I’m more than familiar with the ridiculous amounts often paid out for antiques, but even I paused when reading that this scratched-up old Leica MP-36 was sold on eBay for $US104,000.
Turns out that the camera was owned by Leif Engberg, the renowned Swedish photojournalist who’s covered wars in Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, Biafra and Pakistan, to name just some of his adventures. Some of his less dangerous work has been covering the Olympic Games – though I suppose there’s always the danger of getting hit by a flying ice-skater’s shoe.
Gutted you missed out on such a prestigious camera? It came with a Summicron 2/5cm no.1474879 lens, plus a matching Leicavit MP rapid trigger-wind. If I’ve looked into it correctly, it sounds like only 138 black versions of this Leica MP were produced, with 311 chrome versions. They were made between 1956 – 57, specifically for photojournalists, and differed only slightly to the M3 model, released in ’53. [eBay via PetaPixel]