The Most Expensive Lenses from Wetzlar All Sport Leitz Red Dots!

Think new Leica-M lenses cost a bundle? Not compared to these gems!

By Jason Schneider

As savvy Leica fans are painfully aware, the combined effects of inflation, increased costs for skilled labor, precision manufacturing, and high tariffs on imports, have resulted in higher prices for Leica cameras and lenses. For example, the least expensive Leica-M lenses in the current lineup are the Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. in black anodized finish at $3,100,00, and the Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2 in black anodized finish at $3,205.00. Both have earned high praise from reviewers for their exceptional sharpness, “natural” rendition, pleasing bokeh, and consistent reliability even under adverse conditions. The lowest priced current Leica lens we could find: the Leica Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400mm f/5-6.3 in L-mount at $2,455.00, which is made in Japan to Leica’s stringent quality control standards.

At the other of the M-mount price spectrum are the amazing Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH. in black anodized finish at a breathtaking $15,615.00, hailed as one of the greatest portrait lenses ever; the superb ultra-speed Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 at $14,225.00 in black or silver anodized finish; and the spectacular Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH. ($10,265.00 in silver anodized, and $9.945.00 in black anodized finish) acclaimed in test reports by leading experts as the best performing full frame 50mm f/2 lens ever manufactured in series production.

In scrolling through the extensive Leica lens listings of a few leading Leica dealers we came upon an entire series of Leica lenses we hadn’t considered----Leica cine lenses, which are made by Leitz Cine GmbH, a separate optical division located in the Leitz Park complex in Wetzlar Germany, that first began making dedicated cine lenses in 2008 under the name CW Sonderoptic. All lenses in the current Leitz cine line are adorned with a beautiful Leitz Red Dot logo to commemorate their proud heritage (which goes back to the 1930s), and all are prized by professional cinematographers for their outstanding sharpness, distinctive “natural” rendition, and smooth “organic” bokeh. Before you gasp at the prices of the four Leitz cine lens options listed below, bear in mind that producing a feature film typically runs into many millions of dollars, so spending a “mere” $50-$100K on a lens that delivers the “look” the creative directors aspire to is just an incidental expense.

Leitz Cine THALIA 65, 20mm T3.6 Cine Lens (ARRI PL Mount, calibrated in feet), $26,535.00.

Leitz Cine 350mm T3.6 Prime Lens (Feet, LPL Mount), $45,000.00.

Leitz Cine Zoom 25-75mm Lens (Feet, PL Mount), $56,300.00.

Leitz Cine Summicron-C T2.0 11-Lens Set (PL Mount), $175,100.00.

Yes, brand new Leica-M lenses are not exactly cheap nowadays but compared to Leitz cine lenses they’re (relatively speaking) a bargain!