Leitz 400mm f/6.8 Telyt
The Leitz 400mm f/6.8 Telyt is a long-focus telephoto lens designed for wildlife, sports and distant subjects, available in both Leica M (Visoflex) and Leica R variants. It is a relatively compact super-telephoto for its focal length, using a simple optical layout that keeps weight down compared with other 400mm designs of the era.
At UK auction, hammer results for the 400mm f/6.8 Telyt have ranged from around £119 to £400, with the two recorded sales straddling that band and a midpoint near £260. As of 2026, condition is the main driver of what one sells for at saleroom level: clean, haze-free examples with a working focus mount tend to sit at the upper end of that range, while cosmetically tired copies account for the lower figures and are worth considerably less.
Variants
| Variant | Years | Edition | Sales | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | — | — | 0 | — |
| R | — | — | 1 | £400 – £400 |
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 | Variant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | £94 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 19) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Telyt f/6.8 400mm Lens
Description:
black, serial number 2380655, barrel VG-E, optics VG-E, with shoulder stock. |
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| Jan 2025 | £90 | Special Auction Services | — | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 295) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar 400mm f/6.8 Telyt Lens
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar 400mm f/6.8 Telyt Lens, serial no 2478688, 1971, barrel VG, elements VG, with 14127 M to 6 adapter, rear cap and 14165 filter ring |
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| Oct 2024 | £119 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 262) Title: A Leitz-Wetzlar Telyt f/6.8 400mm Lens
Description:
black, serial number 2841425, barrel VG, optics VG, in maker's packaging, with caps and accessories. |
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| Oct 2024 | £45 | Harper Field Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Buying & Selling (Lot 1776) Title: Leitz Leicaflex Telyt R mount 1:6.8/400mm lens, serial number 2514848, circa 1971, with support
Description:
Leitz Leicaflex Telyt R mount 1:6.8/400mm lens, serial number 2514848, circa 1971, with support |
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| Oct 2022 | £88 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 76) Title: A Leitz Telyt f/6.8 400mm camera lens
Description:
black, leatherette coated, body G-VG, aperture blades move freely, optics VG-E, some small specs of dust present, with rear cap Note: Lot imported (Qty: 1) |
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| Oct 2017 | £84 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 39) Title: A Leitz Telyt f/6.8 400mm Lens
Description:
black, 2841492, body, VG, elements, VG |
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| Nov 2016 | EUR 400 | Leitz Auction | R | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 29 (Lot AI_29_33285) Title: Telyt-R 6.8/400mm 11960
Description:
quite rare late version with modern engraving (only 250 of these lenses have been made between 1990-91), in excellent condition with clean optics, front and rear cap Estimate: EUR 800 - EUR 1,000 |
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| Nov 2015 | EUR 1,800 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 28 (Lot AI_28_32953) Title: Telyt 6.8/400mm 'Prototype'
Description:
0-series or prototype fast-focusing Telyt 400mm, complete with early shoulder stock and leather case, this is the very first of only 15 lenses produced for Leica M in 1967 (Hartmut Thiele, Fabrikationsbuch Leica Objektive), David Douglas Duncan used such prototype lens to cover the 1968 presidential convention in USA. Estimate: EUR 3,600 - EUR 4,000 |
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