$2m auction for old school Leica

[Chris Dodkin]

A CAMERA from 1923 has been sold at auction for a world record 1.32 million euros ($1.89 million).

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/m-auction-for-old-school-camera/story-fn6s850w-1226064850344

The Leica camera's final price shattered pre-sale estimates.

The purchaser was a private collector from Asia who wants to remain anonymous, said Vienna's WestLicht gallery, which organised the auction.

The camera was one of about 25 prototypes made in 1923, two years before the celebrated German brand went into commercial production. It had been valued ahead of the auction at about one quarter of what it eventually went for.

The previous world record was set last year when a collector paid 732,000 euros for a daguerreotype, the world's first commercially produced camera, which bore the rare signature of its French inventor.

Leica Rumors said:

Today at Westilicht Photographica Auctions a Leica 0-Serie Nr.107 (1923) camera sold for 1.3 million EUR (1.9 million USD). The opening bid was 200,000 EUR with an estimated price of 350,000-450,000 EUR. AP reports that the camera went to a “private Asian collector after a nailbiting, 20-minute bidding process“. This is the camera description:

This is the 7th camera of the Leica 0-series. Only approximately 25 of these cameras were produced to test the market in 1923, 2 years before the commercial introduction of the Leica A. It is the only camera known with “Germany” engraving on the top plate. The factory record indicates delivery to New York for patent applies. This means that this camera is not only one of the major existing rarities, it is also the first Leica being exported. It is the unique chance to buy the most important collectible Leica camera.

The previous record for the most expensive Leica was a MP2 that sold for 402,000 in December of 2010.

Video of the auction

[video]http://youtu.be/62sxxQZ8Hb8[/video]

I reckon these old cameras might be worth a bob or two - what do you think?

Just checking, this one isn't a rebadged Panasonic is it???