This article was published on May 14, 2012

Vintage Leica sold for $2.79m, breaking the world record for the most expensive camera


Vintage Leica sold for $2.79m, breaking the world record for the most expensive camera

As we’re impatiently waiting for more details on the latest Leica cameras to hit the market, a slightly older version of a Leica camera is making headlines too. A rare 0-Series Leica officially (and once again) has become the most expensive camera sold to date, as Leica Rumors reports.

Forget the $42,000 Hasselblad digital camera, the 0-Series Leica fetched a hefty $2.79 million (€2.16 million), beating last year’s record of $1.9 million, set by the same model camera, at the very same auction in Vienna.

In less than a minute, the bid shot up to €1 million, and closed after a mere 4 minutes.

So why does this 1923 camera command such a high price? For starters, about only 25 of them were produced. The 0-series (or null-series) cameras were developed as prototypes, testing the market a couple of years before the Leica A was introduced. Only 12 of these cameras as known to still exist.

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The recording breaking camera in question is in fully working condition, with the bidding for it starting at around $386,000.

Last year’s record is said to have been set by a “private Asian collector”, while this year’s bidder has chosen to remain completely anonymous.

Want to see the record breaking moment? Check out the video below:

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