Ilford Advocate
The Ilford Advocate is a British-made 35mm viewfinder camera, recognisable for its cream/ivory enamelled body finish. Introduced in the late 1940s, it was positioned as a distinctive domestic alternative to imported German 35mm compacts of the period.
At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Ilford Advocate have ranged from around £150 to £400, with a median close to £200 — these are saleroom (wholesale) results and exclude buyer's and seller's premiums. As of 2026, the value an Advocate sells for at auction is strongly tied to cosmetic condition of the cream enamel, which chips and yellows easily, and a clean, fully-working example sits at the upper end of that range.
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: April 2026
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| Apr 2026 | £162 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 282) Title: An Ilford Advocate Viewfinder 35mm Camera
Description:
1953, serial no. 1919-2311 with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens, serial no. 364169, body, G, shutter working, lens, G-VG, internal haze |
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| Feb 2026 | £150 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 305) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
white, body G, shutter needs attention, with Dallmeyer f/4.5 35mm lens, with case. |
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| Nov 2025 | £112 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 36) Title: An Ilford Advocate Camera
Description:
1953, serial no. 1919-5006 with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens, serial no. 351941, body, G, shutter not working Note: A 5% import VAT applies |
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| Nov 2025 | £438 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 242) Title: A Prototype /Experimental Ilford Advocate 35mm Viewfinder Camera
Description:
1953, cream, serial no. 1914-5473, with Ross Xpres f/3.5 50mm lens, body, G-VG, shutter working but slower speeds sticking, lens, G, some light |
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| Oct 2025 | £164 | Chiswick Auctions | |
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Auction: Photographica (Lot 165) Title: Ilford Advocate 35mm with Dallmeyer 35mm f4.5 D Focussing Lens.
Description:
Signs of normal use, shutter firing. |
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| Sep 2025 | £150 | Special Auction Services | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 404) Title: An Ilford Advocate Camera
Description:
An Ilford Advocate Camera, serial no 1919-7962, shutter sluggish in slow speed, body G, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat 35mm f/3.5 lens, elements G and |
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| Jul 2025 | £175 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 298) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
cream, body G, viewfinder cloudy, shutter works, iris works, with leather case, with filters. |
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| Jun 2025 | £475 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 60) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
cream enamel, body VG, shutter working, optics F-G with light haze., with case. |
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| Jun 2025 | £200 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 46) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
cream, body G, shutter needs attention at slow speeds, iris works, viewfinder clear, with instruction booklet. |
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| Apr 2025 | £188 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 185) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Viewfinder Camera
Description:
ivory, serial no. 1919-1700, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens, serial no. 359368, body G, shutter working, lens G, some light internal marks (Qty: 1) |
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| Mar 2025 | £403 | Chiswick Auctions | |
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Auction: Photographica (Lot 125) Title: An Ilford Advocate Viewfinder Camera
Description:
An Ilford Advocate Viewfinder Camera Serial No: 1919-8044 Body: VG Lens: Dallmeyer 35mm f/3.5 Anastigmat (445654) Optics: VG (Qty: 1) |
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| Jul 2024 | £150 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 271) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
cream, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens in a screw mount, body, F, shutter appears to work, lens F, with haze. |
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| Jun 2024 | £130 | Special Auction Services | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 175) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera, shutter slow to open in slow speed, body G, some paint wear to edges, with Dalllmeyer 35mm f/3.5 Anastigmat lens, |
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| May 2024 | £900 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 182) Title: An Ilford Adcovate Viewfinder Camera
Description:
1953, white with black face, serial no. 1911W-6508, with Wray Lustrar f/3.5 35mm lens, black, serial no. 81249, body, VG-E, lens, VG, some light haze, |
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| Apr 2024 | £162 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 49) Title: An Illford Advocate 35mm Viewfinder Camera
Description:
white, body G, some light areas of wear, shutter working on all speeds other than 1/25, which often sticks, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens, (Qty: 1) |
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| Feb 2024 | £162 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 73) Title: An Ilford Advocate Viewfinder Camera
Description:
white face, serial no. 1919-4401, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens, body, F, shutter working, lens, F-G, some light internal fungus and |
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| Feb 2024 | £375 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 74) Title: An Ilford Advocate Viewfinder Camera
Description:
black face, serial no. 1919W-6550, with Wray London f/3.5 35mm lens, body, F, shutter working but sticking, lens, F-G, some internal haze and light |
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| Feb 2024 | £150 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 72) Title: An Ilford Advocate Viewfinder Camera
Description:
white face, serial no. 1919-7378, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/3.5 35mm lens, body, F, shutter working, lens, G, some light internal fungus and haze, |
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| Sep 2023 | £162 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 51) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
white, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/3.5 35mm lens, body, F, shutter sticking, lens, F, complete with maker's case |
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| Sep 2023 | £175 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 50) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Camera
Description:
white, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/3.5 35mm lens, body, VG, shutter working, lens, VG, complete with maker's case |
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| Jan 2023 | £106 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 230) Title: An Ilford Advocate Camera
Description:
white, 1919-168, with Dallmeyer f/4.5 35mm lens, serial no. 343429, body, G, shutter not working, lens, G, intenrnal haze |
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| Aug 2022 | £40 | Harper Field Auctions | |
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Auction: Buying & Selling (Lot 336) Title: Ilford Advocate 35mm camera, in original leather case
Description:
Ilford Advocate 35mm camera, in original leather case |
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| Aug 2022 | £125 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 373) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Viewfinder Camera
Description:
white, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens, body, G, shutter working, lens, G, some internal haze |
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| Aug 2022 | £175 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 393) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Viewfinder Camera
Description:
white, body G-VG, shutter working but sticks on slow speeds, with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/3.5 35mm lens, optics F, some fungus present, in carrying (Qty: 1) |
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| May 2022 | £150 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 340) Title: An Ilford Advocate 35mm Viewfinder Camera
Description:
with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/4.5 35mm lens, body, G, shutter working, lens, G, some internal haze (Qty: 1) |
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| Dec 2021 | £186 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 550) Title: An Ilford Advocate Camera
Description:
with Dallmeyer Anastigmat f/3.5 35mm lens, body, G, shutter working, lens, G, some internal haze |
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| May 2020 | £343 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 126) Title: An Ilford Advocate ' Type DK.2798' Camera
Description:
An Ilford Advocate ' Type DK.2798' Camera, 1953, green, with Wray Cine Unilite f/2 25mm lens, serial no. 65749, body, G, lens, F-VG, some coating |
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| Nov 2018 | EUR 200 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 33 (Lot AI_33_36586) Title: Ilford Advocate
Description:
cast-metal 35mm viewfinder camera in ivory finish, Dallmeyer Anastigmat 3.5/35mm no.351532, in very good condition, with rare cast-metal film copy device in the same finish, original hood and orange filter Estimate: EUR 400 - EUR 500 |
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| Dec 2010 | EUR 200 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 18 (Lot AI_18_11612) Title: Ilford Advocate
Description:
cast-metal 35mm viewfinder camera in ivory finish, Dallmeyer Anastigmat 3.5/35mm no.453751, in very good condition, Artisan strap Estimate: EUR 400 - EUR 500 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is an Ilford Advocate worth today?
Recent UK auction hammer prices sit between roughly £150 and £400, with a median around £200; clean, cosmetically strong examples achieve the higher end of that range.
How much does an Ilford Advocate sell for at auction?
Typical hammer results are £150–£200 for average examples and up to about £400 for the best-condition bodies, before buyer's premium is added.
Why does condition affect the price so much?
The cream enamel finish is the Advocate's defining feature and is prone to chipping and yellowing, so cosmetic grade has a disproportionate effect on value compared with a typical black-finish 35mm camera of the same era.
Is the Ilford Advocate a good user camera?
It can be, provided the shutter and lens are working correctly; because service options are limited, buyers generally pay more for a tested working example than for a project body.