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Sanderson Field Camera (half plate)

The Sanderson Field Camera in half-plate format is a British wooden folding plate camera for large-format sheet negatives of approximately 4¾ × 6½ inches. Sanderson field and hand cameras were manufactured in the UK from the late 19th century and remained in use by studio and landscape photographers for decades after their introduction.

At recent UK auction, half-plate Sanderson field cameras have most often sold for between £90 and £200 hammer, with a median around £110–£160 across sales from 2023 to 2025. One outlier result of £1,025 in 2023 shows that an exceptional example with the right accessories can sell for several times the typical price, but as of today most bodies are worth closer to the lower end of that range in the saleroom. Condition of the bellows, woodwork and original lens boards heavily influences what a given camera sells for.

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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.

Date Price Source
Nov 2025 £100 Special Auction Services
Mar 2025 £113 Chiswick Auctions
Mar 2025 £113 Chiswick Auctions
Oct 2024 £140 Special Auction Services
Oct 2024 £120 Special Auction Services
Jan 2024 £200 Flints Auctions
Dec 2023 £90 Special Auction Services
May 2023 £1,025 Flints Auctions
Apr 2019 £504 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 £504 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 £228 Flints Auctions
Oct 2017 £204 Flints Auctions
Nov 2005 £156 Christie's
Nov 2003 £164 Christie's
Nov 2002 £164 Christie's
Nov 2002 £164 Christie's
Jul 2001 £164 Christie's
Jul 2001 £705 Christie's
Jul 2000 £188 Christie's
Sep 1999 £276 Christie's
Mar 1999 £195 Christie's
Jan 1999 £195 Christie's
Aug 1998 £207 Christie's

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