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Zeiss Ikon Contaflex (TLR)

The Zeiss Ikon Contaflex (TLR) is a 35mm twin-lens reflex camera introduced in 1935. It was positioned at the top of the pre-war 35mm market, with interchangeable taking lenses and a built-in meter, and it sold in small numbers compared with contemporary Contax rangefinders.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Contaflex TLR have ranged from about £100 to £1,900, with a median around £800 — these are saleroom wholesale results and exclude buyer's and seller's commission. The market is highly condition-sensitive: a tired body with a seized meter sold for £101 in 2025, while complete outfits with extra lenses have fetched four figures. Values today still reward examples with working shutter speeds, clean finders and original accessory lenses, and a cased set is worth noticeably more than a body alone.

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
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Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Prices updated: April 2026

Date Price Source Variant
Apr 2026 £1,125 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Jan 2026 USD 900 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin
Nov 2025 EUR 1,600 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2025 EUR 1,500 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Oct 2025 £101 🇬🇧 Chiswick Auctions
Nov 2023 £750 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Aug 2023 £725 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2022 EUR 1,100 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2022 EUR 1,500 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2020 EUR 750 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2020 EUR 3,000 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2019 EUR 1,100 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2019 EUR 4,000 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2019 EUR 1,000 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 £960 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 £840 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Oct 2017 £984 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Jun 2017 EUR 1,600 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2016 EUR 1,000 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2015 EUR 1,500 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Mar 2014 EUR 1,800 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2011 EUR 850 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2011 EUR 5,500 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2009 EUR 1,030 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2008 EUR 1,400 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2008 EUR 1,200 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2008 EUR 700 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2008 EUR 11,000 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2008 EUR 700 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2008 EUR 950 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2008 EUR 1,000 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2007 EUR 2,600 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Feb 2006 £1,920 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 2005 EUR 1,550 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2005 £504 🇬🇧 Christie's
Feb 2004 £717 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 2003 EUR 1,375 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2003 EUR 1,146 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2003 EUR 1,667 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2003 EUR 2,396 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2001 £822 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jul 2001 £1,292 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jul 2001 £998 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jul 2001 £705 🇬🇧 Christie's
Mar 2001 £646 🇬🇧 Christie's
Mar 2001 £705 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 1999 £747 🇬🇧 Christie's
May 1999 £690 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 1998 £805 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jul 1998 £805 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jan 1998 £713 🇬🇧 Christie's

Frequently asked questions

What is a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex TLR worth today?

At UK auction the Contaflex TLR typically sells for somewhere between £700 and £1,200 for a sound working example, with a median hammer price near £800.

How much does a Contaflex TLR sell for in poor condition?

Incomplete or non-working bodies have sold for as little as £101, so condition and completeness drive the price more than anything else.

Why is the price range so wide?

The range from roughly £100 to £1,900 reflects the difference between a seized body with a dead meter and a complete outfit with additional lenses and original case.

Is the Contaflex TLR rare?

Yes — it was an expensive professional model in the late 1930s and survives in small numbers, which supports the values seen at auction.