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Leitz 40mm f/2.8 Elmarit-C

The Leitz 40mm f/2.8 Elmarit-C is a compact M-bayonet rangefinder lens introduced for the Leica CL system in the early 1970s. It is the slower, more affordable companion to the better-known 40mm f/2 Summicron-C, and was designed to keep the CL body's size and weight to a minimum while still delivering the optical quality expected of a Leitz lens. Production was short-lived, which is the main reason the Elmarit-C is far scarcer than its f/2 sibling today.

At UK auction the 40mm f/2.8 Elmarit-C is genuinely uncommon, and hammer prices reflect that scarcity: recorded sales range from £800 in 2019 to £2,000 in 2024, with a midpoint around £1,400. As of 2026, clean, fungus-free examples sit toward the upper end of that range at saleroom level (wholesale, before buyer's premium), and the rising interest in the Leica CL system has supported values noticeably over the last few years. Because the lens rarely appears, a single tidy copy can sell for considerably more than the median if condition is right.

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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
Jun 2024 EUR 2,000 Leitz Auction
Jun 2023 EUR 2,600 Leitz Auction
Jun 2022 EUR 2,400 Leitz Auction
Nov 2019 EUR 800 Leitz Auction
Jun 2019 EUR 1,100 Leitz Auction
Jun 2017 EUR 800 Leitz Auction
May 2013 EUR 1,300 Leitz Auction
May 2010 EUR 3,000 Leitz Auction
Dec 2009 EUR 800 Leitz Auction
Dec 2009 EUR 800 Leitz Auction
Nov 2003 EUR 2,396 Leitz Auction
May 2003 EUR 3,958 Leitz Auction

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