Last Updated on 12/29/2017 by Chris Gampat
Anyone looking for a World War II German gun camera?
Here’s something for all you military history fans and vintage camera collectors out there. Another rare camera with rich military history has surfaced from the depths of ebay: a Zeiss Ikon German Luftwaffe Me 109 gun camera from the World War II era.
There’s not much information about this fascinating wartime snapper, other than what we find in the listing by ebay seller adtpcs. This Zeiss Ikon gun camera, an ESK 2000 B model, measures 18.5 inches long, weights approximately 15 pounds, and has an integrated sight tube with cross-hair reticle. It was reportedly attached to the Messerschmitt ME 109 (BF 109) aircraft, which was the backbone of the German air force Luftwaffe during the World War II.
It’s actually a 16 mm movie camera for filming up to 2,000 still frames. According to the seller, the optics seem to be in need of cleaning, but it’s uncertain if it’s still functional. I don’t know about you, but it makes me wonder how the seller even got a hold of this battle-scarred piece of military history! For fans and collectors of all things military and vintage, this rare gun camera can be yours for US $ 6,999.99 or your best offer.
Of course, we’re curious about what it looked like attached to the Messerschmitt aircraft, and the footage it must have shot. So, here are a couple of interesting things I dug up. First, a LIFE magazine image of the gun camera possibly being aligned from a WWII aircraft forum. The other is a compilation of German gun camera footage shot in June 1944, possibly filmed by one of these gun cameras. The video’s description also says these cameras were primarily used to help measure tactical effectiveness. They are also triggered by the firing of the aircraft’s weapons, hence the name.
You most likely won’t be able to shoot with this camera anymore. But it sure does look like a cool addition to your collection of vintage cameras and military artifacts, don’t you think? We’re definitely adding this to our list of the coolest and most badass cameras ever made, along with the DORYU 2-16 pistol-type subminiature camera.