George Lucas’ Camera Is Now The Most Expensive Star Wars Memorabilia Ever Sold

Just What You've Always Wanted
This article is over 12 years old and may contain outdated information

Recommended Videos

The camera director George Lucas used to film the original Star Wars movie has just been sold at auction for a remarkable amount. So, just how much did the Panavision PSR 35 mm go for? Read on! 

The Panavision sold for a record $625,000 at an auction in Beverly Hills last weekend. It’s now officially the highest-selling piece of not just Star Wars memorabilia but vintage Hollywood film cameras as well. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “The record price of $520,000 (plus $105,000 auction commission) was nearly three times the high estimate of $200,000 for the item. The previous record for Star Wars memorabilia sold at auction was set in 2008 when a buyer paid $402,500 for a miniature TIE fighter model used in the original Star Wars.”

Lucas’ Panavision really set the bar high for anyone else looking to sell off a famous camera. THR wrote, “A Panavision camera used in the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey fetched $70,000. Charlie Chaplin’s hand-cranked 1918 Bell & Howell camera failed to sell after receiving no bids for its minimum price of $200,000.”

“The auction lot included two 1000 ft. magazines, a Panaspeed motor, matte box, follow focus, Moy geared head, camera dolly, lens, and six equipment cases,” wrote THR. “The buyer also received a photograph showing George Lucas seated at this camera on the set of Star Wars and paperwork from Panavision authorizing its private ownership.  Panavision generally rents rather than sells its equipment, making this one of only a handful of privately-owned Panavision cameras.”

What’s even cooler about this is the camera was fully restored and in working order. Meaning, YOU COULD REMAKE STAR WARS.

You know, if you wanted to.

(via The Hollywood Reporter)


The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Jill Pantozzi
Jill Pantozzi
Jill Pantozzi is a pop-culture journalist and host who writes about all things nerdy and beyond! She’s Editor in Chief of the geek girl culture site The Mary Sue (Abrams Media Network), and hosts her own blog “Has Boobs, Reads Comics” (TheNerdyBird.com). She co-hosts the Crazy Sexy Geeks podcast along with superhero historian Alan Kistler, contributed to a book of essays titled “Chicks Read Comics,” (Mad Norwegian Press) and had her first comic book story in the IDW anthology, “Womanthology.” In 2012, she was featured on National Geographic’s "Comic Store Heroes," a documentary on the lives of comic book fans and the following year she was one of many Batman fans profiled in the documentary, "Legends of the Knight."