Leica R Price List 2024

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Since the dawn of the DSLR revolution, Leica R lenses – created for Leica’s flagship SLR range from 1964 until it was discontinued in 2009 – have been a common go-to for digital filmmakers looking for a readily adaptable, stunning-looking optic to pair with their cinema camera of choice. 

Leicas, for many of us ultra-low budget shooters way back in the early 2010s, were considered an aspirational purchase that we would likely never be able to own. We didn’t dare dream of shooting on a full Leica set, instead opting for cheaper options from the Soviet bloc, experimenting with Canon FDs , or going for lenses from the Contax Zeiss line to get that vintage feel at a price our wallets could more reasonably bear. The idea of owning a Summilux or two was pretty much unthinkable.

And that fits the image of the lenses, right? Leica is a luxury brand, known for its incredibly expensive and rightfully revered rangefinder cameras, with stunning optics to match, whether you are talking the truly vintage L39 mount lenses or the more modern M-mount glass that has helped cement their reputation for high quality – and exceedingly fast – optics.

But oh how times change! While some focal lengths within the Leica R range have boomed in a similar fashion to competitors from other lines (looking at you, 19mm Elmarit), many of the lenses in the line-up actually remain remarkably affordable, making owning a Leica set feasible for even the most modest shooter. 

As with our Canon FD Price List, this list is a verified, checked and triple-checked archive, referencing a variety of international online sales platforms to ensure the utmost accuracy at the time of writing. We cover every official Leica R lens produced, ranging from the humble 50mm Summicron-R to the highly sought after 35mm Summilux-R and the exceedingly scarce 15mm Super-Elmarit-R.

Prices are in USD, have eBay links for quick searching and are banded as follows:
High prices – Are for mint examples, perfect for your next rehousing project.
Low prices – Are for rough beater lenses, the kinds that have a little dust, a little fungus, and maybe a little more going on.

Our intention is to review these lenses every six months, adjust our table, and to also give an annual “state of the market” review every year so that the entire VLFV community can see where the market is headed with analysis of price trends.

But we do not want this to be a static, detached page either. We want this to be a living, breathing document, and we would love your feedback and where our data might be wrong. Have you managed to make a massive sale that sets new peaks for the market? Do you see trends showing that certain lenses are actually selling for a lot less than we are saying? Please tell us and we will try to incorporate your data into our findings when the next review rolls around!

FAQ:

• Why do Leica R prices have such wide price ranges?

Leica lenses that were produced for a long time went through multiple iterations, with changes to the mounts and mechanics enabling new functionality when paired with increasingly modern Leica SLRs. The final versions had data chips on the mounts similar to modern DSLR lenses that allowed lens data to be transmitted and recorded during shooting. The final “ROM” lenses are significantly more expensive than the prior iterations, creating a broad range of prices as a result.

• Why are there multiple versions of various lenses?

Leica updated many of their lenses over time in order to improve performance. The result is that various lenses in the range have multiple versions, each behaving differently and having their own optical qualities. The difference in performance between the 19mm Elmarit V1 and V2, for example, is stark. We strongly recommend you find samples of each lens to see which look suits you best before buying. 

• How do you know how many of each lens was made?

Leica lenses are some of the most well-documented glass on the market. Leica lenses were built in batches, and the serial numbers for each batch were carefully recorded and researched. However, lenses constructed past a certain point became harder to track, meaning that for some lenses produced until the end of the Leica R’s run, the final number of units remain unknown. For these lenses, we have marked their production tally with an asterisk (*).

I want to thank the fine folks at Leicapedia for their incredible research, which was invaluable in constructing this list and clarifying data. 

• What options are there for remounting or converting Leica R lenses?

There are a number of sellers, including Simmod Lens and Leitax, who sell replacement mounts that sit atop the Leica R mount, allowing for remounting to the Canon EF mount in a way that can be easily reversed. Along with the EF conversion kit, the popular lens modding company Simmod now also offers the LPL conversion kit for Leica R lenses. If you are using mirrorless systems, lens converters are common. 

For those looking to get your lenses cinemodded by professional technicians, Duclos Lenses are amongst many other great technicians around the world!

• Where can I rent Canon FD lenses?

Reliable and Trustworthy rental companies with Leica R inventory include: CameraRentals in Amsterdam, NL, Focus-Canning in London, UK and Ancient Optics in Los Angeles, USA

• Is matching serial numbers for a set important?

Vintage lenses, even ones by companies as prestigious as Leica, regularly experience slight differences in colour cast and overall performance. This comes from slight QC differences in coatings, age, and a variety of other factors. In order to minimize these performance differences, operators often try to get sets with very close serial numbers, ensuring they were made at a similar time. You can find a list of Leica serial numbers and years here.

It should be noted that even though the lenses were made in the same year, this does not 100% ensure equal performance, and thorough testing should be undertaken to ensure solid performance. However, “matching” serials can be attractive for resale purposes.

• Should I only ever pay the prices in this price guide?

A lens is only ever worth the price you are willing to pay for it. You really want a lens, but it is more than the prices you see here? That is ok! As long as you are comfortable paying a little extra to get what you want, that is perfectly fine. Just make sure that you buy responsibly and check the lens is in tip-top condition in order to warrant a tip-top price!

Written by Peter Cooper