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Canon’s monster 1200mm f/5.6 lens fetches a record $580,000 at auction

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Canon’s 1200mm f/5.6 is generally regarded as the stuff of myth and legend. Of course, the lens exists, but there are so few of them out there that the vast majority of us will never even see one in person, let alone get to try one. Originally manufactured in very limited quantities by special order only in the 1990s, it came with the princely sum of around $90,000 and it’s estimated that only around 20 were ever made.

One of these extremely rare lenses popped up at the Wetzlar Camera Auctions last week, and a bidding war sent the price sky rocketing to a whopping €500,000 (around $580,000). This isn’t the most valuable lens out there, but this is the highest amount that a lens has ever fetched at auction.

A rare 1943 “top secret” Russian FS-3 FotoSniper prototype has sold for $170,000

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One declared a “top secret” project during the Second World War siege of Leningrad, a one-of-a-kind (as far as we know) Russian GOI FS-3 FotoSniper prototype has been sold at the Leitz Photographica Auction (LPA). With a starting price of €30,000 and an estimated value of €60-70,000, the hammer ended at an eye-watering €144,000 (a hair over $170,000).

According to LPA, the lens was reportedly produced at the GOI factory, which continued production and research throughout the war. In 1943, the lens was developed for the Soviet Baltic Fleet Navy with a 600mm lens and a max aperture of f/4.5. It was all very hush-hush, and the only documented evidence that it existed back then is a single photo.

Rare Zeiss lens from Apollo mission up for an auction, expected to reach $146,000

How cool it would be to own a lens that traveled to the moon? Well, it’s possible now as a rare Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7 is up for an auction. It’s one of only ten of these lenses in the world, responsible for some iconic shots: photos from the Apollo missions, as well as iconic footage from Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon.

The (RED) Leica prototype designed by Jony Ive heads to auction – expected to fetch $300,000+

Back in 2009, a charity event dubbed the (RED) Auction, containing one-of-a-kind items by Apple’s former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson, was held to raise money to benefit The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. More than 40 items went up for bid, including a Leica M full-frame camera designed by the pair.

The (RED) Leica M, the standard version of which retailed for around $7,000 at the time, fetched a hair over $1.8 million. Now a prototype camera has been revealed and is also going up for auction, where it’s expected to reach at least $300,00.

One of three Leica prototype lenses sells for $290,300 at an auction

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I guess we’re all used to Leica gear being expensive. But when it’s rare as this Vario-Elmar-M 3.5-5.6/28-75mm ASPH. prototype lens, it gets even pricier. This Vario-Elmar prototype is one of only three existing in the world, and it was recently sold at an auction for a whopping €240,000, which is more than $290,300 USD.

You can now buy one of 2,400 iconic space photos on an auction

If you’ve always wanted to own one of the photos taken in space – well, now’s your chance. Christie’s has put a huge collection of space photos up for an auction: there are 700 lots with over 2,400 separate items in total. The collection includes iconic and rare images, such as the only photo of Neil Armstrong on the Moon.

You can become an owner of Ansel Adams’ famous photo for “only” $1 million

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If you’re a fan of Ansel Adams’ work and you have around a million bucks to spare, Sotheby’s is soon launching a tempting auction. On 14 December, a collection of over 100 Adams’ iconic prints are going up for sale. The absolute star of the collection is an early print of  1941 Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, created before the photographer edited the negative. Since it’s so rare, it’s expected to reach the price between $700,000 and a staggering $1,000,000.

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