jpattison Posted December 26, 2009 Share #1 Posted December 26, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Interesting M4-2 on sale on the well known auction site (search in UK) s/no pre-Canada, but post the red leitz badge type. Any ideas? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 26, 2009 Posted December 26, 2009 Hi jpattison, Take a look here M4-2 marked Wetzlar as well as Canada. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
harryzet Posted December 26, 2009 Share #2 Posted December 26, 2009 thats the famous m4-2 ship. it was manufactured on the ship that brought all the tools from wetzlar to canada. a true collectors item Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenMacPhoto Posted December 26, 2009 Share #3 Posted December 26, 2009 The first 50? M4-2 were marked both Wetzlar and made in Canada. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted December 27, 2009 Share #4 Posted December 27, 2009 One of the known variants in the first batches... indeed, I would have expected it had also the red dot in front... maybe it has gone lost-detached... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted December 27, 2009 Share #5 Posted December 27, 2009 (edited) Ever since the Leica II, Leica cameras had been marked --"Ernst Leitz-- --Wetzlar"--. Now in the late 1970's a scheme was put forward of amalgamating the cities and towns along River Lahn, including Wetzlar and Giessen, forming a unit called the Lahnstadt. Would people buy a Leica marked 'Ernst Leitz Lahnstadt'? Would they maybe think it a fake? So the company "Ernst Leitz" took action to protect the holy words, and did actually change its name to "Ernst Leitz Wetzlar". This of course made "Wetzlar" an integral and mandatory part of the company name, not just an address. Just as you could not label goods just "Ernst" before, you could not from now on label them just "Ernst Leitz". Therefore, unavoidably, a Canada-produced M or any other such item now had to be labeled -- "Ernst Leitz Wetzlar-- --Canada"-- because Ernst Leitz Canada was now a division, not of Ernst Leitz, but of Ernst Leitz Wetzlar. Are you with me? It's actually completely logical -- at least if you are a specialized brand name lawyer. The question whether something is sensible or reasonable or not, does of course never enter the minds of such people. And then, after all, the plan was actually rescinded! -- This essay is of course not directly pertinent to the question asked, but it pops up again and again and I just thought ... ouch, don't kick me! The old man from the Age of Reason (1950's?) Edited December 27, 2009 by lars_bergquist 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpattison Posted December 28, 2009 Author Share #6 Posted December 28, 2009 Luigi, I think only the first 100 1468001 to 1468100 had the red badge (dot) on front. This s/no (1468634) was assigned for R3, the normal M4-2 run started again at 1480001. So it is an "in-between" production. I mention this just for interest; another curiosity! Regards, John Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted December 28, 2009 Share #7 Posted December 28, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Uh... Lager displays 1468122 - Leitz Wetzlar "Made by Leitz Canada" (in the back) and 1468862 - Leitz Wetzlar "Made in Canada" (on top)... but I remember to have red, in the forum, that at that times the Ontario factory set up "new manufacturing management policies" which brought to a certain confusion in numbering... ... M4-2 is one of the most intriguing in this sense (not to speak of the "chrome" version... ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicaaddict Posted December 28, 2009 Share #8 Posted December 28, 2009 Chrome version... I have one, and whit the red dot in the front. Any info for this cámera?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted December 29, 2009 Share #9 Posted December 29, 2009 Chrome version... I have one, and whit the red dot in the front.Any info for this cámera?? OFFICIALLY, it never existed... ... the product code for M4-2 is for the black; seems that some were chromed to special request, and then there have been a certain number of chrome parts that left someway the factory and were used to "modify" existing bodies, and, seems, parts that were chromed outside... months ago there has been a discussion about, in the forum. Anyway, sometimes they appear around, and there is people who pay a premium for them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephgalilee Posted December 30, 2009 Share #10 Posted December 30, 2009 Yes Luigi, "...and there is people who pay a premium for them". A lot of fake turn around everyway, many "bricolage M4-2" with spare parts of M4 Chrome, still sell from most important shops like "100% original" with high premium expensive cost. Ten years ago I saw an M4-2 sold as the last one of serial number batch, a silver chrome example. A very expensive great fake one's! Cheers Kind regards Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebidwell Posted January 7, 2010 Share #11 Posted January 7, 2010 Just out of interest I noticed that the body in question sold for the sum of £365 the other evening on the well known UK auction site. Best wishes Mike B Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaquarters Posted February 3, 2010 Share #12 Posted February 3, 2010 Searching the threads I found this about the M4-2. I ordered mine at Photokina Sep 13th 1976 and received him at Jun 1 1977. Serial number 1468154. On top Leitz Wetzlar and Made in Canada. No engravings on the back. After several months the viewfinder got hazy. Never really felt like my M4. Regards Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandro Posted February 3, 2010 Share #13 Posted February 3, 2010 Peter, did you have the finder cleaned? Apparently in the first 50 or maybe 100 or so some problems occured, but later the M4-2 has become a reliable camera. I bought mine a few years ago, it's one from 1977. Recently Will van Manen gave it a CLA and it works very nicely, with a nice soft shutter release and the cleaned finder is great again. Lex Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted February 3, 2010 Share #14 Posted February 3, 2010 Peter, did you have the finder cleaned? Apparently in the first 50 or maybe 100 or so some problems occured, but later the M4-2 has become a reliable camera. I bought mine a few years ago, it's one from 1977. Recently Will van Manen gave it a CLA and it works very nicely, with a nice soft shutter release and the cleaned finder is great again.Lex One finder from 1979 is not also unclear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandro Posted February 3, 2010 Share #15 Posted February 3, 2010 One finder from 1979 is not also unclear. JC, you mean yours from 1979 has always had a good and clear finder? Actually all of my M's have a great and clear finder. Just recently my M4-P needed to be cleaned since the front window of the finder was moving and allowed dust to get inside. Now it looks good again as well. Lex Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted February 4, 2010 Share #16 Posted February 4, 2010 JC, you mean yours from 1979 has always had a good and clear finder? Sorry for my struggling , what I was meaning was that the M4-2 from 1979 is a little hazy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaquarters Posted February 4, 2010 Share #17 Posted February 4, 2010 Peter, did you have the finder cleaned? Apparently in the first 50 or maybe 100 or so some problems occured, but later the M4-2 has become a reliable camera. I bought mine a few years ago, it's one from 1977. Recently Will van Manen gave it a CLA and it works very nicely, with a nice soft shutter release and the cleaned finder is great again.Lex Thanks Lex. Good opportunity for checking shutter as well. Slow speeds are too fast. Greetings. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubois pierre Posted January 3 Share #18 Posted January 3 I own a Leica m4-2 with the engraving "Made In Canada" on the top with the number 1469367. This number is assigned to an R3 Olive between 1977-1978. If this anomaly is known, what about the number of M4-2 affected by it? Thank you for your answers. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/107787-m4-2-marked-wetzlar-as-well-as-canada/?do=findComment&comment=4971774'>More sharing options...
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