One of the rarest Rolleis ever made is up for auction – but whether its limited edition looks reek of class or crass might be up for debate.
At its heart, the Rolleiflex Aurum is a twin-lens reflex camera with an 80mm f/2.8 Schneider-Kreuznach Xenotar lens… but obviously, the Aurum isn't content with being an ordinary twin-lens reflex.
Its brass is plated in gold and the body is wrapped in brown African lizard-skin leather – and only 1,500 of these were ever made, back in 1983 after the production of Rolleiflex F series was suspended, one of which is currently being listed by LiveAuctioneers.
It has to be said that the auction's listing images do the camera no favors, making it look like one of the cheap Chuzhao TLR cameras or the even gaudier Hasselblad-styled version.
But look up the Rolleiflex Aurum listings on eBay and you'll get a much better idea of how the camera really looks. The Aurum looks leagues more tasteful, with much less yellowy gold and a better rendition of the tone of the leather.
You might even find a more appealing price, too, if you're happy taking a chance trusting an eBay seller with a camera like this.
And that's really the story here. Sure, the folks at LiveAuctioneers might not know how to take a decent photo (even, ironically, when it's a luxury photographic device) but they're very reputable and you know that you're going to get a quality item. Or, indeed, that you're going to get an item period.
There's little information on the auction listing, other than the condition is "great" and the starting price is $4,000 (approximately £3,020 / AU$5,800) with an estimate of up to $6,500 (£4,900 / AU$9,430). Bidding begins on July 13.
And, of course, the note that this model is outfitted with a Schneider-Kreuznach taking lens instead of a Zeiss Planar (which is arguably the more desirable of the two).
If you're interested, check out the LiveAuctioneers listing for more information.
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For a TLR experience that won't break the bank, take a look at our Chuzhao TLR Camera review. And for old-school looks with new-school tech, check out the best retro cameras.
