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Leica M4-2 Chrome


Ivar B

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I have just acquired a Leica M4-2 Chrome for my collection, mint in box.

 

Does anyone know how many were made of this model? I have only read that it was made to special order only and is extremely rare. In Leica International Price Guide it is listed as R9 (Almost Unique), second only to R10 (The Impossible).

 

However, I can not find a precise number anywhere. Does anyone know?

 

I also own an M4-2 Red Dot, which is listed as R8 (Exhibition Item), of which less than a hundred were made, so I guess M4-2 Chrome must be even rarer.

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Ivar, compliments for your acquisition... you are a high flying collector (I don't forget your posts about Noctilux 1,2 AND 35 Aspherical...).

M4-2 chrome : haven't idea of the numbers... I have only red in some sources "very few" "très ràre exemplaires"... 1000 are the "Gold", 95 the "Red Dot"... no Leitz catalog with codes specifies some coding for a chrome, nor I've seen phrases like "can be available in chrome on special order..."

Of course, a picture of it would be very appreciated, or... at least the s/n just to speculate to which part of the M4-2 "life" (1480001 to 1533350) it belongs to...

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Here is a quick photo of the camera. Serial number is 1531122.

 

There is an identical camera for sale by Meister Camera in Hamburg, with serial number ending with 55, so 33 apart.

 

Maybe I need to ask Jim Lager to find out how many were made.

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Or the last ones ?

 

I had - better, still have - an M4-P chrome, flush v/f- glass with a red dot.

 

The M4-2 with a red dot I only saw in an early LEICA- advertisement. Nice to see LEITZ WETZLAR on the M4-2, should be LEITZ CANADA, actually.

 

Thx for your answer, telewatt

 

 

Best

 

the first 100 pices ... had the red dot....( I sold mine..some years ago..:o )

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The M4-2 red dot is in black only. I just saw one on eBay:

 

Red Disc Leica M4-2 cameras EXTREMELY RARE!No reserve!! - eBay (item 180217068124 end time Feb-25-08 21:16:05 PST)

 

I am however 99 % certain that this particular listing is fraud. Actually, there were many fraudluent Leica sales recently. I actually saw someone offering a Noctilux in several different auctions, and he was probably also behind a false listing on an M4 Black Paint. People nevertheless bid and I can`t quite understand why. It seems that someone has probably alerted eBay now because the listings were removed, but I will check and see if he comes back next week or something.

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the first 100 pices ... had the red dot....( I sold mine..some years ago..:o )

 

Yes, the first 100 came with the red dot. The chrome M4-2 is even rarer. I have asked Leica how many were made, but there is no reply yet.

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Dear Ivar,

 

I saw this Leica M4-2 in Frankfurt Airport - I found the price to be OTT :-))

 

All the best - Svenning, Denmark

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Dear Ivar,

 

I saw this Leica M4-2 in Frankfurt Airport - I found the price to be OTT :-))

 

All the best - Svenning, Denmark

 

Absolutely an absurd price... but the right tentative to find someone so stupid to buy such an item in such a wrong place... 1000 (or 1002...) were built in such a version with Barnack signature... not so rare, and, in my op., gold Leicas are terrible... apart the very original Leica Luxus all the other golden items are of discutible taste...

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Dear luigi bertolotti,

 

The price of 9999,- EURO is way over the top - however - if you were stinking rich and you should photograph Miss World - would you not like to photograph her with a gold Leica M4-2 hanging around your neck (?)

 

Luigi - I am just joking :-))

 

I also believe that these "Gold Leicas" are only for investors and collectors - not for serious photographic workers. There are several places here in Denmark - that I would not "pop-up" with a Gold Leica hanging around my neck - without risking a mogging :-))

 

All the best - Svenning, Denmark.

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I have a reply now from the most respected Leica Historian of all; James Lager in the US:

 

Dear Professor Bredesen, The silver chrome M4-2 , as far as I know, was never officially announced or marketed. My opinion, and it is only an opinion, is that Leitz Canada assembled a handful to see how they would look, and once they had satisfied their curiousity, sold them ( or presented them as gifts) to "Friends of the Company. Other rather mysterious M cameras exist: namely the half frame M4-2 and M4P. Did Leitz Canada ever make it known that these were available for purchase?

I think not! What a difficult and demanding time it was 1976-1980 when Wetzlar wanted to kill the M camera and Walter Kluck of ELC stepped in to save it. The ELC cameras of this period were not really up to Wetzlar standards and a few M purists would not touch them. To further complicate matters an olive finish M4-2 exists ....supposedly prepared for consideration by the Israeli Defense Forces. I have not been able to confirm this story. Unfortunately I do not know how many silver chrome , half frame, or olive units were produced. Efforts to obtain data have not been successful. Perhaps another researcher has confirmable information? In any event your silver M4-2 is unusual and different.

Best wishes, Jim Lager.

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I have a reply now from the most respected Leica Historian of all; James Lager in the US:

 

Dear Professor Bredesen, The silver chrome M4-2 , as far as I know, was never officially announced or marketed. My opinion, and it is only an opinion, is that Leitz Canada assembled a handful to see how they would look, and once they had satisfied their curiousity, sold them ( or presented them as gifts) to "Friends of the Company. Other rather mysterious M cameras exist: namely the half frame M4-2 and M4P. Did Leitz Canada ever make it known that these were available for purchase?

I think not! What a difficult and demanding time it was 1976-1980 when Wetzlar wanted to kill the M camera and Walter Kluck of ELC stepped in to save it. The ELC cameras of this period were not really up to Wetzlar standards and a few M purists would not touch them. To further complicate matters an olive finish M4-2 exists ....supposedly prepared for consideration by the Israeli Defense Forces. I have not been able to confirm this story. Unfortunately I do not know how many silver chrome , half frame, or olive units were produced. Efforts to obtain data have not been successful. Perhaps another researcher has confirmable information? In any event your silver M4-2 is unusual and different.

Best wishes, Jim Lager.

 

Lager is always well aware... interesting and very probable hipotesis: this makes very intriguing the "Wetzlar" engraving... maybe it was for a German ELC employee moved to Canada, to make him remember his "heimat" :) ...

BTW, Ivar, does your body bear also a "Made in Canada" engraving somewhere ?

 

Damn, wouldn't have I bought the M8... I am a lot tempted by the other offered by Meister... I prefer not to look again at their site in these days... if it would disappear I'd feel stupid for falling victim of the "McKeown law" ("anyway you pass by a rare item you like, you'll never find another for years, and when you'll find, it will cost more"), and if it continues to be offered, I'll suffer trouble....

 

Final question, if you haven't problem... how did you contact Lager ? I interchanged mails with him time ago, but then his adress (@bellatlantic, I remember) wasn't any more reachable.

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