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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.

Based on 52 recorded sales.

Last checked on eBay: 15 August 2026. Most recent sale: 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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