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Leica R3

The Leitz R3 is a 35mm SLR introduced in 1976 as the first camera in Leitz's R-series, replacing the Leicaflex SL2. It uses the Leica R bayonet mount and was positioned as an electronic, aperture-priority body developed in partnership with Minolta, sitting above the contemporary Minolta XE in Leitz's line-up.

In the UK auction market today the R3 is an accessible entry point into Leica R glass: hammer prices for clean bodies typically run from about £50 to £600, with a median value of roughly £160 across the last couple of years' sales. An unusual £600 result in 2022 sits well above the norm, and most tidy, working examples sell for between £90 and £240 at saleroom level — wholesale figures that reward cosmetic condition, meter function and working electronics.

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
Aztec — — 0 —
Aztec Set — — 0 —
black — — 16 £35 – £700
black Dummy — — 0 —
Oskar Barnack Gold — — 11 £686 – £1,480
Safari — — 11 £130 – £5,973
Safari outfit — — 2 £858 – £1,286
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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.

Rows marked offer accepted did sell, on the date shown, but eBay does not publish the amount that was accepted. The figure we show is what the seller was asking, so the true sale price was lower — treat it as an upper bound. These rows are excluded from every price range, average and valuation on this site.

Prices updated: August 2026

Date Price Value GBP Source Variant
Aug 2026 £30 £30 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services —
Jul 2026 £100 £100 🇬🇧 eBay —
Jul 2026 EUR 175 £149 🇪🇺 eBay —
Jul 2026 £46 £46 🇬🇧 eBay —
Jul 2026 £100 £100 🇬🇧 eBay black
Jul 2026 EUR 119 £102 🇪🇺 eBay black
Jul 2026 USD 450 £337 🇺🇸 eBay black
Jul 2026 EUR 60 £51 🇪🇺 eBay black
Jul 2026 £41 £41 🇬🇧 eBay black
Jul 2026 asked US $1,950.00 — sold for less offer accepted — 🇺🇸 eBay listing Oskar Barnack Gold
Jul 2026 EUR 290 £248 🇪🇺 eBay black
May 2026 EUR 60 £52 🇪🇺 eBay black
May 2026 EUR 259 £224 🇪🇺 eBay black
Apr 2026 £338 £270 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Mar 2026 £38 £30 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Mar 2026 £188 £150 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Feb 2026 £900 £720 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Nov 2025 EUR 1,600 £1,408 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2024 EUR 1,400 £1,167 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari
Nov 2024 EUR 1,200 £1,001 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Oct 2024 £420 £420 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Oct 2024 £240 £240 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Oct 2024 £200 £200 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Oct 2024 £100 £100 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Oct 2024 £550 £550 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Oct 2024 £50 £50 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Oct 2024 £130 £130 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions Safari
Oct 2024 £240 £240 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Oct 2024 £250 £250 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services black
Sep 2024 £162 £130 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Jul 2024 £44 £35 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions black
Jun 2024 £180 £180 🇬🇧 David Duggleby —
Jun 2024 £270 £270 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services —
Apr 2024 £80 £80 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services —
Apr 2024 £90 £90 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services —
Jan 2024 USD 1,200 £945 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin —
Jan 2024 USD 2,000 £1,575 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin —
Nov 2023 EUR 1,700 £1,480 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Apr 2023 £100 £80 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Apr 2023 £150 £120 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Apr 2023 £1,100 £1,100 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services Oskar Barnack Gold
Oct 2022 £600 £480 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Feb 2022 £200 £200 🇬🇧 Harper Field Auctions —
Dec 2021 £93 £75 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Nov 2021 EUR 750 £636 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2021 EUR 2,400 £2,035 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2021 USD 1,200 £891 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin —
Nov 2020 EUR 1,100 £986 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2020 USD 1,500 £1,135 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin —
Jun 2020 EUR 1,500 £1,348 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Jun 2020 EUR 850 £764 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2019 EUR 1,000 £858 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari outfit
Nov 2019 EUR 1,500 £1,286 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari outfit
Nov 2019 EUR 1,600 £1,372 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2019 EUR 1,000 £891 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Nov 2018 EUR 1,200 £1,057 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari
Nov 2018 EUR 950 £837 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2018 EUR 500 £441 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2018 USD 1,750 £1,357 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin —
Nov 2018 USD 2,300 £1,783 🇺🇸 pedia_sales_tamarkin —
Mar 2018 EUR 750 £662 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari
Oct 2017 £276 £230 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions —
Nov 2016 EUR 1,600 £1,390 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Nov 2016 EUR 500 £434 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2016 EUR 950 £825 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2015 EUR 1,200 £848 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2015 £50 £50 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive) —
Nov 2014 HKD 5,500 £450 🇭🇰 Bonhams —
Nov 2014 EUR 480 £379 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari
Nov 2014 £350 £350 🇬🇧 Bonhams —
Apr 2014 £400 £400 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive) —
Mar 2014 EUR 750 £624 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari
Mar 2014 EUR 1,600 £1,331 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Nov 2013 EUR 1,700 £1,424 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2013 EUR 1,200 £1,005 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2013 EUR 900 £754 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2013 HKD 14,000 £1,121 🇭🇰 Bonhams —
Nov 2012 EUR 900 £724 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2012 EUR 1,100 £884 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
May 2012 EUR 1,600 £1,286 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Dec 2010 EUR 950 £806 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2010 EUR 800 £686 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Dec 2009 EUR 1,400 £1,260 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2009 EUR 900 £796 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2008 EUR 1,400 £1,163 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Sep 2008 £120 £120 🇬🇧 Bonhams —
Nov 2007 EUR 1,500 £1,063 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jun 2007 £240 £200 🇬🇧 Christie's —
May 2007 EUR 1,400 £954 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Oskar Barnack Gold
Mar 2007 £720 £600 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Mar 2007 £84 £70 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 2006 £96 £80 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 2006 EUR 22,000 £14,827 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Jul 2006 £600 £500 🇬🇧 Christie's Safari
May 2006 EUR 1,550 £1,059 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2006 EUR 1,900 £1,298 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Nov 2005 EUR 1,050 £713 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Sep 2005 £120 £100 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 2005 £504 £420 🇬🇧 Christie's Safari
May 2005 EUR 1,400 £958 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Feb 2005 £192 £160 🇬🇧 Christie's black
Feb 2005 £384 £320 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 2004 EUR 1,800 £1,258 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Sep 2004 £143 £120 🇬🇧 Christie's —
May 2004 EUR 1,042 £700 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Feb 2004 £155 £130 🇬🇧 Christie's black
Dec 2003 £105 £89 🇬🇧 Christie's black
Dec 2003 £94 £80 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Dec 2003 £587 £500 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Dec 2003 £82 £70 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Dec 2003 £70 £60 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 2003 £411 £350 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Sep 2003 £141 £120 🇬🇧 Christie's —
May 2003 EUR 1,458 £1,040 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
May 2003 EUR 1,250 £892 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction —
Mar 2003 £70 £60 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 2002 EUR 9,375 £5,973 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction Safari
Jun 2002 £141 £120 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Feb 2002 £564 £480 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 2001 £293 £249 🇬🇧 Christie's black
Jun 2001 £881 £750 🇬🇧 Christie's Safari
Jun 2001 £822 £700 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Mar 2001 £528 £449 🇬🇧 Christie's Safari
Oct 2000 £258 £220 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Aug 2000 £822 £700 🇬🇧 Christie's black
Aug 2000 £1,292 £1,100 🇬🇧 Christie's Oskar Barnack Gold
Jul 2000 £822 £700 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 2000 £411 £350 🇬🇧 Christie's —
May 2000 £211 £180 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jan 2000 £230 £200 🇬🇧 Christie's black
Jan 2000 £230 £200 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jan 2000 £322 £280 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Nov 1999 £230 £200 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Oct 1999 £575 £500 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Oct 1999 £460 £400 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Oct 1999 £138 £120 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Oct 1999 £149 £130 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Sep 1999 £218 £190 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 1999 £1,150 £1,000 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 1999 £920 £800 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 1999 £1,265 £1,100 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 1999 £195 £170 🇬🇧 Christie's —
May 1999 £253 £220 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Sep 1998 £460 £400 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Sep 1998 £862 £750 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 1998 £460 £400 🇬🇧 Christie's —
Jun 1998 £345 £300 🇬🇧 Christie's —
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Frequently asked questions

What is a Leitz R3 worth today?

Most R3 bodies sell for between about £90 and £240 at UK auction, with a median hammer price of roughly £160; exceptional or boxed examples can reach £500–£600.

How much does a Leica R3 sell for at auction?

Recent UK hammer results range from around £50 for rough or untested bodies to about £600 for the cleanest examples, so condition and working electronics drive the price.

Is the Leitz R3 a good value Leica SLR?

Yes — it is one of the cheaper ways into the Leica R system, with typical prices well below those of later R6 or R8 bodies, though R-mount lenses themselves remain the larger cost.

Does the R3 MOT version command a higher price?

The motorised R3 MOT variant generally sells for more than a standard R3, but the premium at auction is modest rather than dramatic.

In this series

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