This 103-year-old Leica just sold for $4.9 MILLION – and it's one of the most important cameras ever made
One of the rarest Leica cameras in the world has just sold for an astonishing $4.9 million
On October 10, 2026, a historic Leica 0-Series camera from 1923 sold for a staggering US$4.9 million at Wetzlar Camera Auctions in Germany. This remarkable price, more than double its pre-sale estimate, highlights the immense value placed on early Leica cameras by collectors. The Leica 0-Series, produced for just two years before the famous Leica I, represented an experimental run of 22 to 25 cameras designed to test the use of 35mm film in a portable format.
Only 16 of these original cameras are believed to survive today, making them among the rarest photographic artifacts ever created. Serial number 103, which sold for the record-breaking sum, was the third camera produced in the experimental series and had remained in private American collection for over 50 years. Its unique provenance, coupled with its historical significance as one of the first compact 35mm cameras, makes it a prized possession for any serious collector.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
