CameraWorth.com

Hasselblad 500EL NASA

The Hasselblad 500EL NASA is a motorised 6x6 medium-format film camera, a specially prepared variant of the electric 500EL series supplied to NASA for space-programme use from the 1960s onward. Because surviving ground-use and flight-programme examples rarely reach the open market, it is treated as a collector's piece rather than a working tool, and its value today is set almost entirely by provenance.

At recent UK auction, hammer results for the 500EL NASA have spanned roughly £1,800 to £45,000, with a median around £19,000 reflecting how heavily provenance and documentation drive what a given example is worth. The strongest prices — including a £45,000 result in 2023 — have been paid for cameras with clear NASA-contract documentation, while undocumented or incomplete bodies have sold for low four figures. In today's market a well-attributed example sells for substantially more than a standard 500EL, and buyers should expect price to track paperwork as much as cosmetic condition.

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
Jun 2023 EUR 45,000 Leitz Auction
Nov 2011 EUR 18,200 Leitz Auction
May 2011 EUR 20,000 Leitz Auction
Dec 2010 EUR 20,000 Leitz Auction
Dec 2010 EUR 26,000 Leitz Auction
May 2009 EUR 15,000 Leitz Auction
Nov 2008 EUR 1,800 Leitz Auction
Jun 2008 EUR 25,000 Leitz Auction
Jun 2008 EUR 2,800 Leitz Auction
Nov 2006 EUR 18,000 Leitz Auction