Jason Momoa Is Auctioning Off His Custom Leica Camera to Help Journalists

Jason Momoa is quite accustomed to buying cameras, but now he’s giving one away.

The Aquaman star is auctioning off his custom Leica M10 Monochrom, all in the name of charity. The one-of-a-kind camera will lead Leica’s 43rd annual Leitz Photographica auction, taking place in Vienna, Austria on November 24 and 25. The sale will raise money for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nonprofit that defends journalists’ rights to cover news freely.

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Momoa is a camera aficionado and a big fan of the Red Dot. The Hawaii native has commissioned one-off cameras from both Leica and RED in the past. This particular model is engraved with a compass symbol on the top plate and base plate. The word “ROAM” is also inscribed on the top plate. Momoa runs a production company called On the Roam with Brian Mendoza, which produces TV series, feature films, and branded content. He has also teamed up with So iLL founder Daniel Chancellor to create a line of On the Roam products for outdoorsmen.

The adventurous multihyphenate has clearly roamed about with this camera. It shows light signs of use, according to Leica. (Not exactly surprising given the size of Khal Drogo’s biceps.) As such, it has been given a relatively modest pre-auction estimate of between $6,000 and $7,000. For the unversed, the M10 Monochrom can capture ultra-sharp black-and-white photos at a bonkers resolution of 40 megapixels.

Momoa’s M10 is part of a special selection of lots titled “Truth in Focus.” Highlights include a rare prototype of Hodinkee’s Ghost Edition M10-P camera, a Leica SL previously owned by photographer Mathieu Bitton, and digital and analog camera sets from photographer Constantine Manos.

The sale also includes historic art prints from Dennys Ilic, Manfred Bauman, and Deborah Anderson. One particular standout is Leonard Freed’s iconic picture of Martin Luther King Jr. returning to the U.S. after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

“The tapestry of Leica’s history is interwoven with the path and purpose of photojournalists,” Mike Giannattasio, president of Leica Camera USA, said in a statement. “Our mission is to protect the right to bear witness to our world and document its narratives without fear of retribution. Our auction lineup this year is a tribute to this spirit.”

You can check out the catalog for the Leitz Photographica auction here.

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