Leica & Reid fales ( Source: https://www.l39sm.co.uk/leica-reid-fakes.php )

LEICA AND REID FAKES

Almost anything that is collectible and attracts money is liable to be faked and Leica cameras (and their copies such as Reid) are no exception. Many of those that exist are of Russian origin, usually based on a Leica II, and this faking first started back in 1934.
An example Russian fake of a Leica II showing many of the characteristics detailed here

Note that the images etc below are only representative of common characteristics. You may come across clever fakes where only part(s) of the camera are fake - a frankenleica - say with a Leica top plate off a damaged camera but with fake internals or a mismatched rangefinder housing. The combinations are almost endless!

A good quick check on any suspect camera is to look inside the body behind the lens at the rangefinder cam assembly and at what lies beneath the bottom cover, comparing it with the images below.

• The top plate has 'B' rather than 'R' by the rewind lever at the front (Russian origin) - this may be partially hidden under the rangefinder housing but is usually recognisable. The Leica rewind control lever also has a protrusion on the fixed end with the moving end rounded whereas the Russian ones are pointed. The film advance knob has two diametrically opposite studs - those on the Leica are smaller than the Russian versions
• Shutter release surround/collar (if present) looks like a bowl at the top (Zorki), there may be a screw thread tapped within the top of the shutter release4 button to accept a conventional cable release (Leicas have a release cable that screws over the outside of the button) or the button may have concentric circles engraved on it (FED). However, some early FEDs and Zorkies do have the Leica type button with no collar

Leica (right) Fed (center) and Zorki (left) controls and shutter release button examples

• The top plate engravings are wrong in placement and detail
• The viewfinder surround starts below the top of the rangefinder housing on the Leica giving it the appearance of being a separate part but is level with the top on the FEDs - note that the camera shown below is a late model II and has rangefinder dioptre adjustment which was not present on earlier models of the II. The two FEDs shown here also differ in detail

• Upper edges of view/rangefinder housing are not level and dip at either end
• Vulcanite does not meet up with the lens screw mount housing or the top and bottom plates but is cut and carefully shaped around it by a few millimetres
• The rangefinder control cam on the body behind the lens at the top of the aperture is not circular as with a Leica, generally having either a crescent shaped cam or being almost pointed on one end (Zorki & FED, both Russian). Some very early Russian ones did have circular cams though

Rangefinder cams with Leica II on the left, FED in the center and Zorki on the right

• Bottom cover is different to the Leica 

Leica (bottom) and Russian (FED) base plates, the latter with additional fixing screws around the tripod mount but none by the lock mechanism

• Remove baseplate and the visible parts of the lower part of the shutter crate and the adjustment mechanism are incorrect

Leica (bottom) Fed (center) and Zorki (top) shutter blind adjustment controls

• There is 'something wrong' with the range/viewfinder front bezels
• Screws on the front into the vulcanite are bright chrome and not black or otherwise painted

Leica (left) and Russian (FED) Leica fake cameras. Note smaller viewfinder window on fake with little rounding to top right of surround, chrome screws in vulcanite. The fake FED Elmar lens is not positioned at 7 o'clock for infinity and has no 'mtr' marking, the infinity lock button is also different to the Leica 

Above is a closer view of a Zorki fake Leica showing the shaped 'vulcanite' covering, chromed screws in the vulcanite, small viewfinder window and the rangefinder bezels with small lens

Below are detail views of the fake (on the right) Elmar lens 

• Examples of cameras that never existed for various events or, if they did, are very very rare, top plate may have coloured lettering, typically for pre-war sporting events and/or are very cheap to buy, even brand new. Body coverings are often bright and garish and often available currently on eBay at very low prices
• Faked supposed German military cameras, engravings (often incorrectly or badly placed/engraved) such as 'Luftwaffen Eigentum' (Air Force property), 'Heer (army)', or the Naval Leicas which were the only type to have had the Reichsadler (Eagle surmounting a Swastika beneath it). The real thing does exist in these cases but research or consult an expert before buying if you are not sure about anything offered

Various fake Russian Leicas

• The word 'Leica' on the top body plate is in plain lettering rather than script. It can also be script but poorly engraved
• The Serial No on the top plate is for a later camera than the body style (although there a few exceptions where the factory officially 'downgraded' a III to a II by removing or blanking off the slow speed dial

A fake Russian 'Reid' Model II based on a Zorki - so much is wrong you should be able to spot it from afar!

Since the Reid is based on the Leica IIIb, there are going to be many similarities amongst the fakes of both cameras. At first glance, a Reid III and a Leica IIIb are going to look very similar but there are a few differences between a genuine Leica and a genuine Reid that need to be understood first. These are shown below along with the only fake Reid available at the time this page was prepared.

Leica IIIb front view 

Reid III Type 1 front view

The main differences between the Leica and the Reid cameras are:

• No centre screw on slow speed dial for the Reid
• Shutter release surround on the Reid is very different with a cutout horizontal slot lower down it
• The film rewind knob on the Reid has no visible central portion of the mounting pillar
• Both cameras have a combined eyepieces for the viewfinder and rangefinder
• The Reid film advance and rewind knobs have chromed upper and lower rims above and below the machining
• The Leica IIIb has no lock for the slow speed dial but the Reid does
• The baseplate on the Reid does not have any countersunk chromed screws

Below are the top plates of the fake Reid and a genuine Reid: 

Genuine Reid III at the bottom vs fake Reid at the top! The accessory shoe is totally wrong on the fake and the latter shows the usual 'B' for the rewind position instead of 'R'. Note the curving front of the top housing moulding on the fake, the totally wrong exposure intervals and the lack of a dioptre adjustment lever. The engraving is also very poor

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