Last Updated on 04/21/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
If your need is strong and your wallet is ready, there’s a bunch of rare Leica goodies waiting for you in the upcoming Leitz Photographica Auction.
We’ve been keeping an eye on rare Leica cameras on our vintage finds features, but the upcoming 34th auction of the Leitz Photographica Auction (formerly WestLicht Photographica Auction) is most likely your best bet for scoring some of the rarest. Chances are, you’re still missing one or two (or even all) of the items in the collection, so mark your calendars and make plans for Wetzlar, Germany on June 8th if you’re keen on checking them out.
Leica enthusiasts and rare camera collectors are set to bid on a number of exciting items, including a Leica M3 with serial number 700005 (above), or the fifth Leica M ever made. It’s most likely in the best condition of the early cameras in the series, earning it an estimated hammer price of €300,000 – 400,000 (around $340,000 – 450,000). If you missed the last Leica M3 ever made, you probably won’t want to miss this one.
A Leica MP-2, the first M camera to have an electric motor drive and one of the rarest and most unusual Leicas, will also be up for grabs for an estimated hammer price of €400,000 – 500,000 (around $452,000-562,000).
Another valuable item to keep your eyes peeled for is a Leica 250 Reporter GG with a Leica-Motor MOOEV, which is so rare that estimates say only fifteen units have survived to this day. This unique and historic Leica sports large cassettes that allowed it to take 33 feet of film and shoot up to 250 exposures without reloading. A sizable batch of the GG model were delivered during World War II, but only a few were equipped with the MOOEV electric motor drive, particularly for aerial reconnaissance use on German warplanes. This item, which comes in excellent condition and only minimal signs of wear, is estimated to fetch a hammer price of €300,000 – 400,000.
Go ahead and check out the Leitz Photographica Auction website for more details.