One-of-a-kind Luftwaffe Leica tipped to fetch $245,000 at auction

A unique military camera developed for the German Luftwaffe during World War II is expected to sell for as much as €140,000 (about AU$245,000) when it goes under the hammer next month in Germany.

The Leica Camera “Astro Berlin” camera is believed to be the only known example of its kind.

Heading to the 48th Leitz Photographica Auction in Wetzlar on June 13, the olive-green setup pairs an unusual Luftwaffe-issued Leica IIIc body with an Astro Fernbildlinse 300mm f/5 telephoto lens and what appears to be a dedicated telescopic sight mounted above the lens for long-range targeting and composition.

Unlike a standard Leica IIIc, this example features a rare left-handed shutter release plus dual wooden grips, giving it an appearance somewhere between a telephoto camera rig and an early 20th-century machine gun.

It was designed for tripod or handheld use, with a padded rear face rest for extra stability when shooting with the long lens.

Leitz Photographica Auction describes it as “one of the latest Luftwaffen-Eigentum cameras listed in the Leica archives” and among the most sophisticated military camera outfits it has handled.

Bidding will open at €60,000, with the auction house estimating a final price between €120,000 and €140,000.

Also crossing the block is another Leica with a very different backstory: a rare Leica MP once owned by pioneering Italian photographer Tazio Secchiaroli, widely credited as one of the world’s first paparazzi.

Secchiaroli famously photographed celebrities and aristocrats on Rome’s Via Veneto in the late 1950s, and his work inspired the “Paparazzo” character in La Dolce Vita.

The Leica MP offered at auction includes a 50mm Summicron lens and a copy of Secchiaroli’s book The Original Paparazzo, which references the camera and its serial number, strengthening its provenance.

For collectors, the June sale looks set to be another major event.

Alongside the Luftwaffe Leica and Secchiaroli’s MP, Leitz Auction 48 will also feature a rare black-paint Leica MP-33, expected to go for an incredible €7-800,000, and a late-19th century Lumière Cinématographe.

For the full catalogue head to Leitz Photographica Auction.