CameraWorth.com

Berning Robot I

The Berning Robot I is a compact 35mm camera produced by Otto Berning & Co. in Germany from the mid-1930s, recording square 24x24mm frames on 35mm film loaded into proprietary Robot cassettes. It used a spring-wound motor drive to advance the film automatically after each exposure, which positioned it as a specialist tool for rapid sequential shooting when new.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Robot I have settled in a modest £50–£210 band across the records on file, with 2024–2025 saleroom results clustering around £50–£100 and a working median near £100. Earlier hammer prices from the late 1990s and 2000s reached higher, up to £207, so today the camera is worth noticeably less than it once sold for, and condition of the spring motor and shutter strongly drives what any given example sells for.

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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.

Date Price Source
Sep 2025 £50 Special Auction Services
Jul 2024 £88 Flints Auctions
Apr 2024 £100 Special Auction Services
Apr 2024 £100 Special Auction Services
May 2005 EUR 190 Leitz Auction
Jan 1999 £207 Christie's
Jan 1998 £138 Christie's

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