Rare Leica BOX Prototype and Salgado Camera Up For Auction in Wetzlar

The 49th Leitz Photographica Auction takes place on November 28, 2026, at Leica World in Wetzlar, presenting more than 400 lots of historic cameras and vintage photographic equipment. A fully operational mid-1950s Leica BOX 18 × 24 mm prototype bearing serial number 000.01 leads the sale, with an estimate of €400,000 to €500,000. The auction also includes a Leica R6 used by Sebastião Salgado to document the burning oil fields of Kuwait, offered with two photographs from that series and a signed copy of Workers. Another highlight is the Summicron-M 66 f/2 re-edition, serial number 001, estimated at €16,000 to €20,000. An exhibition celebrating 60 years of Leica Noctilux will also be on display at Leica World during the auction weekend.

 

From Leica:

 The 49th edition of the Leitz Photographica Auction is taking place on the 28th of November 2026 and is dedicated to historically significant cameras and vintage photographic equipment. Among the highlights of the auction, which will take place at Leica World in Wetzlar, are an exceptionally rare Leica BOX camera from the 1950s, a Leica R6 owned by Magnum photographer Sebastião Salgado (1944–2025), and a re-edition of the Elcan 66 mm f/2. In addition, an exhibition celebrating 60 years of Leica Noctilux will open at Leica World during the auction weekend.

More than 400 lots will be offered at Leitz Photographica Auction 49. While Leica cameras, lenses and equipment make up the majority of the lots, numerous items from other renowned manufacturers will be offered as well. Estimates range from the three-figure to the six-figure euro range.

“We are delighted to once again present, in the 49th edition of our auction, an exciting selection of cameras and photographic equipment from the past 100 years, alongside the collectables of tomorrow,” says Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leitz Photographica Auction. “As always, we expect particularly strong interest in historically significant rarities and special editions. One such highlight is the Leica BOX camera, of which only one operational example is known to exist today.” 

The Leica BOX 18x24mm prototype

The Leica BOX camera offered at auction is a prototype produced in the mid-1950s. Developed as an extremely compact 18 × 24 mm camera, it measures just 100 × 64 × 48 millimetres, making it one of the smallest Leica cameras ever built. Only two units were produced. One is on display at the Leica Museum in Wetzlar and was constructed as a non-working design study, whereas the camera offered here – bearing the serial number 000.01 – is fully operational. The Leica BOX is regarded as one of the most exceptional rarities in the Leica universe. Its estimate ranges from €400,000 to €500,000.

The Summicron-M 66 f/2 with the serial number 001 

One of Leica’s most celebrated lenses has its origins in the company’s former Canadian subsidiary, Ernst Leitz Canada. Dr Walter Mandler developed the Elcan 66 mm f/2 on commission for the US Navy. According to Mandler, the Navy’s intelligence service requested a lens that “looked like any other but delivered an unparalleled level of resolution.” In the late 1960s, Ernst Leitz Canada produced merely 200 units of the Elcan 66, making it one of the rarest lenses ever made for the Leica M system.

This year saw the release of the Summicron-M 66 f/2, a re-edition of the Elcan 66, limited to 660 units. The Summicron bearing the highly collectible serial number 001 will now be offered at Leitz Photographica Auction 49. Its estimate ranges from €16,000 to €20,000.

Yet another lens will take centre stage during the auction weekend. Leica began production of the Noctilux in 1966 and presented it at Photokina in Cologne, Germany, that same year. At the time, it was the fastest lens of its kind, making it possible to capture images with remarkable detail and contrast even in low ambient light. An exhibition to celebrate the history of the famed lens will be on display at Leica World during the auction weekend. 

Sebastião Salgado set: Camera, limited edition photobook and photographs

Alongside rarities and special editions, cameras and photographic equipment with distinguished provenance have traditionally proved particularly popular at Leitz Photographica Auction. In this respect, the upcoming auction features an exceptional highlight: a Leica R6 owned by Sebastião Salgado (1944–2025). The Brazilian-born, renowned Magnum photographer used the camera to document the burning oil fields of Kuwait during the Gulf War – images that contributed significantly to his international reputation. Two photographs from this series are included in the lot, together with a signed copy of Salgado’s limited edition photobook Workers. The estimate ranges from €28,000 to €32,000.

Leitz ON returns for its second edition

In addition to the event in Wetzlar, Leitz Photographica Auction is once again hosting its online auction, Leitz ON. Designed as an accessible entry point into the world of collecting, the auction features a broad selection of cameras and photographic equipment from a wide range of manufacturers, as well as photographs dating from the 1920s to the present day. Bidding will be open from the 29th of October to the 29th of November. Information on the lots and details of the bidding process are available at www.leitz-auction.com.

Live on site, in written form, online or by telephone

Leitz Photographica Auction 49 takes place on the 28th of November at 12 am (CET) at Leica World in Wetzlar. Bids can be submitted in advance online (www.leitz-auction.com), in written form, or by telephone. Live bidding during the auction will be available via www.leitz-auction.com and www.liveauctioneers.com.

For more information please visit: www.leitz-auction.com/auction