The Leica R 600mm f/5 Apo-Telyt prototype lens has appeared on eBay with a hefty price tag of $230,000. We say “the” instead of “a” because only a single copy of this lens was ever made for the company’s Apo-Telyt line — lenses don’t get rarer than this.



An Austria-based company called Photo Arsenal Worldwide is behind the sale, and confirms that this is a single prototype that was created for the Leica R system but never went into production.

The serial number on the body is 172-0001, which confirms that this is the exact same lens that was auctioned for $70,000 back in 2013 by Stan Tamarkin Rare Camera Auctions. Here are some photos of the lens from that previous auction:

“There appears to be no mention of this lens in the literature and none on the Internet. Very, very rare,” the auction stated. The “bomb of a lens” is reportedly in pristine condition and weighs over 11 pounds.

If you have an extra $230K lying around, this is your chance to snag a Leica lens that no one else on planet Earth owns. It’s also rather affordable compared to other Leica Apo-Telyt lenses out there: a Leica 1600mm f/5.6 was previously sold to a Qatari prince for over $2 million — and there are two of those in existence!

Leitz Canada f. Leica R 5/600 mm Apo-Telyt Prototype Unicum lens! [eBay via Leica Rumors]