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Leitz 135mm f/4 Tele-Elmar-M

The Leitz 135mm f/4 Tele-Elmar-M is a telephoto prime for the Leica M bayonet rangefinder system, sitting at the long end of the classic M lens line-up. It was intended for portraits, candid work at distance and stage or sports use with M-series bodies fitted with the 135mm frame lines.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the 135mm f/4 Tele-Elmar-M have spanned roughly £45 to £750, with the median saleroom result sitting near £210 across the records available. The two highest results, £750 and £650, were achieved at specialist Leitz sales in 2009 and 2011, while the most recent 2024 hammers of £45 and £210 show that today a clean, user-grade copy is what most buyers are paying for, and that condition is the single biggest factor in what this lens sells for. These figures are wholesale auction results, so a dealer-retail price on a tidy example will typically run above the median value shown here.

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Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Date Price Source
Oct 2024 £45 Harper Field Auctions
Oct 2024 £38 Harper Field Auctions
Apr 2024 £210 Special Auction Services
Nov 2011 EUR 750 Leitz Auction
Nov 2011 EUR 550 Leitz Auction
May 2009 EUR 650 Leitz Auction
Nov 2004 £155 Christie's
Jul 2002 £82 Christie's
Jan 2000 £322 Christie's

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