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 | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Jul 2025 | £62 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Apr 2025 | £150 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Mar 2025 | £200 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Mar 2025 | £238 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Mar 2025 | £250 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Oct 2024 | £150 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Sep 2024 | £175 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Sep 2024 | £250 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| May 2024 | £625 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Apr 2024 | £100 | Special Auction Services | — | |
|
Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 508) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar 50mm f/2.8 Elmar Collapsible Lens
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar 50mm f/2.8 Elmar Collapsible Lens, M mount, serial no 1933416, barrel G, some light scratches to barrel, elements F-G, some fungus |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Nov 2023 | £175 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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) |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Apr 2023 | £150 | Special Auction Services | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Apr 2023 | £45 | Special Auction Services | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Mar 2023 | £188 | Flints Auctions | LTM | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Jan 2023 | £562 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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) |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Apr 2022 | £725 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Feb 2022 | £162 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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) |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Oct 2019 | £276 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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. |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Jun 2019 | EUR 2,600 | Leitz Auction | — | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 34 (Lot AI_34_37450) Title: Elmar 2.8/50mm 'Swedish Army'
Description:
very rare, original standard lens for Swedish army Leica IIIg black paint, engraved with three crowns, delivered to Brandt Optik A.B. in Stockholm (Swedish Army supplier, sent on 25.05.1960), in excellent condition, with plastic keeper Estimate: EUR 3,200 - EUR 3,600 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Apr 2019 | £156 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Apr 2018 | £240 | Flints Auctions | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Nov 2016 | EUR 6,500 | Leitz Auction | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Nov 2012 | EUR 650 | Leitz Auction | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| May 2005 | EUR 2,700 | Leitz Auction | LTM | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| May 2004 | EUR 313 | Leitz Auction | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||
| Nov 2003 | EUR 287 | Leitz Auction | — | |
|
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 |
||||
|
Loading...
|
||||