A camera shop in Tampere has possibly Finland’s most expensive photo camera and accessories for sale. The rare Leica film camera has been in the possession of a Finnish private person since new, and its condition is exceptionally good.
Leica M4 black paint with 50mm Summicron lens is on sale for 50,000 euros. Camera market
Among other things, Tampere-based Kameratori Oy, which sells used cameras and lenses, sells exceptionally expensive camera rarities.
– We think that it is the most expensive photo camera ever put on sale in Finland, founder and CEO of Kamerator Jussi Lehmus says in the announcement.
It’s about Leica M4 black paint film camera from 1967. The package also includes Leica’s 50mm lens, which was once sold together with the body, and the exposure meter designed for this model.
The price of the set is 50,000 euros in the store in Tampere.
According to Lehmus, the exorbitant price is explained by the fact that the specimen on sale is from the first production batch of 500 pieces.
– This status brings the camera an estimated double price compared to later models, Lehmus says in the press release.
The camera has been owned by one and the same Finnish person since new. Lehmus tells Iltalehti that the Finnish private person who sold them the camera contacted the company himself with the intention of selling it.
– He had acquired a camera in Germany as a young man while traveling with his father. I heard that the previous camera, a Leica M3, was stolen abroad and this one was bought to replace it.
Lehmus cannot say how actively the camera has been used over the decades.
– However, judging by the signs of wear, the camera has been used very sparingly. Black paint is unique because the wear of the paint reveals the “fingerprints” of the photographer, i.e. how the camera is held. This always produces a unique end result, Lehmus tells Iltalehte.
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Would you pay 50,000 euros for this package? Camera market
Not exactly in a perfect blow
The camera is said to be functional and in exceptionally clean condition. However, a little maintenance might be needed if you want to use the camera.
According to the announcement, the maximum shutter speeds are a little too fast, and the viewfinder is a bit skewed. There is a slight haze inside the lens, but this does not affect the image quality. The exposure meter is not accurate either.
– The shutter has not been serviced for fifty years now, so its mechanisms are very dry and heavy use could damage the mechanisms.
– If you really wanted to start shooting with the camera, the shutter would need to be lubricated. We offer maintenance at the same price, but the customer can decide for himself whether he wants the camera serviced.
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Typical wear for black paint models is very moderate. Camera market
The seller considers the price of 50,000 euros justified
Lehmus refers to the camera as possibly the most expensive photo camera ever made in Finland. Clarification is necessary, because video cameras intended for professional use, for example, can cost considerably more than 50,000 euros.
The prices of the regular Leica M4 are currently in the 2,000-3,000 euro range. However, the black paint versions are a separate matter.
For example, the Leica store in Vienna has for sale a somewhat similar individual for around 30,000 euros and elsewhere in Austria the other for 26,000 euros. Neither comes with a lens.
According to Lehmus, the price tag of 50,000 euros is justified.
– Two models of the first production batch were just sold at the Wetzlar Camera Auction. The hammer prices were 22,000 and 28,000 euros, on top of which there is a 19 percent premium, says Lehmus, referring to the auction prices of the frames alone.
The lens that comes with the body is not cheap either.
– We sold a similar, but weaker lens a year ago for 19,500 euros.
You can view the realized sales prices of the Leica M4 black Paint, for example From Collectiblend.
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In addition to the body and exposure meter, the package includes a Leica 50mm f/2 lens. Camera market
Leica was wrong
Most of Leica’s older bodies are silver chromed brass. When the company later started painting the brass frames black, it quickly realized its mistake.
– This black paint turned out to be quite weak in active use. The paint started to bubble and quickly wore off the frames, revealing a golden brass base, Lehmus explains in the press release.
Leica quickly gave up painting frames and switched to a production method where the brass frame was chromed black to prevent wear.
– Nowadays, it is rare to find black paint frames that do not show obvious wear.
According to Lehmus, several dozen packages of this price category are sold each year.
The world’s most expensive Leica is the 0-series camera auctioned in 2022, for which 14.4 million euros were paid.
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The seller considers the high-sounding asking price to be justified. Camera market
For hard driving or as a decoration for a showcase?
Lehmus tells Iltalehti that he doesn’t think the camera will end up in any photographer’s camera bag for active use.
– This specimen is in such wonderful condition that it would be considered a “Holy Grail”, i.e. a prize specimen that is not used. Alongside it could be another similar, but later specimen in worse cosmetic condition, which the collector would also use for photography.
– Very few devices of this caliber end up in use, he states.