AboutDavid Silver Expertise I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
My father has two Leicas that he swapped a German family for cartons of cigarettes in late 1945 or early 1946 just after the war! He is trying to figure out the value of these for insurance purposes or for sale.
They information he has is:
Leica
D.R.P.
ERNST LEITZ
WETZLAR
200205
3B
Color: Black
Leica
D.R.P.
ERNST LEITZ
WETZLAR
FL
NO 38075
3B LUFTWAFFA
COLOR: GREY
He has a SUMMAR 2.0 lens
He has a 50mm, 35mm wide angle, 90 mm, 110 telescopic
Autoknipps
Also a wind up motor for shooting multiple shots
And a range finder for each.
Can you give us an idea how much they are worth?
Answer
Hello Margie,
The first part is easy. Serial number 200205 indicates a Leica IIIa (also known as the Leica Model G), a traditional 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, made by Leitz of Germany in 1936. This is a VERY common model, with over 90,000 produced from 1935 to 1939. In excellent condition with a proper matching Leitz 50mm lens, you're looking at something in the $200 range.
Now it gets tricky...
There were many different Leica camera models that were contracted and received by the German military from 1939 to the end of World War II. They came in standard chrome, glossy black, or dull grey. In general, any fine Luftwaffe example with a matching Luftwaffen-Eigentum marked lens is easily a $1000-$1500 item, but I'd need to see the camera for myself to determine the exact model, condition, and value. These are difficult cameras to authenticate, since they are so simple to counterfeit, and equally difficult to sell. If genuine, it really should be placed in the hands of an appropriate collector or historian who will preserve it. I can recommend qualified people you can contact on your own for a fair and stress-free (and profitable!) transaction, but let's verify what you have there first. The best way to do this is to send me a few small JPEG digital images of the camera at <silver@well.com>, and I'll take a look at it.
As for the other lenses, you don't understand, there are many different models of Leitz 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, etc., and prices vary. I'm not sure what you mean by "110 telescopic" because to the best of my knowledge Leitz never made a telephoto lens of that focal length (although they did make a 105mm lens). Once again, to evaluate exact model, condition, and value, I need to see all of them, and it would help to know if they have caps and hoods.
Finally there's the wind-up motor. Leitz made several of these as well, plus there were secondary manufacturers who provided them. If you have the right one (he says, with fingers crossed...), it may be the most valuable thing in this entire batch, and really MUST be preserved by an expert due to rarity. So let's also see some pictures of this, and tell me if you can figure out which of the two cameras is fits (it might fit both of them, but these were usually made to specifically fit the military Leica models).
If in doubt about how any of this gear fits or functions, better to leave it alone and don't force anything.
Oh, one last thing, since you'll be sending me pictures anyway, toss in a shot or two of the Leica IIIa so I can verify there's nothing special or unusual about it.
That's it for now. I look forward to hearing from you again and seeing your treasures!
