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Zeiss Ikon Contaflex (TLR)

The Zeiss Ikon Contaflex (TLR) is a 35mm twin-lens reflex camera introduced in 1935. It was positioned at the top of the pre-war 35mm market, with interchangeable taking lenses and a built-in meter, and it sold in small numbers compared with contemporary Contax rangefinders.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Contaflex TLR have ranged from about £100 to £1,900, with a median around £800 — these are saleroom wholesale results and exclude buyer's and seller's commission. The market is highly condition-sensitive: a tired body with a seized meter sold for £101 in 2025, while complete outfits with extra lenses have fetched four figures. Values today still reward examples with working shutter speeds, clean finders and original accessory lenses, and a cased set is worth noticeably more than a body alone.

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
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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: August 2026

Date Price Value GBP Source Variant
Aug 2026 £600 £600 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services —
Apr 2026 £1,125 £900 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Jan 2026 USD 900 £666 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin —
Nov 2025 EUR 1,500 £1,320 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2025 EUR 1,600 £1,408 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Oct 2025 £101 £80 🇬🇧 Chiswick Auctions —
Nov 2023 £750 £600 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Aug 2023 £725 £580 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Nov 2022 EUR 1,100 £956 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2022 EUR 1,500 £1,286 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2020 EUR 750 £672 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2020 EUR 3,000 £2,688 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2019 EUR 1,100 £980 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2019 EUR 4,000 £3,564 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2019 EUR 1,000 £891 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2018 £840 £700 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Nov 2018 £960 £800 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Oct 2017 £984 £820 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Jun 2017 EUR 1,600 £1,404 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2016 EUR 1,000 £869 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2015 EUR 1,500 £1,081 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Mar 2014 EUR 1,800 £1,497 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2011 EUR 850 £729 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2011 EUR 5,500 £4,828 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2009 EUR 1,030 £911 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2008 EUR 1,400 £1,163 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2008 EUR 11,000 £9,137 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2008 EUR 700 £581 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2008 EUR 1,200 £997 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2008 EUR 700 £554 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2008 EUR 950 £752 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2008 EUR 1,000 £792 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2007 EUR 2,600 £1,843 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Feb 2006 £1,920 £1,600 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 2005 EUR 1,550 £1,053 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2005 £504 £420 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Feb 2004 £717 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 2003 EUR 1,375 £953 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2003 EUR 1,146 £794 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2003 EUR 2,396 £1,709 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2003 EUR 1,667 £1,189 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2001 £822 £700 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jul 2001 £1,292 £1,100 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jul 2001 £998 £849 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jul 2001 £705 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Mar 2001 £705 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Mar 2001 £646 £550 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 1999 £747 £650 🇬🇧 Christie's —
May 1999 £690 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 1998 £805 £700 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jul 1998 £805 £700 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jan 1998 £713 £620 🇬🇧 Christie's —
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Frequently asked questions

What is a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex TLR worth today?

At UK auction the Contaflex TLR typically sells for somewhere between £700 and £1,200 for a sound working example, with a median hammer price near £800.

How much does a Contaflex TLR sell for in poor condition?

Incomplete or non-working bodies have sold for as little as £101, so condition and completeness drive the price more than anything else.

Why is the price range so wide?

The range from roughly £100 to £1,900 reflects the difference between a seized body with a dead meter and a complete outfit with additional lenses and original case.

Is the Contaflex TLR rare?

Yes — it was an expensive professional model in the late 1930s and survives in small numbers, which supports the values seen at auction.

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