The highlight of last weekend’s 47th Leitz Photographica auction in Vienna was the winning €6.5 million bid for a special white commemorative Leica M-A and Noctilux-M lens. The camera had been presented to Pope Francis shortly before his death, and proceeds will be donated to his favourite charity. Both the camera and lens bear the serial number, 5000000.
According to Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leica Camera Classics and Leitz Photographica Auction, the process was certainly one of the most exciting bidding battles in the company’s history.
Queen Elizabeth M3
Another special Leica, an M3 “reserve” model, which mirrored an identical model presented by German President Theodor Heuss to Queen Elizabeth II in 1958. The second version, also engraved with the royal cipher, E II R, and the German inscription, Ihrer Majestät Königin Elisabeth II, was intended as a backup in case of loss. This camera and 5cm Summicron lens fetched €156,000 against an estimate of €90,000-120,000.
Black paint models
The auction also reaffirmed the consistently strong market demand for Leica MP black paint cameras. Engineered specifically for reportage photography, the “M Professional” was widely adopted by press photographers. Leitz produced only 412 units in total, of which just 141 were finished in black paint.
The Leica MP black paint bearing the serial number MP-114 carried an estimate of €700,000-€800,000 and ultimately sold for €900,000 including premium.
Model 1 A Luxus
Another standout from the 47th Leitz Photographica Auction appeared early as Lot 7. The Leica I Model A Luxus Special Outfit, serial number 34808, is one of the very few existing “Luxus” (“luxury”) models produced by Leica: only 95 were made starting in 1929, with this example dating from that year.
The “Special” designation stems primarily from its accessories. This is the first Luxus set ever offered with matching 3×20 ‘Luxus’ binoculars, a gold-plated Leitz FINOT, and a FOFER-LUXUS rangefinder — also gold-plated. Accordingly, the estimate for the outfit was set at €300,000-€360,000, and it sold ultimately for €360,000 including premium
More information
A selection of items from the 47th Leica Photographica Auction was covered in this article by Leica expert William Fagan on 10 November 2025.
More detailed information is available here.
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Somebody in the Leica organisation did a huge favour for charities supported by the Catholic Church by donating this camera to the Pope in 2024. The Pope was never going to use the camera and the decision by his successor to auction this for charity is not surprising. Some rich collector now has a unique piece which he/she will probably never use, but some charities are immensely better off. The Leitz Auction has also played its part by waiving its fees.
The ‘Queen’s Leica’ is, of course, a backup which probably never left Wetzlar until many years after it was made.
The price for the Luxus was in the estimated range. As for the black paint MP, I can understand some of the high prices paid for rare MPs, but the prices resulting from ‘the black paint fetish’ sometimes escape me. Auctions are not ruled by logic, but rather by sentiment.
William