Leitz 50mm f/2.8 Elmar
The Leitz 50mm f/2.8 Elmar is a compact collapsible standard lens for Leica rangefinder cameras, offered historically in both LTM screw mount and Leica M bayonet forms. It was positioned as Leitz's more affordable everyday 50mm alongside the faster Summicron, and its slim retracting barrel made it a favourite travel lens for M-series bodies.
At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the 50mm f/2.8 Elmar have ranged from around £45 for rough or hazy examples up to £725 for a clean, fully functional copy, with a median close to £440 across the eight saleroom results logged here. Because this listing covers the unspecified Elmar 50/2.8 rather than a single variant, you will see a wide spread: scruffy or glass-affected lenses trading in the £45–£165 band, while sharp, collapsible copies with clean optics consistently sell for £560–£725. As of 2026, demand remains steady in the auction market for tidy working examples, and value tracks glass condition and barrel smoothness far more than cosmetics.
Variants
| Variant | Years | Edition | Sales | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTM | — | — | 2 | £188 – £2,700 |
| M | — | — | 0 | — |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | £162 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 20) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar f/2.8 5cm Elmar Collapsible Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1634580, barrel VG, optics G with one light mark to front element, with yellow filter and metal cap. |
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| Jul 2025 | £62 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 3) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/2.8 5cm Collapsible Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1591662, barrel G, optics F with heavy haze, with caps. |
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| Apr 2025 | £150 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 60) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/2.8 50mm Collapsible Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1451475, barrel G, iris works, focuses smoothly, optics F-G with internal haze. |
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| Mar 2025 | £250 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 372) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/2.8 5cm Collapsible Lens
Description:
silver, serial number 1635902, barrel G-VG, optics VG, with plastic bubble and maker's packaging. |
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| Mar 2025 | £200 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 14) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar f/2.8 50mm Elmar Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1618120, barrel VG, optics G with light haze, iris working well, with plastic bubble. |
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| Mar 2025 | £238 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 16) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar f/2.8 50mm Elmar Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1669711, barrel VG, optics G-VG, iris working well, with rear cap. |
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| Oct 2024 | £150 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 12) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/2.8 50mm Collapsible Lens
Description:
chrome, 1960, serial no.1729775, body G, optics F, ring mark to front glass |
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| Sep 2024 | £175 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 303) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/2.8 5cm lens
Description:
silver, serial number 1618154, barrel VG, optics G with light haze and a cleaning mark to the front element. |
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| Sep 2024 | £250 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 9) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/2.8 5cm lens with IROOA Hood
Description:
silver, serial number 1450935, barrel G, optics G with some peripheral haze, also fitted with IROOA lens hood, G. |
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| May 2024 | £625 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 67) Title: A Leica Elmar-M f/2.8 50mm Lens
Description:
1995, chrome, serial no. 3724309, body, G-VG, elements, VG-E, complete with paperwork and maker's box |
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| Nov 2023 | £175 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 1B) Title: A Leitz Leica Elmar f/2.8 50mm Collapsible Camera Lens
Description:
chrome, serial no. 1590746, body VG-E, optics VG, some very light cleaning marks & extremely light haze present, (Qty: 1) |
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| Apr 2023 | £150 | Special Auction Services | — | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 540) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar 5cm f/2.8 Elmar M Lens
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar 5cm f/2.8 Elmar M Lens, serial no 1933353, barrel G, some light scratches to barrel, elements G, with front and rear caps |
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| Apr 2023 | £45 | Special Auction Services | — | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 539) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar 5cm f/2.8 Elmar M Lens
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar 5cm f/2.8 Elmar M Lens, serial no 1576958, 1958, barrel G, some light scratches to barrel, elements P-F, clouding/fungus, with front |
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| Mar 2023 | £188 | Flints Auctions | LTM | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 6) Title: A Leitz Elmar f/2.8 50mm Lens
Description:
chrome, serial no. 1698888, body, VG, elements, G-VG, some internal marks, compelte with lens cap and maker's bubble |
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| Jan 2023 | £562 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 12) Title: A Leitz Leica Elmar-M f/2.8 50mm Camera Lens
Description:
black, body G-VG, optics VG, together with a Leitz UVa filter, Leica hood 12550, lens pouch, maker's box, & paperwork, (Qty: 1) |
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| Apr 2022 | £725 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 51) Title: A Leitz Elmar-M f/2.8 50mm Lens
Description:
1994, chrome, serial no. 3669023, body, E, elements, E, complete with maker's caps |
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| Feb 2022 | £162 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 561) Title: A Leitz Elmar 50mm f/2.8 Lens
Description:
chrome, serial no. 1633231, body G-VG, optics G, some radial haze & very light fungus present, (Qty: 1) |
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| Oct 2019 | £276 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 199) Title: A Leitz Elmar f/2.8 50mm Lens
Description:
1962, chrome, serial no. 1935862, body, VG-E, elements, VG, some light internal haze, together with lens hood and filter. |
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| Apr 2019 | £156 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 154) Title: A Leitz Elmar f/2.8 50mm Lens
Description:
1958, chrome, serial no. 1635999, body, VG, elements, G, some internal marks and haze |
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| Apr 2018 | £240 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 1079) Title: A Leitz Elmar f/2.8 50mm Lens
Description:
1960, chrome, serial no. 1820416, body, G-VG, elements, VG-E, with maker's caps |
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| Nov 2016 | EUR 6,500 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 30 (Lot AI_30_34681) Title: Leitz Canada Elmar 2.8/50mm
Description:
prototype collapsible Elmar for screw mount with ELCAN formula C94, one of three lenses produced (no C00003 is known in M-mount), in Feet, mint condition and perfect optics Estimate: EUR 12,000 - EUR 15,000 |
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| Nov 2012 | EUR 650 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 22 (Lot AI_22_14553) Title: I Mod. A Elmar
Description:
type 7 in very fine original condition and good working order, never repainted or restored (cap) Estimate: EUR 1,000 - EUR 1,200 |
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| May 2005 | EUR 2,700 | Leitz Auction | LTM | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 7 (Lot AI_7_25182) Title: Elmar 3.5/5cm Luftwaffen-Eigentum
Description:
original Luftwaffen-Eigentum Elmar in very good condition, delivered to Luftw.Bln 9439 on March 2nd 1943 (photocopy of the Leitz salesbook included), cap, bakelite box Estimate: EUR 1,200 - EUR 1,400 |
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| May 2004 | EUR 313 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 5 (Lot AI_5_23555) Title: Elmar 2.8/5cm
Description:
very clean, caps Estimate: EUR 1,957 - EUR 1,550,947 |
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| Nov 2003 | EUR 287 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 4 (Lot AI_4_22822) Title: Elmar 2,8/5cm
Description:
Sauberes Elmar 5cm mit Deckeln in Leitz Bakelitdose Estimate: EUR 19,580 - EUR 16,016,240 |
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