Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/09/04

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: Seriously low Russian lens quality?
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 1996 22:06:22 -0400

I believe most Soviet Leica fakes are from decades ago -- I don't believe
there are many folks making them today, if any.  Almost all of these are
based on the early FED bodies, bodies which have been out of production
since 1958 or so.

All Russars to my knowledge come from the KMZ plant.  MOST Jupiters come
from Zagorsk, Lytkarino, or Kazan.  These plants seem to be safe bets.  To
decipher the plant, look to the logo -- KMZ, for instance, uses a trapezoid
with an arrow through it, representing a light-ray traversing a prism. A
full chart of these logos will be in my forthcoming LEICA THREAD-MOUNT
LENSES, but heavens knows when this will be printed -- I'm writing this at
the moment in preference to the dismal task of going over galleys and
revising the index.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!


Replies: Reply from Stephen Gandy <cameras@jetlink.net> (New Russian Fake Leicas)