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Leitz Thambar

The Leitz Thambar is a lens. CameraWorth tracks 21 auction records for this model, with prices ranging from £776 to £6,000 (median £2,070).

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
90mm f/2.2 LTM — — 20 £776 – £6,000

{"overview":"The Leitz 90mm f\/2.2 Thambar is a short-telephoto soft-focus portrait lens in Leica screw mount (LTM\/M39), introduced by Leitz in the mid-1930s. It was designed specifically for flattering portraiture, using a removable centre-spot filter to exaggerate spherical aberration and produce the glowing, low-contrast rendering the lens is famous for. Production was short and numbers were small, which is why the Thambar remains one of the most collectible pre-war Leitz lenses.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the 90mm f\/2.2 Thambar have ranged from around £2,000 to £6,000, with a median close to £2,604 across the sales on record. A clean example fetched £5,000 in June 2025, while a standout copy sold for £6,000 at saleroom level in 2021, showing how much condition, completeness (particularly the original centre-spot filter and hood) and cosmetics affect what a Thambar sells for today. As of 2026, the lens is still worth well into four figures even in average condition, and exceptional examples continue to push the upper end of that price band.","buying_guide":"Inspect the glass carefully for fungus, internal haze and cleaning marks, because the Thambar's uncoated pre-war elements are vulnerable and any softness from defects compounds the lens's already low contrast. Check the aperture blades for oil, confirm the focus helicoid turns smoothly without stiffness or grease migration, and look for edge separation or scratches to the front coating. Crucially, confirm the original centre-spot soft-focus filter and lens hood are present — copies missing these accessories are worth materially less than complete sets.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Leitz 90mm f\/2.2 Thambar worth today?","a":"Based on UK auction hammer results, a Thambar is typically worth between £2,000 and £6,000, with most clean, complete examples selling for around £2,500 to £5,000."},{"q":"How much does a Thambar sell for at auction?","a":"Recent UK saleroom results show the lens selling for £2,250 in 2024 and £5,000 in 2025, with the highest recorded hammer price on file being £6,000 in 2021."},{"q":"Why is the Thambar's price so high compared with other vintage Leitz 90mm lenses?","a":"The Thambar was produced in small numbers in the 1930s and is the only dedicated soft-focus lens Leitz made for Leica screw mount, so scarcity and its unique rendering drive the value well above standard 90mm Elmars or Elmarits."},{"q":"Does the centre-spot filter affect the price?","a":"Yes — the original centre-spot soft-focus disc is essential to the Thambar's look and is easily lost, so copies sold complete with the filter and hood consistently achieve higher prices than bare-lens examples."}],"confidence":65,"reasoning":"Seven auction sales give a reasonable price picture, but no SPECS or variant data were supplied, so technical claims are limited to widely-known public facts about the lens type and mount."}
90mm f/2.2 M — — 0 —
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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.

Prices updated: November 2025

Date Price Source Variant
Nov 2025 £2,000 Flints Auctions 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Jun 2025 EUR 5,000 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Apr 2025 £1,750 Flints Auctions 90mm f/2.2 LTM
May 2024 £2,250 Flints Auctions 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Jun 2023 EUR 2,000 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
May 2023 £2,750 Flints Auctions 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Jun 2021 EUR 6,000 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
May 2020 £3,185 Flints Auctions 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Jun 2019 EUR 1,600 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Apr 2019 £2,880 Flints Auctions 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Nov 2018 EUR 2,800 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Jun 2017 EUR 1,700 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Nov 2005 EUR 1,200 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Nov 2005 £1,320 Christie's 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Nov 2004 £896 Christie's 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Nov 2004 EUR 5,313 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Sep 2004 £776 Christie's 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Nov 2003 EUR 2,604 Leitz Auction 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Jun 2003 £1,410 Christie's 90mm f/2.2 LTM
Jun 1999 £2,070 Christie's —
Jun 1998 £2,185 Christie's 90mm f/2.2 LTM

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