Leica highlights from the upcoming WestLicht camera auction

Here are some of the Leica highlights from the upcoming 31st WestLicht Camera Auction that will take place on June 10th, 2017:

Leica M3 olive Bundeseigentum outfit



Stunning outfit including early single stroke body in fantastic original condition (clean finder and perfect shutter, CLE by Ottmar Michaely), engraved ‘Bundeseigentum 12-121-5418’ on rear of top plate, Elmar 2.8/5cm no.1600826 (A/B cond., cap, ITOOY hood engraved Bundeseigentum 12-121-5634), M3 Summaron no.2050519 engraved with Bundeswehr identification number ‘6760-12-130-0901 (near mint condition, perfect optics, cap, special olive green leather case stamped 14564 M), Elmar 4/135mm no.1825774 with olive green leather covering engraved ‘Bundeseigentum 12-133-4870 (B+ cond., with both caps, with olive green leather case stamped ‘14562 K’), Leica-Meter MC no.74185 engraved ‘Bundeswehr’ with green leather case stamped ‘Bundeseigentum 12-121-5710’ and booster with green leather case – green leather outfit case stamped ‘Bundeseigentum’.

Year: 1959, No. 927744

Starting price: EUR 18,000

Leica M3 black paint



Very important camera from the first official batch in 1959, the first camera of this batch was no. 959401, so the offered camera is one of the most early known to exist. The body is in very fine and 100% original condition with all early features as early strap lugs, all-black base plate. It was never restored or re-painted and is in perfect working order with clean finder, it comes with the rare all-black body cap.

Year: 1959, No. 959440

Starting price: EUR 18,000

Leica I Mod.A Elmax



Early first type ‘Elmax’ (technically similar to Anastigmat Leica) in perfect working and absolutely original condition. With all the early features of the first Leica cameras (six speed shutter, frame counter engraved 0-40, mushroom release, low profile winding knobs, coarse grained vulcanite, ratcheted film transport action, five element Elmax lens with datum line, first version base plate and finder – this is one of the rarest Leica cameras in original condition as most were later upgraded by Leitz when serviced. With rare unmarked front cap and the first ever ready case ESNEL without set screw.

Year: 1925, No. 451

Starting price: EUR 15,000

Leica IIIc K Grey W.H. ‘Rundblick’ outfit



Extremely rare outfit including a very clean military IIIc K engraved W.H. camera with grey leather covering (original Wehrmacht-Heer camera, delivered on December 5th, 1944 to Bln. 9777), very rare grey painted Hektor 4.5/13.5cm no.575601 (delivered on January 6th, 1945 to Bln. 13099), Elmar 3.5/5cm no.591224 engraved W.H. (this is the matching lens for the camera, delivered on the same day with the same delivery number), grey W.H.VIOOH finder (to be used reversed for 13.5cm), grey painted camera-lens support cradle, green painted panoramic head marked ‘beh 8594’ and green painted tripod marked ‘E.LEITZ WETZLAR’ – all in fine original condition.

Year: 1944, No. 391614K

Starting price: EUR 40,000

Leica MP chrome



Fully original chrome MP, chassis engraved with matching number “P-292”, with 3 notches on filmstage, in perfect working condition with clean finder, chrome Leicavit MP in original condition. It is very hard to find an original Leica MP with all early features, e.g. body without self-timer and with early version of lugs, matching back door.

Year: 1958, No. MP-292

Starting price: EUR 18,000

Leica M3 + 1/90mm Picker X-Ray



M3 double stroke body in fine condition with specially adapted and fix mounted ultra fast Leitz Canada Picker X-Ray 1/90mm lens no.373-0300, VIOOH finder no.57131- very impressive assemble

Summarex 1.5/8.5cm black paint



Original black paint Summarex in very fine condition with clean optics, barrel engraved ‘Paul C. Snyder’, complete with both caps (aluminium front cap), original black hood engraved ‘Summarex 8,5 cm Ernst Leitz Wetzlar’, very rare red maker’s box marked ‘Leitz Objektiv 8,5cm 1:1,5 Soocx’, only 276 black Summarex lenses were produced, only few wartime lenses survived.

Year: 1953, No. 593109

Starting price: EUR 5,000

Elcan 2/1 3/8 Inch (35mm) Prototype

One of maybe two existing prototype lenses for Leica M in perfect condition with clean lenses.

Year: c. 1960, No. 1745233

Starting price: EUR 20,000

Via Westlicht