Swedish auction house Auctionet, has listed a half dozen Leica cameras for auction later this week.
Four of the listed cameras are Leica IIIf rangefinders. Leica produced the camera from 1950 to 1957. The other two are Leica IIIg rangefinder cameras, which Leica began making in 1956. The IIIg was the last screw mount Leica camera, and production ended in 1960. Nearly all the approximately 40,000 Leica IIIg were made with a chrome finish. However, the 125 units produced for the Swedish military were finished in black and include engraved Swedish crowns.
Leica IIIf with Elmar 3.5/5cm lens
The six listings are quite similar looking on the surface. However, there are some minor differences that may affect the camera’s values.
Leica IIIf camera (No.822901) with matching black Elmar 3.5/5cm lens (No.1427165). This was the first camera in batch 822901-823000 for the Swedish army in 1956. As of now, of the six listings, this one has the highest current bid price at 41,395 euros (around $43,695 USD)
Leica IIIf camera (No.822919) with matching black Elmar 3.5/5cm lens (No.1427158). The current highest bid is around $33,000.
Leica IIIf camera (No.822956) with matching black Elmar 3.5/5cm lens (No.1427099). The current highest bid is just over $26,000.
Leica IIIf camera (No.822994) with no matching lens. To nobody’s surprise, the Leica IIIf without a lens is currently poised to sell for the lowest final hammer price. The current highest bid is just under $9,700.
Leica IIIg camera (No.987906) from series 987901-88025. Incudes ‘Triple Crown’ engraving and comes with black paint Elmar 3.5/5cm lens (No.1427101). The current max bid is around $35,800.
Leica IIIg camera (No.987986) with black paint Elmar 3.5/5cm lens (No.1427109). The highest bid for this final camera in the set is similar to the other Leica IIIg camera, currently set at just over $35,000.
Five of the six Leica cameras built for the Swedish military look set to sell for significant sums. It will be interesting to see if any of them reach the $50,000 mark before the auctions end on May 7. For more information, visit Auctionet.
Leica IIIg with three engraved Swedish crowns on the rear top plate
These aren’t the first expensive Leica cameras to hit auction lately. Last month, we wrote about a rare Leica 16mm prototype that could fetch over $3M at the 40th Leitz Photographica Auction later this year. Last year’s 39th edition of the famous auction featured numerous Leica cameras with starting prices in the six figures. There’s no doubt that Leica, a brand that is still very much alive in the digital age, produced many film cameras and lenses that people continue to desire. Although perhaps as investments rather than photographic tools.
After waiting over a year, Chris and Jordan finally had a chance to test the new Canon RF 100mm F2.8 L IS Macro. Is this the macro lens to beat?Sony has just announced its updated 24-70mm F2.8 GM II and there are a host of impressive upgrades. We took this new lens around a very soggy downtown Calgary to see how it performs.The Nikon Z9 is one of the best cameras we’ve ever tested. But is it the best of the best? Chris and Jordan have been testing the Z9 with the new 2.0 firmware for a while, and they have the answers.One of our favourite things about Micro Four Thirds is the variety of tiny, sharp lenses. How does OM System’s compact 40-150mm F4 Pro lens hold up under scrutiny?The Nikon Z9 uses a stacked CMOS sensor to power its first pro-level mirrorless camera. With firmware 2.0 now available, we’ve reviewed the fast-shooting stills and video camera designed to win-over Nikon’s professional DSLR users.
What’s the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we’ve rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.If you’re looking for the perfect drone for yourself, or to gift someone special, we’ve gone through all of the options and selected our favorites.What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both speed and focus for capturing fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.Most modern cameras will shoot video to one degree or another, but these are the ones we’d look at if you plan to shoot some video alongside your photos. We’ve chosen cameras that can take great photos and make it easy to get great looking video, rather than being the ones you’d choose as a committed videographer.Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we’ve chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media.