What is so special about this camera that it costs 3.8 million USD?

(Dan Tri) - A Leica camera was just sold for up to 3.8 million USD at an auction recently held in Shanghai, China. So what is so special about this camera that it is sold for such a high price?

The Leica IIIg camera, encased in an olive-colored hard rubber case and equipped with a chrome-plated Elmar 50/2.8 lens, has just found a new owner after a recent auction in Shanghai, China.

The Leica IIIg camera sold for $3.8 million, the only prototype ever produced (Photo: OstLicht Auction).

This camera was produced in 1960 and was the first prototype of a series of cameras that Leica planned to produce exclusively for the German military. However, the series was never produced, so this prototype is the only one of the series ever produced.

The camera is being auctioned off with a starting bid of 80,000 euros ($84,400). The auction house expects the camera to sell for between 140,000 and 180,000 euros ($147,700 and $190,000).

However, the camera was eventually sold for a whopping 3.62 million euros (equivalent to 3.82 million USD).

"After a 14-minute intense three-way auction, a telephone bidder won with a record $3.82 million, 45 times the starting price of 80,000 euros," the auction house said.

The identity of the auction winner was not disclosed.

In addition to the Leica IIIg camera, three other rare Leica cameras were also auctioned this time.

The Leica M3 camera sold for nearly $1 million (Photo: OstLicht Auction).

First up was a Leica M3, produced in 1953, one of Leica's first M-series cameras, which sold for 945,000 euros ($997,000), nearly seven times its starting price of 140,000 euros.

A black-painted Leica MP-97 camera also sold for 710,000 euros ($749,000), more than three times its starting price of 220,000 euros.

The Leica E Leitz New York camera in almost 100% new condition was sold for $563,000 (Photo: OstLicht Auction).

A Leica E Leitz New York camera, produced in 1938 in a limited edition of 12, was also auctioned. The camera, which was specially designed and in almost original condition, sold for 533,600 euros ($563,000), nearly four times its reserve price.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-manh-so/chiec-may-anh-nay-co-gi-dac-biet-ma-gia-den-38-trieu-usd-20241128130756202.htm