{"overview":"The Leitz 16-18-21mm f\/4 Tri-Elmar-M ASPH is an ultra-wide zoom lens for the Leica M rangefinder bayonet mount, offering three discrete focal lengths (16mm, 18mm and 21mm) at a constant f\/4 aperture. Often nicknamed the WATE (Wide-Angle Tri-Elmar), it was designed for M-system photographers wanting a single compact ultra-wide solution rather than carrying three separate prime lenses, and it requires an external viewfinder for accurate framing.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm ASPH have sat in a tight band: the two recorded saleroom results landed at £2,500 and £2,625, giving a median of roughly £2,562. As of 2026, that wholesale level reflects what clean examples sell for under the hammer before commission, and well-presented copies with the dedicated multi-focal viewfinder tend to achieve the upper end of the range, while bare-lens examples without accessories typically fetch less.","buying_guide":"Inspect the front and rear elements for fungus, haze and coating scratches, as ultra-wide elements are exposed and costly to replace. Work the focal-length selector and focus ring through their full travel to confirm smooth, even action with no stiffness or grit, and check the aperture blades for oil. Confirm the lens ships with its original hood and, ideally, the dedicated Leica Universal Wide-Angle Finder, since missing accessories materially affect value.","specs":"Ultra-wide multi-focal M-mount lens covering 16mm, 18mm and 21mm at a constant maximum aperture of f\/4, with aspherical optical construction.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Leitz 16-18-21mm f\/4 Tri-Elmar-M ASPH worth at UK auction?","a":"Recorded UK hammer results sit between £2,500 and £2,625, with a median around £2,562 before buyer's premium."},{"q":"How much does a Tri-Elmar-M WATE sell for today?","a":"Clean examples have most recently sold for £2,500 to £2,625 at saleroom level, with the price varying based on condition and whether the original viewfinder is included."},{"q":"Does the value change if the original viewfinder is missing?","a":"Yes — the dedicated Leica Universal Wide-Angle Finder is expensive to source separately, so bare-lens copies generally achieve a lower hammer price than complete sets."},{"q":"Will it fit a Leica R camera?","a":"No. The Tri-Elmar-M ASPH is built for the Leica M rangefinder bayonet and is not compatible with R-mount SLR bodies."}],"confidence":45,"reasoning":"Only two sales records are available and no SPECS or variant data was supplied, so confidence is capped per rule 8."}

{"overview":"The Leitz 28-35-50mm f\/4 Tri-Elmar-M ASPH is a three-focal-length M-mount rangefinder lens, sometimes nicknamed the MATE, offering 28mm, 35mm and 50mm settings at a constant f\/4 maximum aperture. Designed for Leica M bodies, it was aimed at travelling reportage and landscape photographers who wanted to cover the classic wide-to-normal range in a single compact lens rather than carry three primes.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Tri-Elmar-M ASPH have ranged from £900 in May 2024 up to £2,356 in April 2021, with earlier saleroom results of £1,200 in 2014 and £1,375 in 2004 sitting between those extremes. The median of the four recorded hammers is around £1,288, so as of 2026 a clean, fully working copy typically sells for mid-four-figure sums at auction, while tired or cosmetically marked examples are what pull the lower end down. Buyers should remember these are wholesale-level results and that condition, completeness of hood and caps, and which version (early 49mm filter vs. later 55mm filter) is on offer all influence what any individual lens is worth.","buying_guide":"Inspect the elements carefully under a bright light for fungus, haze and cleaning marks, as the ASPH surfaces can be expensive to repair if scratched. Work the focal-length ring and focus helicoid through their full travel to confirm they move smoothly and click positively at 28, 35 and 50 without stiffness, grit or sticky grease, and check the aperture blades for any trace of oil. Also verify rangefinder coupling accuracy at each setting and look for separation or coating damage around the cemented groups, since the two filter-size variants command different prices and a mismatched or missing dedicated hood can meaningfully reduce value.","specs":"Key specifications from the supplied data: Leica M-mount rangefinder lens with switchable 28mm, 35mm and 50mm focal lengths and a constant f\/4 maximum aperture, incorporating aspherical element technology as denoted by the ASPH designation.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Leitz 28-35-50mm f\/4 Tri-Elmar-M ASPH worth today?","a":"Based on UK auction hammer results between 2004 and 2024, the lens has a value ranging from £900 to £2,356, with a median price of around £1,288."},{"q":"How much does a Tri-Elmar-M ASPH sell for at UK auction?","a":"Recent saleroom results show it sells for anywhere between £900 for a well-used example and over £2,300 for a clean, desirable copy, with commission payable on top of the hammer price."},{"q":"Is the MATE Tri-Elmar a good alternative to carrying three prime lenses?","a":"It was designed precisely for that purpose, giving 28mm, 35mm and 50mm coverage at a constant f\/4 in one M-mount body, though its maximum aperture is slower than the equivalent Summicron or Summilux primes."},{"q":"Why do prices vary so much between copies?","a":"Condition of the aspherical elements, smoothness of the focal-length and focus rings, presence of the correct hood and caps, and which filter-size version is being sold all affect the price a specific lens achieves."}],"confidence":55,"reasoning":"Only four sales records are provided and no detailed SPECS or variant facts, so pricing commentary is grounded but specification and variant detail is limited."}