Leica 0-Series Prototype Camera Expected to Fetch Millions at Auction

Mar 05, 2025

Jeremy Gray

Vintage Leica camera with a worn, textured body and brass accents. The lens reads "Leitz Anastigmat f=5cm 1:3.5" and shows signs of age. The camera has a classic, rectangular design with various dials and a viewfinder on top.

The groundbreaking Leica I 35mm camera turned 100 last week, and as part of the ongoing centennial celebration, Leica announced that one of the 0-series prototypes for the Leica I will be auctioned in June, and all signs point to the rare camera fetching millions of dollars.

Before the first serially produced Leica camera, the Leica I, debuted on March 1, 1925, the company built a few prototypes. The prototypes range from serial number 101 to 125, and Leica estimates that fewer than a dozen examples remain.

A vintage black Leica camera with a textured body and a prominently attached lens. The camera features multiple dials and a viewfinder, showing signs of wear with some faded areas, indicating its age and frequent use.

In 2022, one of these prototypes, number 105, set a world record for the most expensive camera ever, selling at auction for 14.4 million euros, over $15 million at the time. This costly camera broke the previous record set in 2018 by yet another Leica 0-Series prototype camera, number 122. That model sold for 2.4 million euros.

Each of these record-breaking auctions was held by Leitz Photographica Auction, who will auction the Leica 0-series camera no. 112 as part of its 46th biannual auction on June 27. Although every Leica 0-series camera is remarkable, number 112 was personally accepted by the legendary Oskar Barnack, then head of the test department at Ernst Leitz Werke.

Close-up of a vintage black camera with visible brass details. The text "No 112" is engraved on the surface. A dial with the number 20 and a "Z" with an arrow can also be seen. The metal has a worn appearance.

Leica notes that before World War I, Barnack designed the original Ur-Leica, a compact 35mm camera far ahead of its time and the forebearer to the eventual Leica I, which transformed the photographic landscape and popularized the 35mm format. Barnack’s Ur-Leica also informed the 0-series prototypes.

A torn, aged document with handwritten notes and printed German headings such as "Verwendung" and "Eingang." The paper shows wear and discoloration, with illegible text due to fading and damage.

Given the significance of the camera and Barnack personally accepting it, it is a safe bet that the Leica 0-Series no. 112 will sell for a fortune come June. It may even set a new world record for the most expensive camera ever, wrestling it away from no. 105.

“A 0-series for sale certainly draws the attention of the international collector’s scene,” says Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leitz Photographica Auction.

A vintage camera with the lens extended. The bottom view shows dials and markings, including "Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" and "No. 112." The design features a textured grip and brass-like finish, indicating an early 20th-century model.

“These prototypes laid the foundation for modern photography. To auction such a legendary camera, honoring the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, is a particular pleasure.”

Before the camera is auctioned off at Leitz Photographica Auction 46, it will be showcased at Leica Store Milano as part of Milan Design Week. Photographers and Leica enthusiasts can see it in person starting April 4. Leitz Photographica Auction will release its entire auction catalog in May, and PetaPixel will be sure to share any of the highlights ahead of the auction itself.

Image credits: Leica / Leitz Photographica Auction