a flash sync could be reinstalled as well as the top carefully hammered flat again.

Looks like a household item, try pulling it out! Looks like one of those clips/caps you use to hold paper together through a punch hole. I’ve got a drawer full of the things... what are they called! Lol

 

[Luddite Frank]

Careful if you go poking at it... don't want to make it worse.

If you do get that button out, you might find a black plastic or rubber plug that will do the job more discretely... even a small square of black gaffer's tape...

When someone modified your camera (with the sync), they weren't conciously abusing a collectible camera; they were trying to expand / extend the usefulness of a camera that they found useful / valuable. Not sure I can defend the bright rivet though.

Good luck !

LF

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Looks like the male end of a button. You could take it out then JB Weld a thin plate to the underside and level off the hole with that epoxy as well. It will take paint well if you want to get a loose match for better cosmetics.

Phil Forrest

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

I like the gaffer tape solution, I put it on the base to help from scratches, works on the top too!

 

[onaclearday]

Thanks for the replies, everybody, I guess I hoped that thing was a distinct mark from the factory 🙂))(quite a long shot, I know). I think Ill try the gaffer tape, and maybe if I find a good tehnician in my country (Romania) Ill send it to him to fix it.

 

[Dralowid]

It was a popular modification at the time. I wouldn't spend too much money trying to sort it out. Tape is good.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Man, why do people feel the need to abuse these beautiful old cameras...

Because if you wanted to use flash when these were still just usable cameras, instead of objects of worship, it wasn't abuse, Just a clumsy, ugly modification. There were better alternatives but they cost more.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Roger -

I actually cobbled-up through multiple adapters and cables, a set-up to use an original Leitz Blitzlichthalter (flash gun) from the early 1930's, with one of my 1933 black III's that had a pc socket added...

I further cobbled by using an adapter to use M-2/M-3 bulbs in the bayonet socket.

I shot it at a Christmas party... the flash performed flawlessly, but most of my pics were overexposed, due to my inexperience figuring guide numbers, etc....

Most of the guests were intrigued by the rig, and smell of hot, coated flash bulbs...

LF

 

[Rob-F]

One of the repair techs must have a replacement top plate. And since it is already a conversion, I don't believe that would harm the historical value. The serial number can be re-engraved on the replacement.