Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 Sells for Whooping $580000 At Auction

Canon EF 1200mm F/5.6
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You wanted this lens and have more than a half of a million US Dollars? Sorry, you are too late.

At a glance:

  • Focal Length & Maximum Aperture 1200mm f/5.6
  • Lens Construction 13 elements in 10 groups
  • Diagonal Angle of View 2° 05′
  • Focus Adjustment Inner focusing system with USM
  • Closest Focusing Distance 14m / 45.9 ft.
  • Filter Size 48mm Drop-In
  • Max. Diameter x Length, Weight 9.0 x 32.9, 36.4 lbs. / 228.0 x 836.0mm, 16,500g

The Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 was sold for $580,000 at Wetzlar Camera Auctions:

Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM, 1997 – the world’s largest interchangeable SLR autofocus lens, in terms of both focal length and maximum aperture – available on special order only, each lens was produced after it was actually sold – the annual production volume was approximately two lenses, each lens took more than a year to be built, due to the time required growing its massive fluorite crystals – only very few specimens are known to exist today – offered for sale at our coming auction on October 09th 2021 in Wetzlar!

If you are rich and have money to throw away, why not purchase a Leica camera? They have a Sony sensor and everyone will know you have more bucks than you need.

Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L tele-monster review

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B&H Photo posted a long review about Canon’s legendary EF 1200mm f/5.6 lens. The review comes with some historic facts too. It’s speculated that Canon made less than 2 dozens of this lens (it appears even Canon can not tell how many they made).

The Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM lens was born with the Canon FD mount and reportedly first appeared in 1984, at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. Five lenses were used by the media to cover the Games and then the lenses were shipped back to Japan and later converted to the EF mount. According to Canon, this is the longest lens in the world with full autofocus capability.

Canon made this lens available by special order only. A $10,000 deposit was required with the order and manufacturing would only start when several lenses were put on order. Sports Illustrated magazine purchased two 1200mm lenses in the 1990’s. Canon lent a lens to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1999, so they could document Major League Baseball slugger Mark McGuire’s single-season home-run record attempt from center field; photographing every pitch McGuire faced that season. The extreme focal length of the lens gives a unique perspective of the distant view from the outfield fence that other lenses cannot capture.

Definitely a interesting read. For more about the EF 1200mm lens head over to B&H Photo’s review. The Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L lens is on sale at B&H Photo for $180,000. A single, used unit in good condition. Act fast as this “super deal” won’t last long ;-) Canon has a dedicated page for the EF 1200mm, or check Wikipedia.

Canon’s legendary EF 1200mm f/5.6L lens on sale for $180,000 (used)

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The Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L lens is on sale at B&H Photo for $180,000. A single, used unit in good condition. Act fast as this “super deal” won’t last long ;-) The video below gives an introduction to the EF 1200mm, Canon has a dedicated page for the EF 1200mm, or check Wikipedia.

The Canon 1200/5.6L USM, the longest fixed telephoto lens ever built by Canon, contains 13 elements (2 Fluorite) in 10 groups and focus’ down to 49.5′. With an angle-of- view of about 2° on a full-frame 35 mm camera, calling this lens a ‘tele’ is like calling King Kong a monkey.

Built-to-order by Canon from 1993 to 2005, each lens was hand-crafted at the rate of about 2-per-year and a delivery time of about 18 months. Only a dozen-or-so were ever made. Who bought them? National Geographic magazine and Sports Illustrated are known to own a couple, the Feds probably have a few squirreled away somewhere, and a few well-heeled photo enthusiasts.

This particular lens is extremely clean inside and out. Included with this lens is a leather slip-on ‘lens cap’, the original fitted aluminum trunk case, a custom trunk case with wheels that holds the original trunk case, and a prodigious measure of ego satisfaction. Weighing in at over 36lbs and an overall length of 33 inches, a sturdy tripod and pan/tilt head is highly recommended.

Pack mule not included.

Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6L – Image by Wikipedia

 

See The Rarest and Largest Auto-Focus Lens Of The World In Action (Canon 1200mm f/5.6L)

This lens is possibly the largest and rarest auto focus lens in the world, it’s the Canon 1200mm f/5.6L USM – the “mother of all telephoto lenses”.

MPB Photographic brought the 1200mm f/5.6L to London and shows us what this lens can do:

[…] how does it perform and just how far can it be pushed? We took the lens to The Mall in London to put it through it paces and to see what Buckingham Palace looks like at 1200mm and beyond.

[via PetaPixel]

Canon 1200mm f/5.6L