Rare Camera Auctions

For auction is a silver version of the excellent and hard-to-find Avenon 21mm F 2.8 Super Wide lens for cameras that use Leica Screw Mount (also known as Leica Thread Mount and M39). With an adapter, it will also fit cameras that use the Leica M Bayonet mount. These lenses were made by Y.K Optical from Yokohama and sold under the name Avenon (in Japan), Kobalux (in the U.S.), Pasoptik, and Bower. They are superb both optically and mechanically, and deservedly have very high reputation.

The serial number of the lens is 95897. The lens comes the original front cap, a rear cap (it’s probably original too, but I am not sure), and the original 21mm viewfinder. The viewfinder has its rear cap.

$273.50 with one day to go.

I really wish I had the spare $2,000 to bid on this lens.

Super fast, super quiet - perfect super-telephoto for photojournalism, sports and nature photography. One thing though, I HATE buying lenses for Hong Kong and other overseas places. Waaaaay too many fakes.

Another nice rarity here.

Here’s a complete genuine 1860’s Dubroni wet-plate camera outfit! The camera is the classic original No. 1 model, for 4cm diameter round exposures, with the internal amber glass bottle (not a later ceramic bottle!), fitted with the proper original matching brass Dubroni lens and cap, and the swiveling brass rear panel, with ornate Dubroni lettering, that reveals the red glass preview window. It’s in excellent overall condition, with perfect remarkably crack-free wood body, intact pressure plate springs, the original clasps and hinges, and the proper ground glass. The outfit features the original fitted wood case, the pipette with rubber bulb, another pipette, a tiny box with a supply of glass plates, another tiny box with a supply of ferrotype plates, the rare original Dubroni printing frame, and all seven original Dubroni chemical bottles with stoppers! The Dubroni system, invented by Jules Bourdin of France (Dubroni is an anagram of Bourdin, and the legend states that this anagram was used instead of the family name because Bourdin’s father night not have approved of his son’s little endeavor) was the first “instant picture” system, predating the Polaroid by some eighty years! A blank glass or ferrotype plate was loaded into the back of the camera. The collodion solution, followed by the appropriate silver sensitizing compounds, was poured through the baffled hole in the top of the camera, allowed to flow over the inner surface of the plate, and the excess was siphoned out with the pipette and rubber bulb. The camera was replaced on a tripod, the exposure was made (usually a lengthy time exposure, controlled simply by removing the lens cap), and then processing had to begin before the wet collodion emulsion could dry. The processing and fixing chemicals were introduced through the top and siphoned out in their proper order, and the finished negative was removed from the back when all was done.

Just under $4,000 with half a day to go.

With auctions like this, there isn’t a whole lot you can say. therefore, I’ll just steal from the auction description:

Before Leica brought the M3 on the market they made 65 M3 prototype cameras for testing and evaluation. The numbers of these cameras are 001 - 0065. As they had only experience with screw mount cameras the M3 was a complete new type of camera and needed to be tested intensively. After testing the cameras came back to Leica factory to be dismantled and the internal parts were completely analized. Most cameras were finally destroyed, but some were sold to the employees of Leica. According to several experts a few (it is said about a dozen) of these cameras are still on the market. Most of these cameras however are in collections of course.

Compared to later style M3 bodies (also compared to the first 600 M3 cameras) the prototype cameras had several different features such as:

- External frame counter
- Release button which can be turned and switched in
the B-position
- Shape of transport lever
- Shape of self timer (this one has the one which was
used on the production M3 bodies)
- Built-in film punch in back door
- Engraving on top plate is different. Only a 4 digit serial
number is engraved
- Top and base plate with corners
- Reversed direction rewind knob (turns counter clockwise)
- Film spool type (right one on picture no. 28 is the later M
style spool)
- Die-cast mechanism

The camera shows signs of use which of course is normal. As described Leica made these cameras for testing and it was used as such. But besides some marks here and there the camera looks great. No dents. Some fine pin head marks are visible. Furthermore some bright marks and scratches but the camera definitely is not abused. A must for every collector. If you want to use the camera one of the curtains should be replaced. Although the curtain is light tight it is not 100% perfect. As the curtain can be the original one I would prefer to keep it as it is and not replace it unless definitely needed to. Having the test session in mind and as it is a more as 50 years old camera most people would probably rate it higher as B+. Definitely a rarity 10 scaled item which is historically very important. Not often seen.

Price has already broke $10,00 with six days to go.