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Leica I (C)

The Leitz I (C), commonly catalogued as the Leica I Model C, is a 35mm viewfinder camera introduced by Ernst Leitz in 1930. It was the first Leica to offer an interchangeable lens mount, using a 39mm screw thread that later became known as Leica Thread Mount (L39). Early C bodies were supplied with a lens matched to the individual camera; the mount was standardised from 1931 onward.

Hammer prices at recent UK auction have spanned roughly £210 to £3,800 for the Leitz I (C), with a mid-range around £700–£980 at saleroom level and a median close to £720 across the records sampled. Two 2024 results of £210 and £270 show that well-used examples can sell for surprisingly modest sums today, while the top figures of £3,800 reflect scarcer variants or exceptional condition. What an I (C) is worth in 2026 hinges heavily on originality, finish and which of the documented variants it belongs to.

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
Calfskin 0
Cut-Away 0
Hektor 2 £300£1,075
Luxus 0
Luxus (replica) 1 £3,227£3,227
non-standard mount 8 £478£2,404
Summar 1 £3,222£3,222
upgraded 3 £939£8,255
with Compur Elmar 1 £2,748£2,748

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 93 recorded sales.

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

Date Price Value GBP Source Variant
Jul 2026 EUR 1,100 £939 🇪🇺 eBay upgraded
Jun 2026 £314 £314 🇬🇧 eBay
Jun 2026 EUR 500 £432 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2026 EUR 500 £432 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2026 EUR 1,200 £1,036 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2025 EUR 30,000 £26,399 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2025 EUR 1,100 £968 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2025 EUR 1,200 £1,056 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2025 EUR 900 £792 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2025 EUR 1,900 £1,615 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2025 EUR 850 £722 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2025 EUR 1,600 £1,360 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2025 EUR 900 £765 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2025 EUR 2,400 £2,040 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2024 EUR 1,700 £1,417 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction non-standard mount
Nov 2024 EUR 2,000 £1,668 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Oct 2024 £440 £440 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Jun 2024 EUR 1,400 £1,185 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction upgraded
Jun 2024 EUR 4,500 £3,809 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2024 EUR 1,600 £1,354 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Apr 2024 £270 £270 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Apr 2024 £210 £210 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Nov 2023 EUR 1,100 £957 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2023 EUR 9,500 £8,269 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2023 EUR 2,600 £2,263 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2023 EUR 2,800 £2,404 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction non-standard mount
Jun 2023 EUR 3,200 £2,748 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction with Compur Elmar
Jun 2023 EUR 2,000 £1,717 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2023 EUR 2,200 £1,889 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2022 EUR 9,500 £8,255 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction upgraded
Nov 2022 EUR 1,200 £1,043 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction non-standard mount
Nov 2022 EUR 1,600 £1,390 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2022 USD 1,500 £1,278 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin
Nov 2022 USD 800 £681 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin
Jun 2022 EUR 12,000 £10,291 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2021 EUR 1,500 £1,272 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2021 EUR 3,800 £3,222 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Summar
Jun 2021 EUR 1,700 £1,460 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction non-standard mount
Jun 2021 EUR 1,100 £945 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2020 EUR 1,200 £1,075 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Hektor
Nov 2020 EUR 18,000 £16,129 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2020 EUR 1,800 £1,613 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2020 EUR 1,000 £896 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2020 USD 600 £454 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin
Nov 2020 USD 1,200 £908 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin
Jun 2020 EUR 3,200 £2,876 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Oct 2019 £336 £280 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Jun 2019 EUR 600 £535 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2019 EUR 20,000 £17,821 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Apr 2019 £384 £320 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Apr 2019 £480 £400 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 EUR 2,200 £1,939 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction non-standard mount
Nov 2018 EUR 600 £529 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 EUR 900 £793 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 EUR 1,800 £1,586 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 EUR 2,200 £1,939 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 EUR 1,500 £1,322 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Mar 2018 EUR 1,200 £1,059 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction non-standard mount
Mar 2018 EUR 1,300 £1,148 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Mar 2018 EUR 1,600 £1,413 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2017 EUR 360 £316 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2017 EUR 450 £395 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2017 £550 £550 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive)
Nov 2016 EUR 550 £478 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction non-standard mount
Nov 2016 EUR 1,800 £1,564 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2016 EUR 12,000 £10,427 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2016 EUR 800 £695 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2016 EUR 1,800 £1,564 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Mar 2014 EUR 1,000 £832 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2013 EUR 9,500 £8,067 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2013 EUR 3,800 £3,227 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Luxus (replica)
Nov 2012 HKD 14,000 £1,132 🇭🇰 Bonhams
Nov 2012 HKD 6,000 £485 🇭🇰 Bonhams
Nov 2011 EUR 715 £613 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Dec 2010 EUR 2,800 £2,375 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Sep 2008 £1,300 £1,300 🇬🇧 Bonhams
Sep 2008 £180 £180 🇬🇧 Bonhams
Jun 2007 £2,880 £2,400 🇬🇧 Christie's
May 2005 £204 £170 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 2004 EUR 729 £509 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2004 EUR 3,800 £2,552 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Dec 2003 £293 £249 🇬🇧 Christie's
Mar 2003 £235 £200 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jul 2002 £258 £220 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jun 2002 £587 £500 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jun 2002 £705 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's
Oct 2000 £129 £110 🇬🇧 Christie's
Oct 2000 £352 £300 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jan 2000 £977 £850 🇬🇧 Christie's non-standard mount
Nov 1998 £402 £350 🇬🇧 Christie's
Jun 1998 £23,000 £20,000 🇬🇧 Christie's
May 1998 £253 £220 🇬🇧 Christie's
Mar 1998 £345 £300 🇬🇧 Christie's Hektor

Frequently asked questions

What is a Leitz I (C) worth today?

Recent UK auction hammer prices range from about £210 for a modest user example to £3,800 for exceptional or scarce-variant bodies, with mid-range sales typically in the £700–£1,000 bracket.

How much does a Leitz I (C) sell for at auction?

Across the sales recorded here the price ranges from £210 to £3,800 at hammer, with a median of roughly £720; two 2024 results sat at £210 and £270.

Why do prices for the Leitz I (C) vary so much?

Variant matters: standard-mount bodies sell differently from non-standard-mount, Luxus, Hektor- or Summar-fitted, Cut-Away display and Compur Elmar examples, and later 'upgraded' bodies are valued below fully original ones.

Is the Leitz I (C) a rangefinder camera?

No — the I (C) is a viewfinder-only 35mm camera; Leica's built-in coupled rangefinder did not arrive until later models.