Leica IIIb with 5cm F2 Summar Lens & Leather screw mount Case 1937£440
○ version can’t tell+ lens
Leica IIIb (G)
Leica screw mount
The Leica IIIb (G) typically sells for £275 (median of 80 recorded sales, 1998–2026; solid evidence, wide spread).
Typical sale price
£275
median of 80 sales, 1998–2026
last 3 years: £240 (23 sales)
Solidwide spread
Middle half of sales: £200–£607
The Luftwaffen Eigentum sells for about £1,148 (5 sales); Sales that don’t name a version go for about £250 (29 sales).
Hammer prices, buyer’s premium removed; eBay as soldHow ↗
Price by version
Typical price and middle half, on one shared scale.
Version not stated£25029 sales
chrome£23033 sales£180–£350Luftwaffen Eigentum£1,1485 sales£600–£1,486with MOOLY£1,0565 sales£723–£1,445Not in the typical price
Listed apart, never blended in.
1
Display, dummy or cut-away piece
£1,714
1Outfit (body with several lenses)
£8,338
5Awaiting classification
£380–£93,265 · typical £1,100
Over time
Every sale since 1998; no trend line.
Latest sales All 87 →
Leica IIIb Chrome NOTTESTED£187
1938 Leitz Leica IIIB All Working Perfectly Working£285
○ version not yet checked
Leica IIIb Rangefinder Film Camera Working w/ Summitar 5cm F/2 Lens & Case£435
○ version can’t tell+ lens
A Leitz Wetzlar Leica IIIb Rangefinder Camera£200
28 May 2026 · Special Auction Services · lot 444 · Photographica & Cameras Auctionhammer
○ version not yet checked
What it is
{"overview":"The Leitz IIIb is a 35mm screw-mount rangefinder introduced in 1938, the successor in the Leica III series that brought the rangefinder and viewfinder eyepieces closer together for easier use. Inspect top-plate engravings carefully — military markings such as W.H., Luftwaffen Eigentum or Kriegsmarine command a premium and are frequently faked, so serial numbers and engraving style should be cross-checked against published records.
Generated summary, 21 Apr 2026 — not checked by hand; prices on this page come from the sales, not from this text.
Versions and how to tell them apart
chrome
33 sales£230SolidLuftwaffen Eigentum
5 sales£1,148Indicativewith MOOLY
5 sales£1,056IndicativeRoyal Air Force
2 salesSales onlyCut-Away
display piece — priced on its own · 1 saleSales onlyDANA (Allgemeine Nachrichtenagentur)
1 saleSales onlyM (Kriegsmarine)
1 saleSales onlyN-L (Netherlands Odin)
1 saleSales onlyS-T (Specialite Tiranty)
1 saleSales onlyW.H. (Wehrmacht Heer)
1 saleSales onlyblack
1 saleSales onlyHeer
0 salesNo sales yetmilitary
0 salesNo sales yet
33 sales£230SolidLuftwaffen Eigentum
5 sales£1,148Indicativewith MOOLY
5 sales£1,056IndicativeRoyal Air Force
2 salesSales onlyCut-Away
display piece — priced on its own · 1 saleSales onlyDANA (Allgemeine Nachrichtenagentur)
1 saleSales onlyM (Kriegsmarine)
1 saleSales onlyN-L (Netherlands Odin)
1 saleSales onlyS-T (Specialite Tiranty)
1 saleSales onlyW.H. (Wehrmacht Heer)
1 saleSales onlyblack
1 saleSales onlyHeer
0 salesNo sales yetmilitary
0 salesNo sales yet
Questions
What affects the price of a Leica IIIb most?
Condition of the shutter curtains and rangefinder, originality of finish, and — above all — whether the body carries an authentic military or agency engraving, which is the single biggest driver of value.
Is the IIIb the same as the IIIa?
No. The IIIb followed the IIIa in 1938 and repositioned the rangefinder and viewfinder eyepieces next to each other, which is the quickest way to tell them apart externally.
Facts
- Maker
- Leica
- Type
- Leica screw mount
- Sales in the typical price
- 80
- First sale
- 11 Jun 1998
- Latest sale
- 21 Jul 2026
- Median
- £275
- Middle half
- £200–£607
- Evidence
- Solid · wide spread
- Method
- v1
Cite this page
“Leica IIIb (G): typical sale price £275, the median of 80 recorded sales, 1998–2026, middle half £200–£607 (Solid, method v1).” cameraworth.com, retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.cameraworth.com/l/leica/iiib-g/