snailrush Posted September 18, 2010 Share #1 Posted September 18, 2010 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi all, I've been "lurking" this forum for a long time trying to get as much information about vintage Leica's as I can, especially about fakes. I've stumbled across a Leica II I really like, but before I shell out the money for it I was wondering if you pros would have a look at it. Thanks! (and if all goes well I hope to be contributing to this forum a lot more in the near future) I'm currently thinking it's a fake most notably for the facts that: -the viewfinder bezel is squared off -the shutter release is flared -the body around the viewfinder juts out The thing it has going for it is the presence of very low shutter speeds, which I understand is normal for the military issue ones. note: I can post higher res images if that's allowed and if it will help. Edited September 18, 2010 by snailrush Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 18, 2010 Posted September 18, 2010 Hi snailrush, Take a look here Beige Military Leica - fake?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
giordano Posted September 18, 2010 Share #2 Posted September 18, 2010 This is a fake all right. One of several give-aways is the shutter release button and its surround: Leica never made them this way. Another is the end of the rangefinder coupling lever, visible after you remove the lens: Leicas have a roller, Russian copies like this one have a curved cam. Others include the irregular engraving of the serial number, the aperture ring on the lens, and on and on. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
snailrush Posted September 18, 2010 Author Share #3 Posted September 18, 2010 Thanks for all the help! Some of that I had a hunch on, but I really wanted to hear it coming from someone that really knows their stuff. I'll continue my search for the real deal. Out of curiosity, since it's such an interesting piece - what would something like this be worth? $50? more? This is a fake all right. One of several give-aways is the shutter release button and its surround: Leica never made them this way. Another is the end of the rangefinder coupling lever, visible after you remove the lens: Leicas have a roller, Russian copies like this one have a curved cam. Others include the irregular engraving of the serial number, the aperture ring on the lens, and on and on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted September 18, 2010 Share #4 Posted September 18, 2010 Thanks for all the help! Some of that I had a hunch on, but I really wanted to hear it coming from someone that really knows their stuff. I'll continue my search for the real deal. Out of curiosity, since it's such an interesting piece - what would something like this be worth? $50? more? No more than $50 and then only if you really want it as a decorative item. It's easy to spot fakes, and easy to avoid them if you don't know what you're looking for - buy from a Leica dealer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted September 19, 2010 Share #5 Posted September 19, 2010 Hi all, I've been "lurking" this forum for a long time [...] Is one day a long time? Your 'join' date is today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcoombs Posted September 19, 2010 Share #6 Posted September 19, 2010 Is one day a long time? Your 'join' date is today. You can read without joining. Presumably he joined in order to post the thread. Doug Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted September 19, 2010 Share #7 Posted September 19, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Nice 100% fake... but, personally, I like the color and would pay even 70$ Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aesop Posted September 19, 2010 Share #8 Posted September 19, 2010 ...one more thing, snailrush - you may receive sage advice from within this forum, but ultimately, "caveat emptor" still applies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted September 19, 2010 Share #9 Posted September 19, 2010 Nice 100% fake... but, personally, I like the color and would pay even 70$ Exactly !... the Afrika Korps model must wear a palm tree not the Reich Adler Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennersten Posted September 21, 2010 Share #10 Posted September 21, 2010 Nice 100% fake... but, personally, I like the color and would pay even 70$ It's crazy but at least in Sweden it seems to be a collector market for Leica fakes. I seen a lot of cameras clearly advertized as fakes sold for 100 - 200 Euros. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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