A rare Leica BOX prototype from the 1950s is set to go under the hammer at the 49th Leitz Photographica Auction in Wetzlar, Germany, on 28 November 2026, with an estimated selling price of €400,000 to €500,000. The camera is believed to be the only fully operational example of the experimental half-frame model, which never entered commercial production.
Developed by Ernst Leitz in the mid-1950s, the Leica BOX was an attempt to create a compact camera quite different from the company’s established rangefinder models. It was designed to produce 18 × 24mm half-frame photographs on 35mm film, using the Agfa Karat cassette system. Measuring approximately 100 × 64 × 48mm, the camera features a metal body with a chrome finish, black vulcanite covering and an integrated optical viewfinder.
The example being offered at auction carries the serial number 000.01 and is fitted with a fixed Leitz Summaron 3.5cm lens. According to the auction description, alternative 2.8cm and 5cm focal lengths were also considered during development. An unusual feature of the design is that the lens flange doubles as the release mechanism for the removable base plate, reflecting the different approach Leitz was exploring with the prototype.
Only two Leica BOX examples are known to exist. The other, fitted with a Summaron 2.8cm f/5.6 lens, is held in the Leica Camera Archive and was built as a non-working design study. The operational camera being auctioned is also documented in the reference book Prototype Leica, making it a particularly significant example of the company’s experimental work during the period.
Although the Leica BOX never reached production, its half-frame format is especially interesting in light of the renewed interest in film photography. Half-frame cameras use a smaller image area than conventional 35mm cameras, allowing more exposures on the same length of film. Modern models such as the Pentax 17 have brought the format back into the spotlight, although Leica was exploring the concept more than 70 years ago.
The Leica BOX will be offered as lot 37, with a starting price of €200,000 and an estimate of €400,000 to €500,000. The auction will take place on 28 November in Wetzlar, with further details available through the official Leitz Photographica Auction listing.
Leica BOX Prototype Key Specifications
| Specification | Details |
| Production period | Mid-1950s |
| Film format | 35mm, half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Film loading | Agfa Karat cassette system |
| Lens | Fixed Leitz Summaron 3.5cm |
| Dimensions | Approx. 100 × 64 × 48mm |
| Serial number | 000.01 |
| Known examples | Two, only one operational |
Product Description
Leica BOX 18x24mm prototype
An exceptionally rare Leica BOX prototype from the mid-1950s, developed as a compact 18 × 24 mm half-frame camera using 35 mm film with the Agfa KARAT cassette system. Measuring approximately 100 × 64 × 48 mm, it was conceived as an extremely compact alternative within the Leica system.
The offered camera bears the engraved serial number 000.01 and is, according to current knowledge, the only fully functional Leica BOX known to exist. Only one further example is known, a non-working design study preserved in the Leica Museum / Leica Camera Archive.
The camera features a solid metal body with chrome finish and black vulcanite covering. Its construction and external design follow the contemporary Leica M series rather than the earlier screw-mount cameras. The camera is fully operational, with a correctly functioning shutter and clean, clear optics.
It is fitted with a fixed Leitz Summaron 3.5 cm lens. The lens flange also serves as the release mechanism for the removable base plate, an unusual construction detail specific to this prototype. The camera further features an integrated optical viewfinder and centrally positioned shutter-speed control.
Various focal lengths appear to have been considered during the development of the Leica BOX, including 2.8 cm, 3.5 cm and 5 cm lenses. The second known example, preserved in the Leica Museum, is fitted with a Summaron 5.6/2.8 cm and was constructed as a non-working design study.
The offered camera, No. 000.01, is illustrated in “Prototype Leica”, page 389. The second known example in the Leica Camera Archive / Leica Museum is illustrated in Jim Lager, “Leica: An Illustrated History”, Volume I, page 140.
With serial number 000.01, documented publication in specialist literature and only one further, non-working example known, the Leica BOX represents an exceptionally rare Leica prototype from the mid-1950s.