Zeiss Ikon Contax D
The Zeiss Ikon Contax D is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera produced in post-war East Germany at the Dresden works. It used the M42 screw lens mount and was aimed at advanced amateurs and professionals when introduced.
At UK auction in recent years, hammer prices for the Contax D have ranged from around £45 to £100, with a 2015 saleroom result of £320 showing how exceptional examples have performed historically. In today's market the typical value sits in the lower part of that range, so what a Contax D sells for depends heavily on cosmetic condition and whether the shutter and prism are clean.
Variants
Select a variant to filter the sales history below.
| Variant | Years | Edition | Sales | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small D | — | — | 0 | — |
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: August 2025
| Date | Price | Source | Variant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2025 | £100 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 45) Title: A Zeiss Ikon Contax D 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
silver, body G, shutter and mirror mechanism need attention, with a Gorlitz Primotar f/3.5 50mm lens, barrel G, optics F-G with light haze, |
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| Jan 2025 | £50 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 321) Title: A Zeiss Ikon Contax D 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
silver, serial number 175344, body G, shutter cocks but fires slowly, with a Meyer-Optik Primotar E f/3.5 50 V lens, silver, barrel G, optics F-G |
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| Aug 2024 | £45 | Special Auction Services | — | |
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Auction: TWO DAY: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 207) Title: A Zeiss Ikon Contax D SLR Camera
Description:
A Zeiss Ikon Contax D SLR Camera, shutter working, film advance knob stiff at end turn, self timer working, body G-VG, with Carl Zeiss Jena T 58mm |
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| Jan 2021 | £149 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras, Scientific & Collectables (Lot 389) Title: A Zeiss Ikon Contax D SLR Camera
Description:
with Carl Zeiss Biotar T f/2 58mm lens, body, G, shutter working, lens, G, some light cleaning marks |
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| Nov 2015 | EUR 320 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 28 (Lot AI_28_32409) Title: Zeiss Ikon Contax D
Description:
in very good condition, with chrome coated Biotar 2/5.8cm no.3421420 Estimate: EUR 600 - EUR 800 |
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| Mar 1998 | £138 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: CAMERAS & OPTICAL TOYS (Lot 229) Title: Contax D SLR no. 65643
Description:
Contax D SLR no. 65643 Estimate: £80 - £120 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Zeiss Ikon Contax D worth today?
Recent UK auction hammer results place the Contax D between roughly £45 and £100, with clean working examples sitting toward the upper end of that range.
How much does a Contax D sell for at auction?
Typical saleroom prices are in the £45–£100 band, though an exceptional example hammered at £320 in 2015, so condition strongly influences the final value.
Is the 'small D' variant more valuable?
The small D refers to the earlier pentaprism body style; collectors pay a modest premium for clean, fully functional examples, but the sales data here is too thin to quantify a precise variant uplift.