http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSFy6yebMJ4
For the 5th time, the world record for the most expensive camera ever sold was broken at a WestLicht auction in Vienna.
At the 21st camera auction on 12th May, a test camera from the Leica brand achieved the sensational price of 2,160,000,- Euros, including buyer's premium.
The 3rd Lot from this high-profile auction (starting price: 300,000 euros) was sold to an anonymous buyer in an exciting bidding war between the room, phone and internet bidders.
Only around 25 of these Leica 0-Series cameras were produced in 1923, two years before the start of series production, as test cameras -- approximately 12 pieces have been preserved.
Cameras of the cult brand Leica are sought-after collector's items, and particularly in recent years there has been an enormous increase in the price of such rarities.
Until quite recently it would have been unthinkable that a camera could fetch a
price in excess of one million euros.
Chronology of World Records:
- The first exemplar of a Leica 0-series (No.107) went under the hammer at the WestLicht in November 2007 for € 336 000 at auction.
- The same camera was sold 5 years later, in May 2011 for 1.32 million € (including buyer's premium).
- The all-time record was broken today by the camera No.116!
