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Hasselblad SWC/M

The Hasselblad SWC/M is a medium format 6×6 camera built around a fixed Zeiss Biogon 38mm wide-angle lens, with no reflex mirror and composition via a separate optical viewfinder on top of the body. It was positioned as the specialist architectural and landscape tool in the Hasselblad V-System, taking the same interchangeable film backs as the 500-series bodies. The "M" designation denotes the version with the improved body casting that accepts the standard interchangeable focusing screens when used with the ground-glass adapter.

At UK auction, recent hammer prices for SWC/M bodies with the Biogon lens and a film back have ranged roughly £780–£2,100, with most 2024 results clustering around £1,100–£1,900 and a median near £1,875. Older saleroom results from 2021 show how much condition and completeness move the needle — a clean, boxed example fetched £3,800 at Leitz Photographica, well above the typical 2024 wholesale level. As of today in 2026, what an SWC/M is worth still hinges heavily on Biogon glass condition, shutter accuracy and whether the original finder is present; scruffy or service-due examples sell for noticeably less than the price a collector-grade outfit will command.

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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: May 2025

Date Price Source
May 2025 £1,200 Special Auction Services
Oct 2024 £1,100 Harper Field Auctions
Aug 2024 £775 Flints Auctions
Aug 2024 £1,638 Chiswick Auctions
Jun 2024 EUR 1,900 Leitz Auction
May 2024 £1,875 Flints Auctions
May 2023 £2,125 Flints Auctions
Nov 2021 EUR 3,800 Leitz Auction
Dec 2010 EUR 2,400 Leitz Auction
Dec 2009 EUR 1,700 Leitz Auction
Nov 2007 EUR 1,800 Leitz Auction
Jun 2007 £780 Christie's
Nov 2006 EUR 1,200 Leitz Auction
Nov 2006 EUR 1,500 Leitz Auction
May 2006 EUR 2,000 Leitz Auction
Sep 2005 £1,140 Christie's
May 1999 £1,380 Christie's
Mar 1999 £1,265 Christie's

Frequently asked questions

What is a Hasselblad SWC/M worth today?

Recent UK auction hammer prices sit in the region of £780 to £2,100 for a complete body, lens and back, with clean 2024 examples typically selling for around £1,875.

How much does a Hasselblad SWC/M sell for at auction?

Most SWC/M outfits sell for between roughly £1,100 and £1,900 at UK salerooms, though exceptional boxed examples have fetched close to £3,800.

Why is the SWC/M more valuable than a standard 500C/M?

The price reflects the fixed Zeiss Biogon 38mm wide-angle lens, which is not available as an interchangeable optic for the reflex bodies, so the camera is the only route to that specific field of view in the V-System.

Does condition really change the value that much?

Yes — Biogon optical condition and shutter accuracy drive the price, and tatty or service-due bodies can sell for under £800 while collector-grade outfits with boxes and papers have reached several thousand pounds.

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