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Gandolfi Field camera

The Gandolfi Field camera is a traditional British-made wooden large-format field camera, built in the folding-flatbed style that has defined this category since the Victorian era. Gandolfi produced hand-crafted field cameras in London across several generations of the family firm, and examples turn up in plate and sheet-film formats aimed at landscape and studio photographers working on stand.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for Gandolfi field cameras have spanned roughly £260 to £1,000, with a mid-point around £760 across the six recorded sales and an older Christie's result reaching £2,200 for an exceptional example. Today the value of any given body is highly condition-sensitive: bellows integrity, woodwork, and the presence of matched lens boards or original fittings drive what a camera sells for, and larger formats with clean brass fittings tend to price at the upper end of the range.

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Sales History

Prices shown are realised prices — auction results and completed eBay sales, never asking prices. Most saleroom figures are hammer prices, before commission; some houses publish a premium-inclusive figure, and we do not adjust for condition. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher. How this figure is calculated.

Prices updated: November 2025

Date Price Value GBP Source
Nov 2025 £1,000 £800 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2025 £812 £650 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2025 £1,025 £820 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2025 £2,875 £2,300 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2025 £1,500 £1,200 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2025 £1,750 £1,400 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2025 £6,250 £5,000 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Sep 2025 £625 £500 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Apr 2025 £212 £170 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Apr 2025 £1,375 £1,100 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2024 £2,125 £1,700 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
May 2024 £1,875 £1,500 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
May 2024 £2,250 £1,800 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Apr 2024 £1,100 £1,100 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Jan 2024 £262 £210 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2023 £1,125 £900 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2023 £1,000 £800 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2023 £1,000 £800 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Oct 2022 £438 £350 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Aug 2020 £440 £440 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions
May 2020 £2,695 £2,200 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Jun 2019 EUR 800 £713 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2014 EUR 600 £474 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2012 £180 £180 🇬🇧 Bonhams
Nov 2005 £132 £110 🇬🇧 Christie's
Sep 2005 £180 £150 🇬🇧 Christie's
May 2005 £120 £100 🇬🇧 Christie's
May 2005 £480 £400 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 2004 £2,151 £1,800 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 2003 £822 £700 🇬🇧 Christie's
May 2003 EUR 386 £275 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2003 £470 £400 🇬🇧 Christie's
Sep 2001 £1,527 £1,300 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jul 2001 £1,116 £950 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jul 2001 £705 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's
Mar 2001 £1,410 £1,200 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 2000 £881 £750 🇬🇧 Christie's
Oct 2000 £705 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jan 2000 £1,150 £1,000 🇬🇧 Christie's
Oct 1999 £253 £220 🇬🇧 Christie's
Mar 1999 £437 £380 🇬🇧 Christie's
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Frequently asked questions

What is a Gandolfi Field camera worth today?

Based on UK saleroom results between 2001 and 2024, most examples have changed hands for between £260 and £1,000 at the hammer, with one outlier at £2,200; the price any individual camera achieves depends heavily on format, completeness and bellows condition.

How much does a Gandolfi Field camera sell for at auction?

Recent UK auction hammer prices sit in the £260–£1,000 band, while older Christie's sales from the 2000s produced results from around £480 up to £2,200 for well-specified outfits.

What drives the price of a Gandolfi field camera?

Format size, the condition of the bellows and woodwork, and the presence of original lens boards, dark slides and fittings are the main factors; a clean, complete outfit commands a clear premium over a bare body.

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