On June 10, the 42nd Leitz Photographica auction ended its work in Vienna , the results of which, like all the previous ones, amaze the imagination not even with the cameras presented, but with the prices. Among the outstanding lots of this year: Leica 250 GG Reporter, which went under the hammer for €900,000 (~$976,500); Leica M3 Black Paint ‘First Batch black dial’ sold for €540,000; relatively fresh 2018 Leica MP ‘Terry O’Neill’ sold for €240,000.
Leica 250 GG Reporter + Leica-Motor MOOEV 1948
In 1936, Leitz introduced a 10 meter film camera, the Leica 250, or “Reporter”, which could take 250 shots. For this purpose, it has been equipped with two large cassette cases, which give the Leica Reporter its distinctive appearance.
Many “GG” cameras were supplied during the Second World War. But only 92 cameras were equipped with MOOEV electric drive and were used for aerial reconnaissance, many of which were lost during the war, only 16 examples are known today. So the Leica 250 GG with an electric motor is an absolute rarity among collectors. This is one of the most unusual Leitz cameras – its value is comparable to the original Leica 0 series from 1923.
Starting price was €150,000, sold for €900,000.
Leica M3 black paint ‘First Batch black dial’ 1958
The earliest and coveted version of the Leica M3. The most striking feature of this model is the film counter dial.
Starting price was €150,000, sold for €540,000.
1961 Leica M2 Black Paint ‘Walker Evans’
Another highlight of the auction was Walker Evans’ Leica M2 Black Paint, who purchased the camera in 1962 and filmed with it for over a decade before switching from 35mm film to the larger format. Evans Walker is considered one of the greatest American photographers.
Starting price was €30,000, sold for €72,000.
Leica MP ‘Terry O’Neill’ + Summilux-M 50f/1.4 ASPH lens. 2018 release
It’s not just retro cameras that pay such convincing amounts, though: one of the Leica MPs from the ‘Terry O’Neill’ limited edition of just 35 that was released as recently as 2018 and was selling for “only” € at the time of release. 14’500. And now, complete with a Summilux-M 50mm f1.4 ASPH lens and an Audrey Hepburn print, it was sold at auction for a fantastic €240,000! Not a bad price increase in just five years.
The next Leitz Photographica auction will take place in Vienna on November 24-25, 2023.