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A Leica Fake


nwphotog

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<p>I have looked many times for this particular Leica fake and it always seems to be gone from Ebay. So I

thought I would post mine.<br>

<br>

I know it is a fake – I have no misconceptions about it. Neither do I particularly care where it is from or who

really made. I am simply posting it here for a more permanent record of this particular camouflage design.<br>

<br>

As an aside, someone told me that the leather, fake Leica case was probably worth more than the body!</p>

<p><img border="0" src="http://www.godsworldphotography.org/images/650_camo1.jpg" width="685" height="426"></p>

<p> </p>

<p><img border="0" src="http://www.godsworldphotography.org/images/600_camo3.jpg" width="680" height="438"></p>

<p> </p>

 

<p><img border="0" src="http://www.godsworldphotography.org/images/600_camo2.jpg" width="680" height="388"></p>

<p> </p>

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Man, good for an early morning laugh. Fall into the category 'So bad, it's good'.

 

No one is going to fall for that (hopefully). I have seen some marvellous fakes on camera shows. Ok, you KNOW it's just Zorkies and FEDs, but they are sometimes so nice to look at that it makes you wonder why Leica never 'pimped' their cameras.

 

I know of several sites showing fakes, some kitschy (I confess I love them to death), others showing obvious fakes that try to be Leicas, but also now rare (and expensive) Leica copies (Leotax, Reid, Shangai etc.). It really is a fascinating world... just don't get ripped off!

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This piece is hilarious: On the accessory shoe 'Germany' in English and at the bottom of the back 'Alles für Deutschland' (roughly: all for Germany). Not to overlook the copious yet haphazard use of red paint.

Of course, the sh... brown focus/aperture (?!?!) ring beats it all and is doubtlessly without equal in Leica history (thank God!).

I do miss a nice misspelling somewhere –WHETZLAR ? - too bad.

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The lens is an Industar -50 in rigid mount; a 4 element 3 group lens. The retaining ring on the clone has some scratch marks where the chap removed the ring; engraved the backside. One can remove the ring and usually see the original ring's engraved markings. The Industar-50 here in rigid mount is one of the best Russian lenses I own of a zoo of a COUPLE DOZEN. It cost me with Zorki 6 body 12 bucks via ebay long ago; with case and shipping less than 20 bucks. Mine actually focuses well with my M3 or Epson RD-1s; and was built in 1958 at the KMZ Krasnagorsk factory; as noted by its left to right prism logo. In a test here with my 50mm LTM lenses; the Industar-50 at F4, F5,6 F8 etc beat my Nikkor 5cm F2; canon 50mm F1.2, My Jupiter 8's and 3's and was only bettered by my New LTM leica 50mm F2 that cost a grand. Here MY industar 50 rigid is my sleeper lens; its often on my black Zorki 3c as a dumb old camera thats tack sharp at all fstops. The collapsable I22 and I50's here have a varied performance; but have worn sloppy mounts too.<BR><BR>In a repainted camera the flash sync often doesnt work; the chap gets some paint on the spring that contacts flash sockets center terminal. One can pop off the top cover and remove the paint and usually all will work well. These marked up fake cameras have been hawked on ebay since ebay started.
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I guess it's pretty cool. I saw about a dozen or so of these on KEH but with just the plain military Olive Drab color. I figure in a few years there won't be any Zorki's or FED's that have been converted left?

To be honest, I too collect these things and even found one thats works well. take a look see:<div>00QTxZ-63695784.jpg.bd3d89c040c4502712711629a19709e7.jpg</div>

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That's great :) There are 2 things I don't understand about FSU "Leicas":

 

- why so many of them are "gold"-plated - do people really think they're more valuable like that?

 

- why there are so few copies of the Leica I/Standard - even the copies (eg, a remodeled FED/Zorki I with the top deck removed) go for US$100-250 without the fancy Nazi engravings.

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Well...

...on one side we have excellent German cameras with fantastic craftsmanship...

...on the the other side we have cheap Soviet cameras that are copy or derivative of these german camera...

...the Soviet cameras are like a casino game some are crap other are excellent...

...and we end with people collecting ugly Russian cameras with nazi engravings...The worse crap of the German culture... Some guys should try to go further... Street shooting with a SS uniform and some NKVD badges sounds like a great idea ?

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