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Leitz 50mm f/1.5 Xenon LTM

The Leitz 50mm f/1.5 Xenon is a pre-war fast standard lens in Leica Thread Mount (LTM, also known as L39 screw mount), introduced in the 1930s as Leitz's first f/1.5 fifty. Developed in collaboration with Taylor-Hobson, it was aimed at available-light rangefinder photography on screw-mount Leica bodies such as the III series, and it is the direct forerunner of the post-war Summarit.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the 50mm f/1.5 Xenon LTM have ranged from £288 to £750, with a mid-point around £368 based on the limited sales on record. The most recent 2025 result of £750 suggests that clean, cosmetically strong examples are worth meaningfully more than average copies in today's 2026 market, while user-grade bodies with haze or cleaning marks still sell for under £300 at saleroom level. Because these are wholesale hammer figures rather than dealer retail, polished shop-window asking prices typically sit well above what the Xenon sells for under the gavel.

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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
Nov 2025 EUR 750 Leitz Auction
Sep 2023 £288 Flints Auctions
Jun 2022 EUR 1,200 Leitz Auction
Jun 2022 EUR 2,200 Leitz Auction
Nov 2021 USD 800 pedia_sales_tamarkin
Nov 2020 EUR 5,000 Leitz Auction
Nov 2019 EUR 750 Leitz Auction
Nov 2019 EUR 600 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 EUR 500 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 EUR 500 Leitz Auction
Nov 2018 £384 Flints Auctions
Apr 2018 £420 Flints Auctions
Mar 2014 EUR 1,800 Leitz Auction
May 2012 EUR 650 Leitz Auction
Nov 1999 £368 Christie's

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