Leica is not just a regular brand; it revolutionised photography a hundred years ago by introducing the first commercially available 35mm camera. While digital cameras rapidly lose value, rare Leicas have become coveted collector’s items thanks to their historical significance, limited production numbers and association with photography’s early pioneers. So it’s perhaps not surprising that a vintage Leica from 1957 has sold at an astonishing €600,000.
This shows the extraordinary prices collectors are willing to pay for rare photographic equipment at auctions such as the Leitz Photographica 48, which concluded last week in Wetzlar, Germany, the home of Leica. The star of the show was the exceptionally rare black paint Leica MP-33, with 402 units ever produced, of which only 141 featured a black finish. A distinctive feature which develops a brassy patina over time, making MP cameras even more unique.
Other eyewatering lots included a Leica Ig Prototype from 1955, which was auctioned for €540,000 and a Leica IIIb black paint from 1938, which sold for €312,000, nearly ten times its estimated value. The Leica MP 10323 ‘Meister Edition Berlin’ Outfit from 2017 was sold for €132,000.
The charity lot was a modern digital rangefinder, a prototype of the Leica MP10-P Safari from 2018. Their final, limited edition design includes a darker green enamel finish, while the auctioned prototype has a much brighter green finish and raised €16,000 for the “Licht ins Dunkel” charity.
Related reading:
- 100 years of Leica cameras
- How the world’s first Leica camera came to be
- Legendary Leica users through the ages and their best photos
- The world’s first paparazzi camera and other photo rarities are up for sale at this very special Leica auction
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