PHOTO: BNPS.CO.UK
If you take photos for a living – or simply love the craft – you are probably like me in that you’ve spent more of your hard earned dough on cameras and photographic gadgetry than the average Joe. But would you be willing to pay 2 million dollars for a camera? That’s a whole new level of love for the magic light-box.
I’m referring to David Douglas Duncan‘s Leica M3, a camera that captured some of the most well known war images along with incredible portraits of his good friend Pablo Picasso. It was just sold for $2.19 million – making it the most expensive commercially manufactured camera ever to be sold.
Although this camera is special because of who wielded it and the incredible images that passed through its innards, it is also unique in that it is one of four Leica M3Ds ever created – the D stands for Duncan. Leica created this battle hardened camera specifically for him, so that he could get in the midst of the action without compromising the integrity of this remarkable tool.
Scroll down for some of Duncan’s famous images and ask yourself the question: if you had all the money in the world, would YOU pay 2 million for a camera with such a deep and rich history?
I would… I would spend that much money just to have the camera… and I will spend more just to give that camera to the owner, the person who took the photos…
Can you imagine how special it would be for that person? o.o
PEANUT BUTTERRRRRRRRR
It is amazing to own a tool that an amazing photographer used. DDD created amazing images from the time he started the photo department for Hallmark cards to his Vietnam War photographs. I own a few photographs of his and cherish them. I am of course more interested in the images he took than the machine he used, however to hold the camera he used day in and out is much like putting on a pair of Rocky Marciano’s boxing gloves.
I would love that camera but I’d rather donate it to a youth center or use it to make history rather than purchase it. It’s a beautiful camera but no camera is worth 2 million regardless if even Ansel Adams or Jesus used it.