Contessa Adoro Tropen (Tropical)
The Contessa Adoro Tropen (Tropical) is an early 20th-century folding plate camera produced in a tropical specification, with brass fittings and typically teak or polished hardwood bodywork intended to resist humid climates. It belongs to the pre-war German folding camera tradition, positioned as a higher-grade traveller's plate camera when new.
At UK auction in recent years, hammer prices for the Adoro Tropen have sat in a £240–£350 band, with a median near £300 based on the three recorded saleroom results. Because these are wholesale auction results rather than dealer retail, what a collector pays at a shop or online store today in 2026 is typically higher, and condition of the wood, bellows and brightwork drives most of the variation in what this model sells for.
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 | |
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| Jun 2019 | EUR 300 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 34 (Lot AI_34_37102) Title: Contessa Nettel Tropen-Adoro 230/3
Description:
6.5x9cm version in good condition, original brown bellows, with Tessar 4.5/12cm no.505123, carrying case and a wooden tripod Estimate: EUR 600 - EUR 800 |
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| Feb 2006 | £240 | Christie's | |
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Auction: Cameras and Photographic Equipment including the Property of a Photographer (Lot 293) Title: ADORO TROPICAL NO. 589973
Description:
ADORO TROPICAL NO. 589973 Estimate: £150 - £200 |
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| Sep 2001 | £293 | Christie's | |
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Auction: CAMERAS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT (Lot 258) Title: Adoro tropical camera
Description:
Adoro tropical camera Estimate: £300 - £400 |
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| Jan 2001 | £352 | Christie's | |
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Auction: CAMERAS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT (Lot 333) Title: Adoro tropical camera
Description:
Adoro tropical camera Estimate: £250 - £350 |
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