The first serially produced Leica camera, Leica I, revolutionised the world of photography 100 years ago with its compact and handy format. Two years before production commenced in 1925, Ernst Leitz Werke had built a few prototypes – the so-called 0-series with the serial numbers 101-125. The existence of almost a dozen of these Leica 0-series cameras is still known today. As milestones in the history of photography and trailblazers of photojournalism, they are now coveted collector's items. In 2022, auction house Leitz Photographica Auction set a new world record for the most expensive camera (14.4 million euros including premium[1]) by auctioning the 0-Series No. 105. On the occasion of the anniversary celebrations at Leica Welt in Wetzlar, Leitz Photographica Auction is once again auctioning a 0 series in June 2025 – No. 112. The camera will be presented to the public for the first time during the Milan Design Week[2], being on display in the Leica Store Milano from 4 April.

Taking place on 27 June, during the Leica Century Event at Leica World in Hessen (Germany), Leitz Photographica Auction 46 will feature one of the most extraordinary lots the history of photography has to offer: the Leica 0-series no. 112. A little more than 100 years old, the camera is one of the first 35mm cameras ever produced.

Its assembling completed, no. 112 was personally accepted by Oskar Barnack, head of the test department at Ernst Leitz Werke. Shortly before World War I, Barnack had designed the “Ur-Leica”. Said camera – which relied on 35mm film and was small enough to fit in a jacket pocket – would eventually serve as a model for the Leica I and its prototypes, the 0-series.

Two world records within five years

While the ‘Ur-Leica’ is owned by Leica Camera AG (the name under which the company is trading today) and not for sale, passionate collectors of historical cameras sometimes get the rare opportunity to purchase a 0-series at auction. Just how coveted these cameras are can be seen from the results of recent auctions: The last three 0-series to be auctioned all changed hands for more than two million euros each. Leitz Photographica Auction is responsible for two of these results. The auction house first set the world record for the most expensive camera in 2018 with the 0 series no. 122 (2.4 million euros including premium) and then significantly surpassed it in 2022 with the 0 series no. 105 (14.4 million euros including premium). No. 105 still holds the world record today.

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

As extraordinary as the 0-series No. 112, which spearheads the highlights of Leitz Photographica Auction 46, is the setting in which it will be presented to the public. As part of Milan Design Week, the auction house’s upcoming top lot will be exhibited at the Leica Store Milano from 4 April onward. Leitz Photographica Auction will present further highlights in the coming weeks. The full catalogue of the auction will be published in May.

For more information please visit www.leicashop.com and www.leitz-auction.com/auction/de/home .

100 years of Leica: Witness to a century

In 2025, Leica Camera AG is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Leica I. First presented to the public at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925, it was the first 35mm camera to be mass-produced and exceeded all expectations. Thanks to its compact and handy format, it opened up completely new photographic applications. Under the motto ‘100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century’, Leica Camera AG is celebrating this camera that revolutionised the world of photography around the globe. At international events organised by the Leica country organisations in the major cities of Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo, cultural projects and extraordinary special product editions will be presented throughout the year. The highlight of the celebrations is the anniversary week at the company's headquarters in Wetzlar in June. In addition, there will be high-calibre exhibitions in the worldwide network of Leica Galleries with works by outstanding photographers.

About Leica Camera Classics:

The German Leica Camera AG has two branches in Vienna: Leica Camera Austria and Leica Camera Classics. The latter specializes in vintage cameras and has approximately 1,500 devices on display in its store at Westbahnstraße 40. The location also houses the largest spare parts warehouse for historic Leica cameras in the world. Because of this unique inventory, on-site technicians can inspect historic Leica cameras to the highest collector standards and restore them as needed before they are auctioned.

Twice a year – in June and November – Leica Camera Classics organizes the Leitz Photographica Auction, the world's most important auction of vintage cameras, attracting bidders from over 100 countries. In addition, around 5,000 products are permanently offered in the LCC online store.

Press contact:

Leonard Häusler-Dworschak
YIELD
Tel.: +43 676 50 22 609 
Mail: l.haeusler-dworschak@yield.at
 

[1] Buyers pay a fee of 20 percent of the hammer price to the auction house. 

[2] 7 April to 13 April 2025.