CameraWorth.com

Kowa Optical Kowa SW

The Kowa SW is a fixed-lens film camera produced by Kowa Optical of Japan, a maker active in still-camera production from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. It sits in the wide-angle compact category, aimed at photographers wanting a dedicated wide-field 35mm body rather than an interchangeable-lens SLR.

Auction data for the Kowa SW is extremely thin, so a meaningful price range cannot be quoted with confidence; the single UK saleroom hammer result on file, from 2012, was £300. With only one verified data point, today's worth in 2026 is best treated as indicative rather than authoritative, and a fresh sale could shift the picture either upward or downward depending on cosmetic condition and working order.

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
black — — 2 £683 – £1,439
chrome — — 0 —
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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: June 2024

Date Price Value GBP Source Variant
Jun 2024 EUR 1,700 £1,439 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction black
Apr 2021 £298 £240 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
May 2012 EUR 300 £241 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2012 EUR 850 £683 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction black
Nov 2003 EUR 750 £520 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
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Frequently asked questions

What is a Kowa SW worth today?

Verified UK auction data is limited to a single hammer result of £300 from 2012, so any current value should be treated as a rough reference point rather than a firm market price.

How much does a Kowa SW sell for at UK auction?

Only one tracked saleroom result exists in our records, at £300, which means the price a clean example sells for today could vary noticeably from that figure.

Is the Kowa SW a collectable camera?

It has niche interest among collectors of Japanese fixed-lens wide-angle cameras, but the shallow sales record means demand is harder to gauge than for mainstream models.

Other Kowa Optical cameras