[Leica] Re: Russian Leicas

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

> Of course the tipoff is the eagle on the top cover.
> Generally these cameras are not passed off by the dealer as a Leica
> but sold for what they are, a novelty. They are also generally sold
> with a copy 5cm Elmar.

Apart from the cheesy nature of the camera, the fake Elmar lenses can  
be quite good. I have a Russian "Leica" camera with what purports to  
be a 5cm Elmar. The lens is nicely finished and engraved and is hard  
to tell from a real German Elmar of the same period. The pictures,  
too, are equivalent. It is virtually impossible to tell those taken  
with the fake lens from those taken with the real lens. Considering  
that the total cost of the camera and lens was only $125 from the B&H  
web site, I may have gotten a bargain. It was clearly identified as a  
fake on the site. If you need an old 5cm lens, it could be the ticket.

Larry Z