Gold Plated Leica Luxus II turns out to be the Most Expensive Camera

Camera collectors have a reason to be happy.  A gold plated camera which has been encased in lizard skin has surfaced. The camera, a Leica Luxus was auctioned on November 22 at Hong Kong. This is one of the special edition cameras made in 1932 and is the only surviving from the lot of four.

The camera is expected to fetch around $2,785,960. It has been sold with its original crocodile camera case, has a bell push release along with a 50 mm Elmar lens and was gifted to a British camera collector after World War II. The Leica Luxus was in stores all these years and it was only in 2001 that the current owner took the camera to Antiques Road Show to get its worth assessed.

Mark Allum, the presenter of the show realized the worth of the camera and its pre sale estimates have now being pegged at over $2,785, 960.

Leica had been a leader in camera manufacturing since 1913. The cameras were not only ahead of time but also had the latest technology of that era. The camera played a vital role in the development of photo industry during 1930’s. However, the identity of the photography enthusiast who finally bought the camera has not been disclosed.