• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Leica Luftwaffe IIIc

A blind man with leather glasses could tell that's a fake.
 
I know nothing about vintage Leicas but I ask myself what sort of military organization would commission and issue gold plated cameras, certainly not the WW11 German air ministry in 1941, and also because any equipment authorized by them had to be engraved with an F.L. contract number https://www.cameraquest.com/luft.htm
 
Last edited:
I guess I would not have trouble using a true one, but I definitely would not pay any extra for it.
 
It would be a tool for me as all the other used stuff my photographic gear is made of. And about its former use typically I have no idea of either.

We should not overlook that a lot of used military lenses is highly regarded here at Apug and no one ever asked about their past use.
There is another german saying "Schwerter zu Pflugscharen".

We cannot evade history, but might learn to cope with it.
 
This is the first time I see the Leica actually listed as aerial-reconnaissance camera.
If that is how that listing is to be interpreted.


There is no trace of such in any aerial-reconnaissance literature I know. So far to me that only was a story told by Leicaphiles.
And I still have my doubts.

Any more hints to the contrary are welcome though.
 
It is easy to fake these cameras because what makes them special can be easily added to regular Leicas by adding engraving or paint. AFAIK all authentic Luftwaffe cameras were painted gray and never had plating. Using gold is really unheard of. Reflections from the camera metal were considered too dangerous in warfare. As reported in either Popular Photography or Modern photography it was routine for the US to destroy all Leicas and Nikons just after the war's end. This was done this by driving a large screw driver through the lens into the camera. The article contained a photo of this being done with a pile "modified" cameras in the background. So any surviving cameras would be quit valuable making them desirable to fake. At one time there was quite a thriving cottage industry doing this.
 
Last edited:
What makes these cameras special is their provenance. Mechanically they were the same as any camera picked off the assembly line.
 
Great thanks heaps for all your advice this is a fantastic website. I thought it was too good to be true...
 
Darren Gittins said:
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.
Click to expand...

Of course it is a fake:

-) Why would an armed forces have a camera guilded?

-) Why would a prominent Nazi have a camera guilded that bears state-ownership marks?


(You then could argue with some ifs and whens. But that then would apply to any weirdo camera with the appropriate weirdo story. But buyers like weirdo stories.)
 
Last edited:
This is a genuine one https://www.cameraquest.com/luft.htm, no gold plating eagles or swastickers just the German air ministry Fl contract number 38079, and Luftwaffen Eigentun ( airforce property) engraved on the back. One of the reasons these cameras are so rare is they were issued to some aircrew member usually the observer before missions and had to be given back to the stores on their return.
 
Last edited:
judging from the where these cameras came from, they would be the
last thing i would want to collect - talk about BAD JU-JU.
someone else wants to collect these things, W/E .. but not me ...
 
jnanian said:
judging from the where these cameras came from, they would be the
last thing i would want to collect - talk about BAD JU-JU.
someone else wants to collect these things, W/E .. but not me ...
Click to expand...
Me too John, my father when he died left lots of Nazi memorabilia he brought home as mementos from WW11 that I got rid of as fast as I could.
 
I know of one Zorki 4 that was used as an aerial reconnaissance camera! My older brother, well known in archaeological circles, used a Zorki 4 for infra-red colour/false colour photography from the rear seat of a Chipmunk.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register