[Leica] Re: Fake Leicas

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

On Jan 28, 2009, at 4:49 PM, Bob wrote:

> I gather that the pre-M4 Leicas were hand-built and parts fitted to
> the specific camera, rather than being assembled from standard  
> components,
> so unless it was cannibalised by a Leica craftsman it would seem to  
> me that
> parts wouldn't fit particularly well together.


Bob,

  I don't believe that was the case for Leicas made after the  
introduction of the IIIc. The bodies were die cast and tended to hold  
shape very well. I know that shims were often used to bring the  
earlier Leicas up to dimensional specs but I have never encountered  
one on a IIIc or later, except under the lens mount ring. My  
FrankenLeica was assembled out of parts dredged from a camera scrap  
bin at the Willoughby's main store in NYC. All had been dropped or  
otherwise mutilated. It was fortunate that I could find three where  
the defects were in different parts. I remember that the total price  
for all three cameras was $30, $10 for each chassis. In 1960 broken  
Leica LTM cameras had little market value since everyone was buying  
Ms and SLRs. Anyway, the parts fitted together without any  
modification. I replaced the covering on the body extrusion, pressed  
a small dent out of the top plate, cleaned the viewfinder and  
rangefinder optics, adjusted the shutter and had a perfectly  
functioning camera.

Larry Z