CameraWorth.com

Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa

The Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa is a 35mm rangefinder camera introduced in the mid-1950s as the post-war Stuttgart-built development of the pre-war Contax line. It was positioned as a top-tier rangefinder with a built-in uncoupled selenium meter, distinguishing it from the meterless Contax IIa.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Contax IIIa have ranged from about £130 to £240, with a median near £160 — wholesale saleroom results that exclude buyer's and seller's commission. Values today in 2026 are strongly condition-sensitive: a working meter, clean rangefinder patch and smooth shutter make the difference between the lower and upper end of what this body sells for. Bodies offered without a lens, or with a seized shutter, tend to sit at the bottom of the price range.

Variants

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
Stereotar 1 £1,080 – £1,080

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 Variant
Mar 2026 £31 Flints Auctions
Nov 2025 £120 Special Auction Services
Jan 2025 £180 Special Auction Services
Oct 2024 £238 Flints Auctions
Oct 2024 £180 Harper Field Auctions
Jun 2024 £262 Flints Auctions
Jun 2024 £175 Flints Auctions
Apr 2023 £160 Special Auction Services
Mar 2023 £162 Flints Auctions
Mar 2022 £125 Flints Auctions
Feb 2022 £150 Flints Auctions
Nov 2021 £347 Flints Auctions
Oct 2019 £420 Flints Auctions
Oct 2019 £624 Flints Auctions
Apr 2019 £180 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 £1,080 Flints Auctions Stereotar
Apr 2003 £223 Christie's
Mar 1998 £80 Christie's