Leitz 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit
The Leitz 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit is a short telephoto portrait lens produced for the Leica rangefinder system, with a companion -R version made for the Leica R SLR bodies. Using a telephoto optical layout rather than a true long-focus design, it was intended as a more compact alternative to the faster 90mm Summicron, aimed at travel, reportage and portrait use.
At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Tele-Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 have typically landed between £112 and £400, with a median close to £210 based on the sales recorded here. A standout £682 result in 2021 shows what an exceptional example can fetch at saleroom level, but in today's market most clean user copies sell for around £190–£260, making this one of the more affordable ways into a genuine Leitz 90mm. Condition, cleanliness of the optics and mount variant (M-bayonet versus R-mount) are the main drivers of value, and the compact later M version — often nicknamed the "thin" Tele-Elmarit — tends to sit at the upper end of the range.
Variants
| Variant | Years | Edition | Sales | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BM | — | — | 0 | — |
| M | — | — | 10 | £136 – £600 |
| R | — | — | 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 | |
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| Apr 2026 | £275 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 15) Title: A Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 2001637, barrel VG, optics VG, with caps. |
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| Jan 2026 | £80 | Special Auction Services | — | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 60) Title: A Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 Lens
Description:
A Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit 90mm f/2.8 Lens, M mount, serial no 2872326, 1977, second version, barrel G-VG, elements G, some light clouding |
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| Dec 2025 | £320 | David Duggleby | — | |
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Auction: Photography, Science & Travel (Lot 3003) Title: Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit 1:2.8/90 camera lens, serial no. 2070811, with a Leica E39 UV/...
Description:
Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit 1:2.8/90 camera lens, serial no. 2070811, with a Leica E39 UV/... |
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| Apr 2025 | £200 | Flints Auctions | M | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 6) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial number 3430413, barrel VG, iris works, focuses smoothly, optics F with haze, with caps amd maker's box. |
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| Apr 2025 | £112 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 12) Title: A Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial number 2727233, barrel G, iris works, focuses smoothly, optics F with haze and light marks to front lens, in maker's packaging. |
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| Mar 2025 | £189 | Chiswick Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Photographica (Lot 209) Title: A Leitz ELC 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit Lens
Description:
A Leitz ELC 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit Lens Serial No: 2657956 Body: VG/E Optics: VG/E Notes: With maker's lens bubble and non matching numbers box (Qty: 1) |
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| Mar 2025 | £350 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 31) Title: A Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial number 3096180, barrel VG, optics G-VG, with rubber hood and front cap. |
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| Apr 2024 | £200 | Special Auction Services | M | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 500) Title: A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele Elmarit Lens
Description:
A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele Elmarit Lens, M mount, serial no 2967714, 1979, barrel G, elements G, with rear cap and Leitz Wetzlar IUFOO hood and |
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| Apr 2024 | £210 | Special Auction Services | M | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 485) Title: A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele Elmarit Lens
Description:
A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele Elmarit Lens, M mount, serial no 2215230, 1966, barrel G, elements G-VG, with chrome front cap, in maker's bubble |
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| Apr 2024 | £250 | Special Auction Services | M | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 499) Title: A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele Elmarit Lens
Description:
A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele Elmarit Lens, M mount, serial no 2215255, 1966, barrel G, elements G-VG, in lens keeper, with Leitz Wetzlar 12575 hood |
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| Feb 2024 | £250 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 18) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial no. 3316762, body, G-VG, elements, VG, complete with maker's lens hood |
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| Jan 2024 | £400 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 52) Title: A Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
1969, black, serial no. 2342331, lens body G-VG, lens optics F-VG, some light fungal marks to rear group & some light haze, otherwise VG, with front (Qty: 1) |
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| Oct 2023 | £210 | Special Auction Services | — | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 677) Title: A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit-M Lens
Description:
A Leitz Canada 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit-M Lens, 11800, serial no 3310446, barrel G-VG, elements G-VG, with Leica passport, warranty card and maker's |
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| Jul 2023 | £238 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Mini Fine Cameras & Instruments of Science (Lot 13) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial no. 2147596, body, F-G, elements, VG-E, complete with maker's caps |
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| Jul 2023 | £200 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Mini Fine Cameras & Instruments of Science (Lot 9) Title: A Leitz Canada Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, 1974, serial no.2696665, body G, optics G, slight fungus, with rear cap |
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| Apr 2023 | £262 | Flints Auctions | M | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 20) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial no. 3378229, body, VG, elements, VG, some light internal haze, complete with Leica M to Fujifilm X mount adapter IR651105 |
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| Jan 2023 | £400 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 17) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial no. 2342577, body, G-VG, elements, VG, some internal haze |
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| Nov 2021 | £496 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 78) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
1965, black, serial no. 2147859, body, VG, elements, VG-E |
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| Apr 2021 | £136 | Flints Auctions | M | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 67) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
1984, black, serial no. 3316846, body, E, elements, VG, some haze-like dot marks to inside of front element, with E39 UVa filter, caps, warranty card |
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| Apr 2021 | £682 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 64) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
1964, chrome, serial no. 2070245, body, VG-E, elements, E, with maker's cap, bubble and box Note: Lot imported under Temporary Admission. 5% UK |
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| Nov 2020 | £521 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 177) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
1971, black, serial no. 2489382, body, E, elements, E, with lens hood and caps, in maker's box Note: Lot imported under Temporary Admission. 5% UK |
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| May 2020 | £466 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 71) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens, 1969, black, serial no. 2342577, body, VG, elements, E, with maker's caps |
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| Oct 2019 | £216 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 202) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
1968, black, serial no. 2287164, body, F-G, elements, G-VG, some coating marks to front element. |
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| Nov 2018 | EUR 550 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 33 (Lot AI_33_36949) Title: Tele-Elmarit 2.8/90mm black
Description:
in absolutely mint condition with perfect optics, incl. front cap, plastic keeper and maker's box with matching serial number, very hard to find in such beautiful condition Estimate: EUR 600 - EUR 700 |
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| Apr 2018 | £288 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 1082) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm '1913-1983' Lens
Description:
1983, black, serial no. 3292496, body, E, elements, E, some very light internal haze, with caps and paperwork, in maker's box; Serial number matches |
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| Apr 2018 | £216 | Flints Auctions | M | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 1081) Title: A Leitz Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm Lens
Description:
1979, black, serial no. 2969229, body, VG, elements, G, some fungus to front group, with filter and maker's caps |
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| Nov 2015 | EUR 400 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 28 (Lot AI_28_32979) Title: Tele-Elmarit 2.8/90mm chrome
Description:
rare short 5-element version in chrome, clear lenses, caps Estimate: EUR 700 - EUR 900 |
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| Jun 2007 | £456 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: Leica, Nikon, 35mm & Other Photographic Equipment (Lot 285) Title: Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm. no. 2001007
Description:
Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm. no. 2001007 Estimate: £150 - £200 |
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| Feb 2006 | £216 | Christie's | M | |
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Auction: Cameras and Photographic Equipment including the Property of a Photographer (Lot 57) Title: Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm. no. 2968825
Description:
Tele-Elmarit-M f/2.8 90mm. no. 2968825 Estimate: £150 - £200 |
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| Nov 2005 | £192 | Christie's | M | |
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Auction: CAMERAS, MAGIC LANTERNS AND OPTICAL TOYS (Lot 155) Title: Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm. no. 2344239
Description:
Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm. no. 2344239 Estimate: £150 - £250 |
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| Nov 2004 | EUR 600 | Leitz Auction | M | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 6 (Lot AI_6_24472) Title: Tele-Elmarit-M 2.8/90mm 1913-1983
Description:
for M4-P 70 years, very rare and mint, hood, cap, guarantee card, original maker's box Estimate: EUR 1,000 - EUR 1,200 |
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| Jun 2000 | £470 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: Leica Cameras (Lot 346) Title: Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm. no. 2342493
Description:
Tele-Elmarit f/2.8 90mm. no. 2342493 Estimate: £250 - £350 |
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