
Online auction house Catawiki has launched its first exclusive Leica auction, which includes several rare items.
The auction includes a Dutch test Leica M7 with an accompanying Summicron 50/2. The camera and its lens are one of just five pairs made and are expected to sell for between €12,500 and €15,000.
The auction, which was launched on Friday (14 October) and runs until Saturday (22 October).
The auction’s lots also include a black Leica M3 rangefinder made in 1963, which is expected to fetch between €5,000 and €10,000. The camera will need restoration to return it to working condition, Catawiki noted.
Another extremely rare item is a Leica Canada Summilux 35/1.4 V2 lens with accompanying viewfinder goggles. The lens and viewfinder comes with the original box and is expected to sell for between €16,500 and €18,500.
“This lens was Leica’s first venture into high-speed wide-angle lenses. with less than 1,000 made this lens is rarely seen on the market, even less so in this condition. Still renowned for its superb optical quality, this highly collectible lens is also your only chance to shoot with a pre aspherical 35mm Summilux. Made purely out of aluminium this lens is much lighter than its modern aspherical equivalents,” Catawiki said.

The other lots include Leica Minilux compact cameras, a rare Leica M6 “Test the Best”, black paint Leica I rangefinder with viewfinder, a Leica MD-2 camera and a dummy Leica M3 used as a display model in certain camera shops in the 1950s.