Hermagis Field Camera
The Hermagis Field Camera is a large-format wooden field camera from the French optical maker Hermagis, intended for sheet-film use on a tripod. As an antique field camera rather than a modern production model, it is collected today primarily as a historical piece of French photographic equipment.
Sales data for the Hermagis Field Camera is very thin, so any guide to what one is worth today must be treated cautiously: the two recorded UK auction hammer results sit at £800 and £7,500, a range that reflects how condition, completeness and the quality of any fitted Hermagis lens drive value at saleroom level. Because only two data points exist, there is no meaningful median price, and what a given example sells for in 2026 will depend heavily on the specific variant and presentation.
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 2009
| Date | Price | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2009 | EUR 800 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 15 (Lot AI_15_18461) Title: Hermagis Field camera
Description:
13x18cm, polished mahogany body with tan bellows, Hermagis Aplanastigmat No.8 6.8/140mm no.46076 in Gousset roller-blind shutter, original focusing screen adapter, one double film-holder Estimate: EUR 800 - EUR 1,000 |
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| Nov 2005 | EUR 7,500 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 8 (Lot AI_8_25610) Title: French Transitional camera
Description:
18x24cm, walnut construction, possibly for daguerrerian or wet-plate use, focusing back with rack work vertical correction, Hermagis brass-bound lens no.6917 with rack and pinion focusing and removable pill-box lens cover, with matching dark-slide and ground-glass focusing screen with a matching adjustable walnut stand Estimate: EUR 10,000 - EUR 12,000 |
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| Nov 2003 | EUR 800 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 4 (Lot AI_4_22458) Title: Hermagis, France Field camera
Description:
13x18cm, politiertes Mahagonigehäuse, dunkler Balgen, Hermagis Aplanastigmat 1:6 f=14cm in Gousset-Rolloverschluss, mit drei Kassetten Estimate: EUR 1,890 - EUR 4 |
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Frequently asked questions
How much is a Hermagis Field Camera worth today?
Based on the limited auction record, hammer prices have ranged from around £800 to £7,500, so the value of any given example depends strongly on condition, completeness and the lens fitted.
What is a Hermagis Field Camera and how does it sell at auction?
It is an antique French large-format wooden field camera; examples sell infrequently at UK auction, and the two recorded hammer results span a wide £800–£7,500 range rather than clustering around a typical price.
Why does the price of a Hermagis Field Camera vary so much?
Field cameras of this period were often sold in different sizes and with different lenses, so bellows condition, woodwork, completeness and the specific Hermagis lens fitted can push the price from the low hundreds into the thousands.