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Leitz Photographica Auction has announced an auction of another historical Leica. This time, it’s a prototype of the 16mm film camera that never got to be produced for the wide market.
The prototype was made of wood, so it’s not an actual working piece of gear. Still, thanks to its historical value, it’s expected to fetch over $162,000 at the auction this June.
Back in 2009, a charity event dubbed the (RED) Auction, containing one-of-a-kind items by Apple’s former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson, was held to raise money to benefit The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. More than 40 items went up for bid, including a Leica M full-frame camera designed by the pair.
The (RED) Leica M, the standard version of which retailed for around $7,000 at the time, fetched a hair over $1.8 million. Now a prototype camera has been revealed and is also going up for auction, where it’s expected to reach at least $300,00.
Brand new unopened cameras are not uncommon on eBay, and usually aren’t that big a deal, unless that camera is something like a military issue Leica Leitz KE-7A. With a price tag of $45,300, it’s certainly aimed at a very special type of collector.
According to the eBay listing description, the Leica KE-7A was produced in both military and civilian models, but the military issues can be distinguished by having FSN (Federal Stock Number), Cont. (contract designation), and U.S. (United States) markings.
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