Hi, Please help me identify this Leica. I sure appreciate your help. Thank You in advance.

Hi,

Im not sure about this leica. Model?? The Serial No is 209429

Leica III. Looks genuine, particularly the aging of the lettering with the Wood's metal infill.

For serial numbers see: Leica Screw Mount Serial #'s Sorted by Number

Not my field of interest but I fear the poll is off?

I'd guess it is painted brass.

Black chrome ages differently on the M bodies I have. Why should brass show up below nickle?

The top and bottom plates are black paint over brass; the only question is whether the fittings are nickel-plated (as in earlier cameras) or chrome-plated (used later). That's a 1936 serial number, which is about when they made the switch:

 

Black Leica iii's with Chrome

 

Nickel tends to look a bit yellowish, but the lighting in these photos is quite yellow.

 

The camera is a genuine Leica III (sometimes called 'Model F', not to be confused with the later IIIf from the 1950s). Neither of the descriptions in the poll is quite correct. It's certainly not a Leica II (sometimes called 'Model D'), which doesn't have a slow speed dial on the front.

Just an observation

 

It used to be that whenever someone asked for a Leica model ID, the default case was that the camera was one of the MANY 'Leicas' created from old Russian Zorkis.

But now most of these posts at least 'seem' to be genuine Leicas.

 

Are the ex-Soviet 'remakers; getting better?

Is there a world-wide shortage of Zorkiis?

Has every body who wanted a Nazi presentation Leica already got one?

;)

The intriguing ones were always the cameras that everyone jumped on as 'fake', but turned out to be genuine Leicas with unusual features. Someone had a camera that was apparently a special order in unplated brass, and another poster had one that had been re-finished by stripping down to the brass.

 

Of course there's no reason to doubt the authenticity of the camera in this thread - it's definitely a Leica III.

 

Perhaps unmodified FEDs and Zorkis are now the rarities?!

for some more "fun" examples see LINK

 

I LOVE these things!

This is my favourite 'fake': Man Discovers His $15 'Zorki' Camera is a $800 Leica in Disguise

Well, there's always fake news :-)