Revolutionary Leica 0 series camera sells for the AU$5.7 million at auction

Wetzlar Camera Auction
(Image credit: Wetzlar Camera Auction)

A Leica series camera just sold for an eye-watering €3.5 million (AU$5.7 million) making it the second-highest price a camera has ever achieved at auction. In total, 259 lots were up for sale at the fifth Wetzlar Camera Auction (WCA), but it was this sought-after 100-year-old Leica that stole the heart of a very rich, very committed Leica collector. 

The extraordinary Leica 0 series camera came from an Italian private collection with bidding starting at €800,000 (AU$1.3 million). The only camera to sell for more belonged to Oskar Barnack, the German inventor and photographer who is responsible for designing the Leica 0 series. In June 2022, his own Leica 0 with his name engraved on top sold for an astonishing €14.3 million (AU$23m)  blowing the previous record of €2.4 million (AU$4 million) out of the park. 

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Hannah Rooke
Freelance contributor

Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. Hannah spent three years working at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant, using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With eight years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.

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