This is one of those lots which is almost unbearable to part with, because you know that you may never see its like again.  A genuine Leitz Bellows II in M fitting, which means it is compatible with all the M series, right up to the current M9, or alternatively, any adaptable digital, I have had great fun with an identical setup mounted to my trusty Panasonic G1 Micro 4/3 in the past, some of my efforts are shown below.  The mounting plate supplied with this example is marked for the Classic 90mm/f4 Elmar, the 90mm/2.8 and the 65mm/3.5.  Mounts for other lenses are available and not particularly hard to find.

The vintage of this particular example is unknown, but I would guesstimate it at 1960s. Leica has not offered a Bellows kit for the M mount for many years, making this exceptional example all the more desirable.  Condition of the bellows is exceptional, I have been over it with a fine tooth comb and can find nothing worse than a little dust over the bellows.

All controls are sweet and smooth, the pinion rails completely free from snagging or even any serious dirt, it honestly looks to have seen a criminally low amount of use.

Typical of Leica, this bellows is very compact, but very hefty, construction is of chromed brass with a hammerite type finish and feels as if hewn from a piece of solid rock. The kit has a dual adjustment system, allowing magnification and focus to be adjusted separately.  The bellows mechanism works perfectly, as does the rail adjuster.  The bottom block has mountings for both small and large thread tripod mounts.  The bellows is graded in both millimetres (0-90) and magnification to 4 times life size).  The bellows is easily mounted on a tripod, or even light enough to be used hand held with a little practice.

This example is supplied complete with its very rare original box, which is in similarly good condition, with no odour, water or other damage.

I have previously used a Bellows II with a 135mm Tele Elmar, which is not a Macro lens, but nor exclusively a Tele, and I have found it a great all rounder.  You can see a small album of my adventures with the bellows/135mm combination in the slideshow below.  As you can see, it is a very capable one and I personally found it well suited to closeup portraiture.  The fine focus enabled by the bellows is also useful for long distance work, although it does take a bit of practice!

The bellows will be supplied as shown ready for you to get straight to work!

So there you have it, a very rare and incredibly highly appointed, genuine Leica bellows in its original box, exceptional in both form and function and ready to go to work.  I would love to keep it, but really can't at the moment justify the investment, although I have no doubt that whenever the lucky winner chooses to part with it, as with any Leica kit, it will be worth as much or more than they paid here.

Hopefully, the description and photos will answer any questions you may have, but please feel free to drop me an email if anything needs clarifying further.

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