Leica Luftwaffe IIIc

[leicarfcam]

I recently picked up this 1941 vintage Leica IIIc on eBay. It has been verified by serial number by Jim Lager as being Luftwaffe issue.

I am currently restoring the camera and have removed the flash sync. Red curtain is original and still light tight with no stiffness, cracking, or flaking and all speeds are working.

 

[Nathan Smith]

Very cool! I'm a bit ashamed to admit that upon seeing the subject line I assumed you were talking about one of those altered Fed's.

 

[leicarfcam]

Very cool! I'm a bit ashamed to admit that upon seeing the subject line I assumed you were talking about one of those altered Fed's.

What's bad is that many people will buy one thinking it's a genuine Leica. I've had several try to sell me a fake only to get mad when I point out it is not real..

 

[AgX]

I admit I don't know (or rather understand) what is so special about that camera.

 

[Nathan Smith]

I admit I don't know (or rather understand) what is so special about that camera.

Well, I can only speak for myself since this is somewhat subjective, but here goes:

• any working Leica IIIc is nice
• any quality camera that you know the provenance of is more interesting
• the fact that it was issued to the Luftwaffe makes it that much more interesting

In the end it's just a nice camera that can make good pictures, but knowing something of it's history makes it fun to talk about.

Nathan

 

[Ian Grant]

Some people like to collect old WWII memorabilia, German military Leica's seem to be quite desirable, hence the reason for so many Russian fakes. That particular camera needs restoration.

I think we touched before on Leitz's anti-Nazi stance, sending their Jewish staff to the Canadian factory, hiding the prototypes of the Leica IV, which became the M series camera etc. So it's ironic the wartime cameras are collectible.

Ian

Ian

 

[leicarfcam]

I admit I don't know (or rather understand) what is so special about that camera.

In reality it's just another Leica IIIc camera but since it has been verified as having been shipped to the Luftwaffe that makes it collectible.

 

[ZorkiKat]

What's bad is that many people will buy one thinking it's a genuine Leica. I've had several try to sell me a fake only to get mad when I point out it is not real..

I have three of these fakes, buying them on purpose, knowing that they were once normal FED and Zorki. One of them is good shooter, and I've received offers to buy from people who thought they were real. Is it bad when one of them actually gets mad when I said that it was a fake and not worth buying???

 

[ZorkiKat]

....I think we touched before on Leitz's anti-Nazi stance, sending their Jewish staff to the Canadian factory....

Ian

Ian, was there Leitz factory in Canada already during WW2? Weren't the refugees sent to Leitz stores and service centres or even other non-Leitz firms in the Americas instead?

 

[Ian Grant]

You may well be right, the article I read (a few years ago now) said Leitz Jewish workers were sent to work for Leitz in North America. The article mentioned the Canadian plant, but that link may come about later as the plant was founded in 1952.

Ian

 

[Kinga Sandor]

Hello, I know a lot of people have asked questions about this similar camera
but I am hoping someone can help me out with mine. I have a Leica D.R.P Ernst
Leitz Wetzlar Fl. No. 38079 and another No. 389531. On the back it says
"Luftwaffen Eigentun". On the front of the lens it says Leitz Elmar f=5cm
1:35. From what I know is that this camera was issued to the Nazi Air force,
and this camera was used in WWII (only 6 films were run through the camera
so it's in excellent condition). The camera is dark gray/greenish color over all.
It was veriefied that it is an authentic Leica Luftwaffen camera. A couple
years ago I was offered $11,000 for this camera and I declined the offer since
I just got the camera and I was too excited to give it up. Can you please help
me out and give me an estimate of what these cameras are worth? THANK
YOU SO MUCH!"

 

[John Koehrer]

The lens should also be engraved "Luftwaffen-Eigentum" if they were issued together.
There were also the lllC K which had a ball bearing shutter or was prepared for cold weather/high altitude. There seems to be some disagreement re:K
And there was also the lllC in grey without the K.
Prices are whatever the market will bear. How do you know only six films have gone through the camera?

 

[JPD]

Kinga, show us pictures of the camera.

 

[Darren Gittins]

Hi I am thinking of buying a camera and am unsure how to tell if it's fake or not. Is there a way of telling? Can I put some images on here?

 

[Jesper]

Hi I am thinking of buying a camera and am unsure how to tell if it's fake or not. Is there a way of telling? Can I put some images on here?

There are some good descriptions (and some entertaining text) at Cameraquest:
https://www.cameraquest.com/leica_II_fake.htm
https://www.cameraquest.com/fakerusk.htm
https://www.cameraquest.com/rusky2.htm

 

[darkosaric]

Hi I am thinking of buying a camera and am unsure how to tell if it's fake or not. Is there a way of telling? Can I put some images on here?

Welcome to APUG .

 

[Raphael]

Hi I am thinking of buying a camera and am unsure how to tell if it's fake or not. Is there a way of telling? Can I put some images on here?

Hi Darren

Welcome to APUG, btw

You didn't precised if it's a old Leica rangefinder or not, given the thread, I presume it's the case, and also as they are the most faked.

If it is, the first thing to do is to check serial number against the official Leica serial list, which can be found here and there on the net, for example :

https://www.cameraquest.com/ltmnum.htm

There is several comprehensive ressources on the net when searching "fake leica",maybe you'd probably already browsed trough, but for example :
http://jay.fedka.com/index_files/Page367.htm

If any doubt subsists, of course you can post here images as attachement or link !

Best regards,

Raphael

 

[darkosaric]

When I was looking for a LTM Leica and fakes - I noticed between other stuff already mentioned that fake Leicas are always without slow shutter speed dial. So far I never saw FED or Zorki copy with slow shutter dial.

EDIT: how to recognize Elmar from Industar copy: Elmar has metallic f stop leafs directly below first glass, Industar has it further deep in the lens body.

 

[Darren Gittins]

 

[Darren Gittins]

 

[Darren Gittins]

Thanks for your replies! I will check out the websites. The information I have seen online is that all the gold ones are fakes. The person selling this indicated it belonged to a prominent Nazi.
It looks the part. But unsure how I would get it authenticated.

 

[tessar]

Looks like a fake. Genuine LTM Leicas don't have a shutter button with the inside cable release; the tulip-shaped collar surrounding the button is also wrong. Here's a genuine 1941 IIIc:
http://www.leitzmuseum.org/CameraMakes/Leica/1941-IIIc-1..html

 

[darkosaric]

100% fake. In shop photohaus.de you get get them for around 100 euros.

Edit: link -->

http://photohaus.de/index.php?id=55...=23726&cHash=b7c1ced056a30c96ccc9b40a9c056bcb

 

[benjiboy]

Genuine or fake I wouldn't give house room to anything with a Nazi eagle on it, I'm old enough to remember what they did.

 

[Sirius Glass]

100% fake but they will send you paperwork stating that it is an authentic forgery of a product that was never made.

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