Among the most coveted of lots during Leitz Photographica Auction 48, held on the June 13 at World of Leica Welt in Wetzlar, were Leica cameras from the 1950s. “We are delighted to see — and also take it as confirmation of the intensive work carried out over recent years — that enthusiasm for historic cameras and historic camera accessories remains as strong as ever,” says Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leitz Photographica Auction.
According to Sedlak, rarities and special editions are also increasingly in demand among more recent models. Rare cameras that appeal as both collectors’ items and potential investment pieces can already be acquired at auction for four-figure euro sums. It is, however, still the cameras in the five and six-figure range that generate the greatest attention. Leading the highlights of the Leitz Photographica Auction 48 was the Leica MP-33.
Surprises
During the Leitz Photographica Auction 48 at Leica Welt in Wetzlar, the Leica MP-33 (produced in 1957) was auctioned for €600,000 including premium, while the Leica Ig Prototype No. 750000 (ca. 1955) achieved €540,000 including premium.
The biggest surprises of the morning included a Leica IIIb black paint from 1938, which sold for €312,000 including premium — nearly ten times its estimated value — as well as the Leica MP 10323 ‘Meister Edition Berlin’ outfit from 2017. Estimated at €26,000 to €30,000, the comparatively young model ultimately sold for €132,000 including premium. The charity lot, the Leica MP10-P Safari prototype (2018), raised €16,000 for a good cause.
Rarity in black paint
With only 402 units — just 141 of them in black paint — ever produced, the “M Professional” (MP) ranks
among the rarest Leica cameras ever made. The concept originated from requests by prominent American press photographers such as Alfred Eisenstaedt and David Douglas Duncan who sought to combine their M-series cameras with the advantages of the Leicavit rapid winder, then available only for the Leica IIIf.
The example sold at Leitz Photographica Auction 48, MP No. 33, was originally delivered to Brandt, Sweden, on 29 July, 1957 and was accompanied by a matching black paint Leicavit and a black paint / brass-mount Summicron 2/5cm lens no. 1474885. The Leica MP-33 was auctioned for €600,000 including premium.
Experimental prototype with special serial number
Representing a fascinating stage in the evolution of the screw-mount Leica line during the early 1950s, the Leica Ig prototype No.750000 holds a compelling place in the history of photography. Produced around 1953, this unique experimental camera features a completely distinctive top plate design, combining stylistic and construction elements of the Leica Ic, If and Ig models into a single transitional configuration.
The pronounced raised flash platform — unlike the standard flat-top production Ig — gives the camera its characteristic appearance. Its special, round serial number 750000, makes the camera particularly interesting for collectors, which became evident in the pre-auction bidding stage. The prototype was sold for €540,000 including premium.
Leica IIIb black paint
The Leica IIIb was produced between 1938 and 1941 and is normally found in a chrome finish. It is documented at the Leica Archives that only five examples, serial numbers 295301–295305, were produced in black paint and supplied to New York on the 3rd of September 1938 under the codename “LUDOO schwarz.”
The camera was offered with a Leitz Summar 2/5cm lens, serial No.496615, and a special black leather case, featuring the correct small 1/4in tripod screw as supplied for this rare camera. The Leica IIIb Black Paint ultimately achieved €312,000 and thus almost ten times its estimate of €32,000 to €36,000.
Popular combination of the rare and the recent
The fact that cameras produced within the past ten years can also generate strong demand was
demonstrated, among others, by the Leica M6 Black Paint ‘Leitz Auction’ Set and the Leica M Edition 70. Part of a limited edition of 20 and priced at €25,980 in the year of its release (2023), the set now achieved a final auction price of €48,000 including premium.
The Leica M Edition 70 (2024) also recorded a notable increase in value, with a result of €36,000 including premium, significantly exceeding its original retail price of €22,500. The Leica MP 10323 ‘Meister Edition Berlin’ outfit proved even more coveted. Issued in 2017 to commemorate ten years of Leica Store Berlin in a special edition of only ten cameras, the outfit had already significantly exceeded its estimate of €26,000 to €30,000 during pre-bids and ultimately sold for €132,000 including premium.
Charity Lot for “ Licht ins Dunkel”
A prototype of the Leica M10-P Safari was auctioned for charity. The prototype differs significantly from the final production model by its much brighter green finish instead of the darker, more subdued tone chosen for the commercial release.
The camera is engraved under the base plate with the prototype marking P08/08, and represents a rare insight into the development process of one of Leica’s most popular modern special editions. The camera was provided by the auction house and sold without premium, with the total proceeds of €16,000 going to the charitable organization “Licht ins Dunkel” (“light in the darkness”).
Future Leitz Photographica Auctions: Live on site, in written form, online or by telephone
In autumn, Leitz Photographica Auction will host two additional sales. On the October 9, the photographs auction “Perspectives” will take place at Leica Galerie Vienna, followed by the Leitz Photographica Auction 49 on the 28th of November, once again at Leica Welt in Wetzlar.
As usual, bids can be submitted in advance online with Leitz Auction, in written form, or by telephone. Live bidding during the auction will be available via Leitz Auction and Live Auctioneers.
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Thanks, Jon. I would normally have done a piece on this auction in advance, but this year I have been particularly engaged. I did, however, find time to pick up items at the main auction on the Saturday and also at the new timed auction, called ON, on the Saturday. The latter was bit like eBay auctions with added time recycling every time a bid is made and no physical auctioneer. It was good but not quite as exciting as the way they do it at LP Foto Auction in Sweden where it is a bit like online horse racing. I picked up a lovely chrome Standard from 1938 with brown vulcanite (a combination which I love) and a very nice postwar chrome 9cm f2.8 Elmar lens.
William
Congratulations, William.