Leica IIIf Midland set

Very rare IIIf body with self timer in perfect, original condition, top plate engraved ‘Ernst Leitz Canada Limited Midland Ontario’, with matching Ernst Leitz Canada Ltd. Midland Summarit 1.5/5cm no.1246980 (cap) and Leicavit SYOOM engraved ‘Ernst Leitz Canada Limited Midland Ontario’ only small batches of the IIIf were prepared by Leitz Canada and engraved with the name of the Canadian manufacturer.

Serial No. 684716
Year: 1953

Start price: 8,000 EUR
Estimates: 16,000 – 20,000 EUR

Leica M6 (Electronic) Prototypes + Design Models

These four cameras (ex Leitz Museum) show the evolution of M6 from the wooden design model to a working prototype camera:

(1) wooden demonstration model with metal lens mount, frame selector and apparently very long film winding mechanism, covered with leather and marked ‘ MADE BY LEITZ PORTUGAL ‘ on the back , the top plate is unmarked, but with the typical Leica Museum sticker numbered ‘1405’.

(2) The second model already has metal applications, the base plate is removed by a centrally placed screw, only the shutter speed dial, the rewind crank and the frame selector lever can be moved, the top plate shows the red Leitz logo and the lettering ‘LEICA M6 ELECTRONIC’.

(3) The third model is probably the most planned study, the base plate has a battery chamber and a motor connection with a cut-away model of a Motor Drive R4, the top plate is beveled on the side of the rewind crank, the shutter speed dial, engraved with 100, B, X and 1-1/1000 sec. above the ISO setting dial and exposure compensation, on the back of the top plate is a switch similar to the Leica R3, the back is fitted with a DIN/ASA indicator, top plate engraved ‘LEICA M6’. With unmarked dummy lens.

(4) The  last camera  is already a  fully  functional prototype,  the top plate is engraved: ‘ERNST  LEITZ  WETZLAR  GMBH’, on front: ‘LEICA  M6’,  the base plate with the Leica Museum sticker with number ‘2308’, shutter speed dial and film indicator show clear differences to the later production model, the cameras leather covering is marked ‘MADE IN GERMANY’, with serial number 1621532 (approx.1983) which is  assigned to M4-P.  The first official production camera is no.1657251. The Leica M6 was the first Leica with TTL exposure metering in a classic M housing. All the electronics finally found space in the area of the previously built-in self-timer.

Year: c. 1980-1984

Start price: 40,000 EUR
Estimate: 80,000 – 100,000 EUR

Monochrom ‘Ralph Gibson Edition’ Pre-Series

Unique chrome Monochrom ‘Ralph Gibson’ edition with red signature on top plate and red leather covering, in new condition with certificate and maker’s box, with matching chrome Summicron-M 2/35mm Asph. no.4047586, complete in maker’s box.

Serial No.: N02/35
Year: 2013

Start price: 10,000 EUR
Estimates: 20,000 – 25,000 EUR

Kogaku Seiki Nippon

Very rare Japanese Leica III copy in beautiful and 100% original condition, with Nippon-Kogaku Tokyo Nikkor-QC 3.5/5cm no.571107, according to the Nippon expert Prof. Ryosuke Mori (see Camera Review no. 58) a maximum of only 100 cameras were buit just after the war using also parts of other cameras, only about 20 are known to exist, this is probably the best of all known cameras regarding its condition.

Serial No.: 19553
Year: c. 1945

Start price: 3,000 EUR
Estimates: 5,000 – 6,000 EUR

Nikon F High Speed ‘Sapporo’

Early first version for 7 exposures with F36 HS motor drive no.152308, special finder for 135-300mm lenses, special eye-level finder with shoe, power pack type 3, Nikkor-H.C 2/50mm no.2211718, extremely rare camera in fully original condition.

Serial No. : 7289894
Year: 1972

Start price: 7,000 EUR
Estimates: 12,000 – 15,000 EUR

Nikon 2.8/6mm Fisheye-Nikkor Auto 220°

Very rare 6mm fish-eye Nikkor with some cleaning marks on front element, special front lens cap, warranty card and metal carrying case.

Year: c. 1972
Serial no.: 628003

Start price: 10,000 EUR
Estimates: 18,000 – 22,000 EUR

‘Ur’ Rolleiflex prototype

The very first Rolleiflex twin lens prototype ever made, built in 1925/26 with one focusing wheel for the viewing and taking lens (like all later Rolleiflex cameras), for 4.5x6cm plates as the 120 rollfilm wasn’t invented, in fully original condition with certificate by DHW and original patent letter no.519590 (patent numbers 478904 included as a copy), including the first type Rolleiflex no.80987 in very nice display box.

Year: 1925/26

Start price: 18,000 EUR
Estimates: 35,000 – 45,000 EUR

Carl Zeiss Jena Riflestock 543/75

The Zeiss Ikon rifle stock 543/75 was developed for the Olympic games 1936 in Germany by the famous sports photographer Lothar Rübelt, it is one of the most rare accessories for Contax, only very few are known to exist – it comes with a matching chrome Sonnar 2.8/18cm no.1844985 (1937) in with Zeiss Ikon reflex housing 543/78 with hood, cable release, strap, Contax II no. M.32485 – all in very good condition.

Year: 1937

Start price: 12,000 EUR
Estimates: 20,000 – 25,000 EUR

KGB Rollover Camera ‘Alycha’

This very rare rollover camera was made in a special workshop of KMZ at Krasnogorsk. It is rolled over the document at a speed of 20cm/sec by hand and copies a 10cm wide strip of the document to a 8.3mm filmstrip in a special cassette. Outfit in a grey aluminum case with red interior plastic fitting. The camera is perfectly disguised as a notebook (there is also a real brown notebook in the outfit that looks exactly the same). The camera has its own light source that is switched on automatically when the camera is moved across the document. The outfit also comprises a crank activated precision film cutter that cuts two strips of 8,3mm out of a 35mm film, spare cassettes and batteries with matching charger (115 and 220V).

Serial No.:84584
Year: c. 1984

Start price: 9,000 EUR
Estimates: 18,000 – 20,000 EUR

Additional information can be found at westlicht-auction.com.