Nadar Express Detective
The Nadar Express Detective is a French-made detective-style camera associated with the Parisian photographer and studio operator Nadar. As a 19th-century French detective camera, it belongs to a category of discreet, hand-held plate cameras designed for candid use rather than studio work.
Sales data for the Express Detective is extremely thin, with a single UK auction hammer result on record at £2,000 in 2018. Because that figure reflects one wholesale saleroom outcome rather than a retail or dealer asking price, it should be treated as an indicative data point rather than a reliable market value in today's 2026 market; what a comparable example sells for now would depend heavily on condition, completeness and provenance.
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: March 2018
| Date | Price | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2018 | EUR 2,000 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 32 (Lot AI_32_36469) Title: Nadar Express Detective Camera
Description:
rare detective camera for 9x12cm exposures, attractive mahogany body, maker’s plaque inside ‘Nadar Fabt. 53, Rue des Mathurins. Paris’, Steinheil Gruppen Antiplanet no.28053, built-in two folding angle finders, adapted Eastman rollfilm back (with Nadar’s plaque) Estimate: EUR 1,200 - EUR 1,400 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Nadar Express Detective worth?
The only recorded UK auction hammer price in our data is £2,000, achieved in 2018, which gives a single reference point rather than an established market value.
How much does a Nadar Express Detective sell for at auction?
On the limited evidence available, one example fetched £2,000 at hammer in a UK saleroom; with just one data point, the price a fresh example would realise today is uncertain and condition-dependent.
Is the Nadar Express Detective rare?
Public auction appearances are very infrequent, and our sales history contains only a single verified result, which is consistent with a scarce 19th-century French detective camera.