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Mystery Leica Copy Prototype?

Nicca Prototype or conversion??

You won't find this one in any of the Leica Copy books -- or at least I certainly didn't.  Without a rangefinder or viewfinder built into the body, it was apparently intended for microscope or instrument work.  Nicca did make a   Microscope camera without a viewfinder or rangefinder.   Interestingly, the body top and bottom plates are painted an olive green.

This camera has NO MANUFACTURER'S MARKINGS.  Very careful examination of the body however, has convinced me that this is based  upon either the Nicca 5L or Nicca/Yashica YF.   It has the same back door loading, the same size body, identical body covering, and an identical baseplate engraving for "Open/Close" and "Japan."   It has no flash sync, and the shutter speeds are (in order):  B, 20, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 crudely engraved on an aluminum shutter speed dial.   The advance knob seems to have come off a Leica.  The rewind lever appears to be   typical late 1950's Japanese manufacture.     

This camera, however, has a crudeness about it that shouts "Prototype" or "Conversion." I personally believe it is a Prototype because no one in their right mind would have gone to this much trouble needlessly to convert a Nicca  5L or YF for microscope work --- when all they had to do was leave the camera alone and just mount it.  This much work only makes sense if you are making a prototype or test camera. 

While the rear door seems identical to the Nicca 5L, the pressure plate is smaller.

IF anyone out there can identify this camera, please let me   know.

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Revised: November 26, 2003 .  Copyright � 1998-2002  Stephen Gandy. All rights reserved.    This means you may NOT copy and re-use the text or the pictures in ANY other internet or printed publication of ANY kind.  Information in this document is subject to change without notice.  Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.