A Leica for Your Year?

Just to give you an idea how crazy the world of Leica collecting can be, the hammer price on this baby at the Westlicht auctions is expected to be 150,000 to 180,000 euros. It's a just-discovered pristine example of a very rare black MP2 with experimental motor drive, from the late 1950s. One of only six made.

I'll bet with a good hard year's shooting you could scrub a good €50k off the thing!

 

 

 

Mike
(Thanks to Ernst)

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Original contents copyright 2010 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Nicholas Condon: "That camera is...interesting. It's like an MG roadster towing a flatbed trailer full of lawn care equipment."

Featured Comment by Paul "I don't think the rules allow motor drive."

Comments

[James McDermott]

That one-legged tripod never really took off, did it?

[K. Praslowicz]

If I were endlessly rich, I'd happily scrub that 50K off during this winter.

[Jeff]

Nah, the extra brassing would just increase the already insane value. [g]

[Chris Norris]

I know a year of use has really scrubbed down the resale value of mine. Luckily I'm okay with using my tools until they're dead.

[Paul]

alternative title: A Leica For a Year's Salary (if you are a doctor)

[Peter Hovmand]

I would rather shoot myself than buy and shoot with this thing, sorry.
PS. I love Nikon :)

[NU]

It look like a Lomography Spinner 360°. :))

[john robison]

In such events at these when very rare photographic equipment 'turns up' who would the auction house use to authenticate the item?

[Jim]

Didn't know Leica had branched out into the noisemaker market. Must be very lucrative. I wonder if it comes in Hermes ostrich leather finish....

[James]

Oh, be fair people. It was the late 50s. It was the era of Messerschmitt Bubble Cars, Sputnik, radiograms, room size computers, and some seriously dodgy Arran sleeveless pullovers. ;)

I do confess a liking for the bubble car though. Never even seen one in the metal, nor have any idea if they were reliable or safe. They appeal on a visual level, plus the fact that it is 2 miles to my nearest supermarket, so too far to walk with a young child, and whenever I drive there I cannot park within half a mile. Plus it's always raining, because this is England. You should be able to get a bubble car into all sorts of spaces a Volvo estate car cannot get.

[toto]

If that motor drives does 24 fps, one could shoot 1.5 seconds of "video" on one roll of film!

[John Hicks]

Sheesh...I could scrub at leat $100k off in a year, easily. All it'd take is loading film in it.

Maybe that's the ticket; anyone who buys it must shoot 100 rolls of TX within the next year or forfeit ownership. I hate to see such things lanquishing under glass. It's a sin.

-jbh-

[Sam]

$196,000 to $235,000 U.S. for this MP2??

Jeez, and people bitch about the prices of the M9 and the Noctilux 0.95!