Leitz 90mm f/4 Elmar-C
The Leitz 90mm f/4 Elmar-C is a compact M-bayonet telephoto designed in the early 1970s for the Leica CL and its Minolta-built sibling, the Leitz Minolta CL. Its short barrel, light weight and modest f/4 maximum aperture were tailored to the CL's small rangefinder body, though it couples and meters on full-size M cameras as well. It was positioned as a travel-friendly short telephoto rather than a fast portrait lens.
At UK auction in 2025, clean user copies have generally sold for hammer prices between £56 and £81, with earlier results at £60–£150 and an occasional outlier up to around £208 for complete, presentable examples — putting the typical hammer value today squarely in the £60–£100 band. Rare factory prototypes and special early examples offered through dedicated Leitz auctions have reached four- and even five-figure hammer prices (one such lot sold for £55,000 in 2012 and another for £7,500 in 2023), but these are collector curiosities rather than guides to what a standard Elmar-C is worth. For a normal production lens in usable condition, saleroom hammer results remain modest and well below dealer retail.
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 | |
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| Apr 2026 | £250 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 102) Title: A Leitz Elmar '3 Element' f/4 90mm Lens
Description:
chrome, serial no. 1913958, body, F-G, elements, VG, some very light internal haze, complete with maker's caps Note: A 5% import VAT applies to this |
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| Mar 2026 | £69 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 19) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar Collapsible f/4 9cm Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1461477, barrel VG, optics F-G with internal haze. |
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| Nov 2025 | £40 | Special Auction Services | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 462) Title: A leitz Wetzlar 9cm f/4 Collapsible Elmar Lens
Description:
A leitz Wetzlar 9cm f/4 Collapsible Elmar Lens, M mount, serial no 1522675, 1957, barrel G-VG, some light scratches to barrel, elements G, some light |
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| May 2025 | £80 | Special Auction Services | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 481) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar-C 90mm f/4 Lens
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar-C 90mm f/4 Lens, CL M mount, serial no 2642150, barrel G-VG, elements G, with hood, front and rear caps, in Leitz lens bag |
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| Apr 2025 | £56 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 9) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar-C f/4 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial number 2648390, barrel VG, iris works, focuses smoothly, optics G with light dust. |
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| Apr 2025 | £81 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 10) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar-C f/4 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial number 2607325, barrel VG, iris works, focuses smoothly, optics G with light dust. |
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| Apr 2025 | £106 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 51) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/4 9cm Collapsible Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1459547, barrel VG, iris works, focus very stiff, optics F-G with light haze, with front cap. |
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| Apr 2025 | £112 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 8) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f/4 9cm Collapsible Lens
Description:
chrome, serial number 1236371, barrel VG, iris works, focuses smoothly, optics F-G with light haze. |
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| Feb 2025 | £88 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 3) Title: A Leitz Elmar-C 90mm f/4 Camera Lens
Description:
black, body G-VG, optics P-F, strong haze & some fungus present, (Qty: 1) |
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| Oct 2024 | £70 | Special Auction Services | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 378) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar-C 90mm f/4 Lens
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar-C 90mm f/4 Lens, M mount, serial no 2572861, 1973, barrel G-VG, elements G, with hood, front and rear caps |
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| Jun 2023 | EUR 7,500 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 42 (Lot AI_20220121_1128_41446) Title: Elmar 4/9cm prototype
Description:
A prototype of collapsible 9cm Elmar for Leica M, from a small batch of approx. 50 lenses made for testing purposes, the most prominent feature is the different design of the front of the lens, a similar Elmar is illustrated in van Hasbroeck 'Leica in Colour' on page 133, in excellent condition Estimate: EUR 10,000 - EUR 12,000 |
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| Apr 2023 | £60 | Special Auction Services | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 548) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar 90mm f4 Elmar-C Lens
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar 90mm f4 Elmar-C Lens, serial no 2572428, 1973, barrel G-VG, elements F, fungus, with front/rear caps and lens hood |
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| Oct 2022 | £150 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 31) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Elmar-C f/4 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial no. 2647291, VG, with front and rear caps, original box and a Leitz ball & socket tripod head Note: Lot imported under Temporary |
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| Mar 2022 | £150 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors sale (Lot 542) Title: A Leitz Elmar-C f/4 90mm Lens
Description:
black, serial no. 2640963, body, VG, elements, G-VG, some light internal haze |
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| Nov 2020 | EUR 38,000 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 37 (Lot AI_37_38569) Title: Elmar 4/90mm collapsible prototype
Description:
An interesting screw-mount prototype of the collapsible Elmar 9cm. The lens shows numerous differences against the serial production units: the markings are engraved on the black rim on the front of the lens, the focusing ring is finely knurled, the Vulkanite covering is omitted, etc. - all this gives this lens a clean, distinctive look. It never went to production in this form and, except for a few prototypes, Leica never issued a collapsible Elmar in screw-mount. The lens is in beautiful, near mint condition, with very good optics. It was a part of the famous collection of Surat Osathanugrah. Exactly this lens can be seen in Lars Netopil 'Prototype Leica' on page 275. Estimate: EUR 40,000 - EUR 50,000 |
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| Apr 2018 | £156 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 1052) Title: A Leitz Collapsible Elmar f/4 90mm Lens
Description:
1957, chrome, serial no. 1523001, body, VG, elements, VG, some light internal haze, in maker's bubble with cap |
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| Nov 2014 | EUR 4,200 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 26 (Lot AI_26_31145) Title: Elmar chrome coll. 4/9cm Prototype
Description:
rare and unusual shaped 9cm Elmar for M-mount, prototype of the 3-element Elmar, from a small batch of approx. 50 lenses, similar lenses are illustrated in Hasbroeck, Leica in Colour, p.133, front cap, keeper - ex Bawendi collection Estimate: EUR 6,000 - EUR 7,000 |
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| May 2012 | EUR 55,000 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 21 (Lot AI_21_14030) Title: Elmar 4/9cm 'collapsible Prototype'
Description:
extremely rare prototype Elmar in collapsible M39 screw-mount, aperture scale reads from rear to front, black painted front ring, meter scale (clean lenses, both caps), lens no.633015 is illustrated in Lars Netopil 'Prototype Leica' p.273-275 (with chrome front ring), lens no.633008 (with black front ring) is illustrated in Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck 'A History illustrating every Model and Accessory' - ex Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck collection Estimate: EUR 18,000 - EUR 20,000 |
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| Dec 2010 | EUR 1,600 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 18 (Lot AI_18_12080) Title: Elmar-C 4/90mm Prototyp
Description:
mint prototype of the later tele lens for Leica CL, with prototype number, rubber hood 12517, cap Estimate: EUR 1,800 - EUR 2,000 |
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| May 2004 | EUR 208 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 5 (Lot AI_5_23612) Title: Elmar collaps. 4/9cm
Description:
very early, collapsible Elmar 9cm in mint condition, cap Estimate: EUR 1,954 - EUR 1,189,090 |
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| May 2003 | EUR 208 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 2-3 (Lot AI_2_22074) Title: Elmar-C 4/90mm
Description:
Elmar-C for Leica CL with clean lenses, hood Estimate: EUR 1,973 - EUR 2,604,092 |
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