Bonhams Hosts Fine Leica Centenary Sale in Hong Kong

Yevgeny Khaldei's 1937 Leica II. Source: Bonhams

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By Stephen Pulvirent

November 26, 2014 at 5:04 AM UTC

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Famed German camera-maker Leica turned 100 this year. To celebrate, auction house Bonhams is hosting the Fine Leica Centenary Sale in Hong Kong this Saturday, November 29. No camera brand inspires the same sort of fanaticism among collectors. Even in an era when few people really want to take the trouble to shoot film (or even know where/how to develop it), vintage film Leica rangefinders are in high demand. This auction spans most of the brand's history, including cameras from the early 1930s through 2014.

The Fine Leica Centenary Sale is a relatively tight sale, with only 84 lots total. Two of these are Leica ephemera (an advertisement and a display sign), seven are lenses, and the remaining 75 are camera bodies, bodies with lenses, or self-contained cameras. Because Leica has maintained the same lens mount since 1954, these cameras and lenses are still usable interchangeably with the most modern equipment. These are still tools, not tchotchkes.