Leitz R5
The Leitz R5 is a 35mm SLR camera from Leica's R-series, introduced in the mid-1980s as a successor to the R4. It offered multi-mode metering with aperture-priority, shutter-priority, programme and manual exposure, and used the Leica R bayonet mount shared across the R-series bodies.
At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Leitz R5 body have clustered broadly between £100 and £370, with a median around £250 across the last several years. One outlier example fetched £1,364 in 2021, likely reflecting an unusually clean or outfit-grouped lot; as of 2026 the typical saleroom value for a working chrome or black body sits comfortably within that lower band, and condition, cosmetics and a functioning electronic shutter are what decide where within the range an example sells for.
Variants
| Variant | Years | Edition | Sales | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| black | — | — | 1 | £150 – £150 |
| Cut-away | — | — | 0 | — |
| Dummy | — | — | 0 | — |
| Elcovision | — | — | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | £262 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 24) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
black, serial number 1763685, body VG, shutter works, meter responds to light, with a Leitz Canada Summicron-R f/2 50mm lens, serial number 3010066, |
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| Jan 2026 | £600 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 29) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera Outfit
Description:
to include a Leica R5 camera body, with a Leitz Elmarit-R 28mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens, a Leitz Summicron-R 50mm f/2 standard lens, & a Leitz Elmarit-R (Qty: 1) |
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| Sep 2025 | £119 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 40) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
black, body F, shutter not firing, Red dot missing, viewfinder clear, with a Vario-Elmar-R 28-70mm lens, barrel G, optics G. Note: For this specific |
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| Sep 2025 | £100 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 41) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
black, body G, shutter works, meter responds, viewfinder dusty, with a Vario-Elmar-R 75-200mm zoom lens, barrel G, optics G. Note: For this specific |
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| Oct 2024 | £238 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Instruments (Lot 17) Title: A Leica R5 SLR Camera Body
Description:
black, serial no. 1718140, body, G-VG, shutter working on 1/100th, some bubbling to paint to rear, complete with maker's box |
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| Oct 2024 | £150 | Harper Field Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Buying & Selling (Lot 1818) Title: Leica R5 35mm SLR camera body, serial number 1719757, circa 1983, in original hard case and
Description:
Leica R5 35mm SLR camera body, serial number 1719757, circa 1983, in original hard case and |
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| Jun 2024 | £180 | David Duggleby | — | |
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Auction: Cameras, Maritime & Scientific Instruments (Lot 3002) Title: Leica R5 Schwz camera body, in black finish, serial no. 1763156, made in Germany 1988, wit...
Description:
Leica R5 Schwz camera body, in black finish, serial no. 1763156, made in Germany 1988, wit... |
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| Apr 2024 | £150 | Special Auction Services | black | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 427) Title: A Leitz Wetzlar Leica R5 SLR Camera
Description:
A Leitz Wetzlar Leica R5 SLR Camera, black, serial no 1723889, 1987, shutter working, meter responsive, camera responsive in settings, body G-VG, |
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| Apr 2024 | £150 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 25) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
chrome, body G, shutter working when batteries are inserted, meter suggests reasonable values in viewfinder, otherwise untested, (Qty: 1) |
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| Feb 2024 | £400 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 20) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
black, body G-VG, shutter working, LEDs in viewfinder illuminate, in maker's box, together with a Leica Summicron-R f/2 50mm, body VG, optics G, some (Qty: 1) |
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| May 2023 | £325 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 52) Title: A Leica R5 SLR Camera
Description:
1991 (last batch), black, serial no. 1799754, with Leitz Vario-Elmar-R f/3.5 35-70mm lens, 1989, black, serial no. 3491237, body, VG-E, shutter |
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| Apr 2023 | £288 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 34) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
chrome, 1990, made in Germany, serial no.1776742, with a Leitz Vario-Elmar-R f/3.5 35-70mm lens, made in Japan, 1982, serial no.3172465, shutter |
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| Apr 2023 | £62 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 50) Title: A Black Leica R5 35mm SLR Body
Description:
1987, serial no.1716946, shutter button action uncertain, slow speeds issue, viewfinder indicators light up, body G, with ever ready case and maker's |
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| Apr 2023 | £100 | Special Auction Services | — | |
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Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 514) Title: A Leica R5 SLR Camera Body
Description:
A Leica R5 SLR Camera Body, black, made in Germany, serial no 1751450, 1988, shutter working, meter working, body G, light wear, with body cap |
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| Mar 2023 | £325 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 19) Title: A Leica R5 35mm SLR Camera
Description:
black, serial no. 1722499, body G-VG, shutter working, viewfinder information lights up in viewfinder, together with a Leitz Summicron-R f/2 50mm (Qty: 1) |
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| May 2022 | £112 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 289) Title: A Leica R5 SLR Body
Description:
black, serial no. 1900130, shutter working on manual mode, otherwise untested |
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| Nov 2021 | £1,364 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 85) Title: A Leica R5 SLR Camera Outfit
Description:
1988, black, serial no. 1763944, complete with Leitz Vario-Elmar-R f/3.5 35-70mm, Leitz Elmarit-R f/2.8 28mm, Leitz Macro-Elmarit-R f/2.8 60mm, Leitz |
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| Nov 2018 | £264 | Flints Auctions | — | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 1061) Title: A Leica R5 SLR Body
Description:
1986, black, serial no. 1699206, body, E, shutter working, with paperwork in maker's box; Appears to have never been used |
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| Nov 2006 | £312 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: Cameras, Photographs and Optical Toys (Lot 316) Title: Leica R5 no. 1664988
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1664988 Estimate: £300 - £500 |
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| Feb 2006 | £300 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: Cameras and Photographic Equipment including the Property of a Photographer (Lot 84) Title: Leica R5 no. 1698161
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1698161 Estimate: £300 - £500 |
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| May 2004 | EUR 365 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 5 (Lot AI_5_23634) Title: R5 black
Description:
R5 body in perfect working order, early type with Leitz logo, mint Estimate: EUR 1,715,220 - EUR 4 |
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| May 2004 | EUR 417 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 5 (Lot AI_5_23635) Title: R5 chrome
Description:
chrome R5 in mint condition with Leica logo on right hand side Estimate: EUR 1,775,800 - EUR 4 |
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| Dec 2003 | £282 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: LEICA CAMERAS THE PROPERTY OF A COLLECTOR (Lot 111) Title: Leica R5 no. 1719819
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1719819 Estimate: £280 - £350 |
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| Dec 2003 | £199 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: LEICA CAMERAS THE PROPERTY OF A COLLECTOR (Lot 110) Title: Leica R5 no. 1697183
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1697183 Estimate: £250 - £350 |
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| Nov 2003 | £211 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: MAGIC LANTERNS, CINE CAMERAS AND CAMERAS (Lot 554) Title: Leica R5 no. 1787682
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1787682 Estimate: £200 - £300 |
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| Sep 2003 | £329 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: CAMERAS & PHOTO EQUIP, INCLUDING A EUROPEAN LEICA COLLECTION (Lot 247) Title: Leica R5 no. 1776071
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1776071 Estimate: £300 - £500 |
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| Sep 2003 | £329 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: CAMERAS & PHOTO EQUIP, INCLUDING A EUROPEAN LEICA COLLECTION (Lot 246) Title: Leica R5 no. 1736112
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1736112 Estimate: £300 - £500 |
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| May 2003 | EUR 500 | Leitz Auction | — | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 2-3 (Lot AI_2_22107) Title: R5 black
Description:
R5 body in perfect working order, early type with Leitz logo, mint Estimate: EUR 1,715,220 - EUR 4 |
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| Feb 2002 | £293 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: CAMERAS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT (Lot 190) Title: Leica R5 no. 1764252
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1764252 Estimate: £350 - £450 |
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| Jun 2001 | £352 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: LEICA, NIKON AND 35MM CAMERAS (Lot 230) Title: Leica R5 no. 1753952
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1753952 Estimate: £350 - £450 |
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| Mar 2001 | £528 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: CAMERAS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT (Lot 89) Title: Leica R5 no. 1723130
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1723130 Estimate: £25 - £100 |
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| Sep 1998 | £368 | Christie's | — | |
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Auction: COLLECTABLE CAMERAS FROM CLASSIC COLLECTION (Lot 124) Title: Leica R5 no. 1719715
Description:
Leica R5 no. 1719715 Estimate: £20 - £400 |
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