Leica 5X loupe really Czech-made?

[chip j]

A guy selling a 5X Zeiss loupe on ebay says this--it's a rebadged Czech loupe. The Leica says "Leica Camera Germany". I have both the Leica & Zeiss loupes, and l love them both for different reasons. Any hard facts, please?

 

[AgX]

Leica Camera Germany only means that Leica Camera is a firm enlisted in Germany.
Even Made in Germany would not mean much as german as european regulation on this matter is so vague, that in your case the lens to be inspected for image quality would be sufficient.
On the other hand such vagueness would give way for consumers or competitors to go to court...

But with a history of optical manufacture in both countries, who, except you, cares in such case anyway?


And even the famous JCII sticker had been applied to cameras manufactured outside Japan.

 

[AgX]

Of course I expect you to have both lenses checked for the "built-in-sunshine".

 

[Martin Rickards]

As far as enlarging lenses go, Czech Meopta lenses are right up there with the likes of Rodagon or Schneider, so for a loupe, that's not necessarily a sign of inferior quality.

 

[Ian Grant]

As far as enlarging lenses go, Czech Meopta lenses are right up there with the likes of Rodagon or Schneider, so for a loupe, that's not necessarily a sign of inferior quality.

Some of the Meopta enlarger lenses used Schneider cells. It's quite possible Meopta made items for Schneided an Leica or even Zeiss.

Leica had links to Schneider and also Taylor, Taylor, Hobson they weren't averse to buying in expertise or sub-contracting.

Ian

 

[guangong]

Even way back then, when I bought my first Leica M and Leicaflex one or two Leitz wide angle lenses were made by Schneider, and my rt angle finder was a rebadged Minolta Finder. My lLinhof 67 projector is a rebadged Leitz Prado.
Not unusual. Rebadged models are not unknown even in auto industry.

 

[chip j]

Of course I expect you to have both lenses checked for the "built-in-sunshine".

Yes. they both have "sunshine', the Leica a little more than the Zeiss, but the Zeiss is "sweeter"-i.e. almost sugary.