Most Valuable Cameras

The personal camera of Oskar Barnack, the man who invented the 35mm Leica. One of just 23 prototypes produced in 1923 before the Leica I went into full production a year later. Barnack used this camera until 1930 before passing it to his son Conrad. It remained in the family until 1960. Still in working order a century after it was built.

Another survivor from the original batch of 23 prototypes. Manufactured in the same year as No. 105 but without the direct connection to Barnack himself. It remained in excellent condition with all original parts. Reached more than three times its high estimate at auction.

Held the world record for four years before No. 105 overtook it. All original parts intact including the paintwork and matching lens cover. Purchased by a private collector in Asia. At the time of sale it was recognised by Guinness World Records as the most expensive camera ever auctioned.

The only modern camera on this list. Designed by Apple's Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson as a one-off charity piece. Machined from a single block of aluminium with over 20,000 hand-drilled holes. Took Leica engineers approximately 100 hours to produce. Sold for more than double its estimate.

The Leica MP was introduced at Photokina in 1956 with only 402 units ever produced. Of those, just 141 received the coveted black paint finish. This example was originally delivered to a customer in New York in 1958 and retains beautiful natural patina from decades of use.

Holds the record for the most expensive Canon digital still camera ever sold. Only two LM2 cameras are known to exist. This example sold with its original lens, attracting fierce bidding from collectors drawn to its extreme rarity in the Canon range.

The oldest surviving camera in the world. Its lens was only the third made by optician Charles Chevalier for a daguerreotype camera. Lost for nearly 170 years before being discovered in an attic in Munich. Its age and rarity place it in a category entirely of its own.

One of just four cameras customised by Leica for American photographer David Douglas Duncan, who covered World War II, Korea, and Vietnam for Life Magazine and National Geographic. Holds the record as the most expensive non-prototype camera. The value lies entirely in who carried it and what it witnessed.

Limited to just 95 units with gold-plated metal fittings and deep red lizard-skin covering. Very few original unrestored examples survive. This one came as a complete outfit with matching gold-plated Leitz binoculars, cable release, and rangefinder. Described by the auction house as one of the finest preserved examples they had encountered.

First introduced in 1936, the Leica 250 could load ten metres of film for 250 exposures. Many were used during World War II. This example was delivered to Berlin in 1942 and remains in excellent condition. Sold with an Elmar 3.5/50mm lens and the rare Leica-Motor MOOEV unit. Considered comparable in rarity to the original 0-Series prototypes.