Prewar Feikas

Yes, Jacques, I think your theory is correct. I don't think this one has anything to do with FED and is some variation, probably by a craftsman, camera shop, etc. as you say.

I have a Leica from this time that does have an early FED rangefinder top on it ( FED top # 4042 / chrome). It is Leica II in every way on the body, except it has the FED rangefinder top and a Leica accessory shoe screwed onto that FED top (where there was once none on the FED top). Even the lens is the original Leitz Elmar.

I have often thought that if you lived in the USSR at that time (1930s) and you had a Leica, when it was broken you could probably either fix it yourself with FED parts, have a craftsman fix it with FED parts, or possibly even take it to the FED Zavod (or Trudkomma) to have it fixed with FED parts.

Jacques, I will tell you if I can remember where I saw the diagonal part, but so far ... no.

Regards, Bill

Thanks Bill.
I own a 1934 Leica too. I suppose it's the right year because of the # lens and the mechanism close to a Leica III: it changed in 1933 even on the II.
But what is strange is the cover (reingraved Leica) and the rangefinder, both coming from Fed. Either a 1934 C Leica whose Russian owner wanted to convert into a II, or a II repaired with Russian spares...

Absolutely OK about the # 63976. It seems to me that I already saw that vulcanite on a A or C, but I'm not sure. As for the diagonal plate, it doesn't exist on my 1932, 1934 and 1936 Leicas.

I stop there. If not the webmaster will say that I'm OT!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Hi Vlad!
The French Leica specialist site don't answer my questions.
So we may conclude with Bill that this camera is really a pure genuine Leica, as I thought at the beginning of the story.
Thus you could remove it from Wiki. Sob...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Jcacques,

I am still waiting for confirmation about this camera from Alexandr Braslavsky, he just got back to Germany today and is supposed to email me with results of his investigation, whether his very early 1A has this plate.. if it does not then the camera will be removed. I did not forget .

Vlad