185-Year-Old Voigtländer Daguerreotype Camera Auctioned for $580,000 https://petapixel.com/2025/10/13/185-year-old-voigtlander-daguerreotype-camera-auctioned-for-580000/ #wetzlarcameraauctions #daguerreotype #voigtlander #auction #history #leica #News #wca

Wooden and cutaway #LeicaCameras set to fetch thousands at #auction https://zorz.it/KOliG | #JaronSchneider #WetzlarCameraAuctions #demo #DemoUnit #Leica #rare #analog #equipment

Wooden and Cutaway Leica Cameras Set to Fetch Thousands at Auction https://petapixel.com/2025/09/17/wooden-and-cutaway-leica-cameras-set-to-fetch-thousands-at-auction/ #wetzlarcameraauctions #Equipment #demounit #auction #Analog #leica #News #demo #rare

This Battered Leica Could Be Yours for $500,000 https://petapixel.com/2025/09/04/this-battered-leica-could-be-yours-for-500000/ #wetzlarcameraauctions #louisdaguerre #leitzwetzlar #auction #leicamp #Analog #leica #News

The Most Fascinating Rare Cameras and Lenses Sold at the 6th Wetzlar Camera Auction https://petapixel.com/2024/10/16/extremely-rare-cameras-and-lenses-sell-for-upwards-of-611k-in-6th-wetzlar-camera-auction/ #wetzlarcameraauctions #leicaauction #rarecamera #Equipment #oldcamera #rarelens #auction #history #oldlens #Analog #leica #News

One-of-a-Kind Leica M4 Wrapped in Plastic May Fetch Big Bucks at Auction https://petapixel.com/2024/03/19/one-of-a-kind-leica-m4-wrapped-in-plastic-may-fetch-big-bucks-at-auction/ #wetzlarcameraauctions #Equipment #Spotlight #auction #christo #leicam4 #leica #News #art

The First-Ever Die-Cast Leica Prototype is Coming to Auction https://petapixel.com/2024/01/11/the-first-ever-die-cast-leica-prototype-is-coming-to-auction/ #wetzlarcameraauctions #collectorsitem #leicaprototype #Equipment #auction #diecast #leica #News #rare

Canon 1200mm f/5.6 Sells for $580,000, Most Ever for a Lens

A Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 lens was the focus of a bidding war at the Wetzlar Camera Auctions (WCA) last week that saw it climb to a final value of 500,000 euros (about $580,000), the highest ever value for a camera lens.

In July, the WCA announced that it was set to offer for sale a lens that it billed as exceedingly rare: a Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6. The lens was originally manufactured in the 1990s in limited quantities and by special order only. Because the lens was so difficult to make and production was so limited, it took more than a year to build each lens. Much of that time was spent growing the massive fluorite crystals required for the gigantic elements.

According to Canon, the EF 1200mm f/5.6 is constructed of 13 elements in 10 groups and has a close focusing distance of 45.9 feet (14 meters). It has an inner ultrasonic motor and supports a 48mm drop-in filter.

Originally it was thought that less than 100 of the lenses were ever made, but more recent approximations put the actual number closer to 20. The original list price for the lens was $90,000 and the company could supposedly only make two of them a year.

These lenses rarely come up for sale given their extreme scarcity, but there are a few limited cases. In 2009 and in 2015, B&H listed the lens for sale for $120,000 and $180,000 respectively. In 2014, MPB Photographic had one available for about $165,000. Outside of these three circumstances, however, there have been few -- if any -- other opportunities to buy the lens since Canon discontinued production of the optic.

That scarcity and the long wait between opportunities to purchase the lens likely led to the bidding war that saw the lens available through the WCA climb to a whopping 500,000 euro -- about $580,000. The bidding took place primarily between two parties who were connected by telephone. The WCA says that this is the highest price ever achieved at auction for a camera lens.

The Canon lens stole the show, but the WCA saw a few other items see notable auction values. A prototype of a Leica III from 1932 was sold for a hefty 375,000 euro (about 435,000). It was only expected to sell for at most 100,000 euros (about $116,000).

A Leica M4 from the former inventory of the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in NATO with olive green paint finish from 1968 sold for 450,000 euros (about 521,000).

A prototype of the first Leitz Summilux 35mm (engraved “Summarit 1:1.4/35”) from 1959 went for four times the estimated price at 187,500 euros (about $217,000).

The also Soviet GOI camera rifle from the World War II period found a new owner for 250,000 euros (about 290,000).

The next Wetzlar Camera Auction will take place on October 8, 2022.

#equipment #news #auction #cameracollecting #canon #canon1200mm #canon1200mmf56l #collectible #highestever #leica #leicacameras #mostever #rare #rarelens #supertelephoto #wetzlarcameraauctions

This is Your Chance to Buy the Super-Rare Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L Lens

Wetzlar Camera Auctions is set to offer an exceedingly rare Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L lens for sale on October 9, 2021.

Because the lens is so difficult to make and production was so limited, each one that was produced was sold. Wetzlar Camera Auctions says that each lens took more than a year to build due to the time required to grow "its massive fluorite crystals." Apparently, very few of these particular crystals are known to exist today. Because of this, the production volume for the 1200mm f/5.6L was about two a year.

As noted by Canon Rumors, it's not clear how much the lens is valued at or expected to sell for, but other times this rare lens has been sold saw it fetch more than $150,000. Back in 2015, B&H Photo offered one of these lenses for $180,000 with a condition level that was defined as showing "little or no signs of wear."

This super-telephoto lens has the longest focal length of an interchangeable lens for AF SLR cameras at the time. Silent and fast AF is realized using a ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor) and rear focusing system.

Extremely sharp, professional-quality images are realized through the use of two large-diameter artificial crystal fluorite lens elements (3rd & 6th) that thoroughly eliminate the secondary spectrum. Although the optical design is the same as FD1200mm f/5.6L (prototype), this lens is optimized for the EF system with a nonlinear focus cam for moving the focusing lens group, a focus preset function for quick focusing at a predetermined point, and a power manual focusing with three focusing speeds.

A one-touch revolving mechanism for quick switching between vertical and horizontal formats is possible. Extenders EF 1.4X or EF 2X transforms the lens into a manual focusing super-super-telephoto 1700mm f/8 or 2400mm f/11 lens.

According to Canon, the EF 1200mm f/5.6 is constructed of 13 elements in 10 groups and has a close focusing distance of 45.9 feet (14 meters). It has an inner ultrasonic motor and supports a 48mm drop-in filter.

Wetzlar Camera Auctions will likely provide more information on the lens, including its starting auction price, closer to its offering on October 9.

Image credits: Photos by Wetzlar Camera Auctions

#equipment #news #auction #canon #canon1200mm #canon1200mmf56l #rare #rarelens #supertelephoto #wetzlarcameraauctions