The Camera That Invented "Paparazzi" Is Up for Auction

Going once….Going Twice…..On June 13, 2026, at Leitz-Park in Wetzlar, Germany, over 400 lots will go under the hammer at the 48th Leitz Photographica Auction. Over 400 quality listings of photographic history.

It’s the stories these cameras carry in every scratch, patina mark, and engraving. Here are some cool ones to check out.

The Camera That Named a Profession

ESTIMATE: €100,000 – 120,000

If there’s a single listing that tells a story worth the price of admission, it’s this one.

Leica MP chrome no. 368 was delivered on January 16, 1958, to a young Italian photographer named Tazio Secchiaroli. At the time, Secchiaroli was prowling Rome’s Via Veneto with a small crew of photographers, ambushing celebrities with flash and speed. His candid, confrontational images of actors, aristocrats, and socialites shocked and thrilled the public.

Director Federico Fellini took notice. He started buying dinner for Secchiaroli and his friends, listening to their stories about chasing famous people through the streets of Rome. Those stories became the foundation for Fellini’s 1960 masterpiece, La Dolce Vita. 

In the film, a brash celebrity photographer named “Paparazzo” does exactly what Secchiaroli did in real life. 

This is the camera he used. The O.G. Paparazzi camera.  

It comes with its original rigid Summicron 2/5cm lens and a copy of The Original Paparazzo, personally dedicated by Secchiaroli, with this camera’s serial number written inside.

Black Paint, Brassy Patina: The Leica MP-33

ESTIMATE: Likely €700,000 – 800,000

For the collector crowd, this is the grail lot.

Leica unveiled the MP at Photokina in 1956. It wasn’t just another M3 variant. It was built for photojournalists who needed speed, designed around the Leicavit rapid winder that could push the camera to two frames per second. Only 402 were ever made. Of those, just 141 received the black paint finish.

Each MP was individually numbered, like a limited edition print. No. 33 is among the earliest. And the black paint tells its own story over time: the finish wears through to reveal the brass body underneath, creating a patina that’s unique to each camera.

 Collectors call it “brassing,” and it’s one of the things that makes black paint Leicas the most coveted cameras in the world.

An Army Camera in Olive Green

ESTIMATE: €120,000 – 140,000

When the West German military (Bundeswehr) stood up after 1955, they needed cameras. Leica delivered the M3 in NATO olive green. Fewer than 300 were made in this finish. The one heading to auction comes from the first small batch delivered in January 1958, and it’s the 13th olive M3 ever produced.

The top plate is engraved “Bundeseigentum” (Federal Property). It comes paired with a period-correct Elmar 2.8/50mm from 1968. Military Leicas have surged in collector interest over the past few years. At a 2024 auction, a one-off olive Bundeswehr Leica sold for over €3 million.

A Rifle That Shoots Photos

ESTIMATE: €200,000 – 240,000

This is one of the biggest conversation pieces of the auction.

In 1938, E. Leitz New York launched the Leica Gun RIFLE, one of the strangest and rarest Leica accessories ever produced. 

Inspired by Italian explorer Attilio Gatti and his African expeditions, the setup paired a Leica camera and telephoto lens with a mirror-housing, barrel viewfinder, wooden rifle stock, and a trigger. You held it against your shoulder and squeezed the trigger to fire the shutter.

It was produced for only one year. The version heading to auction is marked “Patent Pending” and is believed to be among very few surviving examples. If you ever wanted to go out “shooting” with a camera – this is it!

More Lots Worth Watching

Leica Ig Prototype No. 750000 A prototype carrying a milestone serial number. The kind of thing that makes engineering-minded collectors excited.

Leica M6 Platin “150 Years” Set A platinum-finished M6 commemorating 150 years of Leitz optics. Limited edition, museum condition.

Leica APO-Summicron-M 2/50mm ASPH., Red Anodised A red-anodised version of what many consider the finest 50mm lens ever made. Bold, beautiful, and extremely rare.

Leica Q2 “Dawn” by Seal Yes, that Seal. The custom Q2 collaboration with the musician. Where else would you find this?  It’s like a kiss from a rose.  

Leica M10-P Safari Prototype (Charity Lot, est. €8,000 – €10,000) A prototype in the desirable Safari finish. All proceeds go to charity, which makes this one feel good on top of looking good.

The Online Auction: Leitz ON

For the first time, Leitz is running a parallel online-only auction alongside the main event. “Leitz ON” features cameras and photographs from the 1920s onward, with bidding open exclusively online from May 13 through June 14, 2026. This opens up the collecting world to people who can’t make the trip to Wetzlar.

Coming in October: Perspectives

The Leitz print auction, “Perspectives,” takes place October 9 in Vienna, featuring works by Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz, Sebastião Salgado, and others. 

How to Participate

The 48th Leitz Photographica Auction takes place June 13, 2026, at 11:00 AM CEST at Leitz-Park in Wetzlar, Germany. Registration is open for online, telephone, or in-person bidding.

Browse the full catalog: leitz-auction.com
Register to bid: leitz-auction.com/register
Bid on Leitz ON: leitz-auction.com/leitz-on

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All images courtesy of Leitz Photographica Auction. Estimates are pre-auction and subject to change.

Some links to check out: 

• Stefan Daniel interview on the Leica MP: YouTube In Conversation with Stefan Daniel: The Leica MP Series
• Leitz ON online auction: https://www.leitz-auction.com/en/Leitz-On/Online-Catalogue/
• PetaPixel on the Secchiaroli camera: https://petapixel.com/2026/05/05/this-rare-leica-mp-was-owned-by-the-first-paparazzo-and-could-be-yours-for-200000/
• Digital Camera World writeup: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/rangefinder-cameras/rare-leica-cameras-with-serious-history-are-heading-to-auction-and-one-could-reach-nearly-a-usd1-million