Canon FD 85/1.2 Aspherical ... what happened?

[Bille]

I have not followed photography and gear over the past years closely. I remember the old Canon FD Aspherical selling for about 500 EUR or USD a couple years ago. This https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-canon-fd-85mm-f1-2-s-s-c-aspherical/ 2017 review mentions a price of around 600$. Fast forward to 2022 and I see auctions closing for over several thousand (!). Is this real? Thats far more than a new EF 85/1.2 L. It´s also far more than the Chinese models (Samyang 85/1.2, Mitakon 85/1.2). What´s happening here?

 

[raid]

It is real. Film makers are using such lenses for movies. They are used as cheaper surrogates to movie lenses by Canon that cost $100,000 as a set.

 

[Timmyjoe]

I think everything that is film related in camera gear is priced really high right now. It might be cyclical and the prices may come back down. There seems to be a wave of nostalgia or something that is causing folks to buy old film gear, and so the prices reflect that. Fifteen years ago and even up to a few years ago, you could barely give away film gear, but now everything is selling for much more than I think it's worth. So, good time to sell, bad time to buy.

Best,
-Tim

PS: Follow up on what Raid is saying, now that so many lower budget movie projects are being shot on digital, cinematographers are trying to capture the feel of film, and one of the ways they're trying to do that is to use old vintage film lenses. I was working in that business in the early 2000's and had purchased a complete set of Cooke Speed Panchro lenses from the 1950's & 60's. I spent a total of less than $2500 for the complete set of six Series III and Series II lenses all in pristine condition. In 2012 I sold the set for $7500 (which I thought was incredible) to a cinematographer who was using them with the RED series digital cameras, again, trying to get that "film look". Well now they're going for $25,000 - $35,000; if you can even find a complete set. The prices are pretty ridiculous.

 

[raid]

The link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Il_l3tu6Q

This filmmaker used Canon 50/.95 and 35/1.5 lenses, as you know.

https://ymcinema.com/2021/05/28/zack...perture-f0-95/

 

[Bille]

It is real. Film makers are using such lenses for movies. They are used as cheaper surrogates to movie lenses by Canon that cost $100,000 as a set.

I remember the old FD L and Aspherical lenses to be nothing special on digital. The modern Sigma Cine 85/1.5 is starting at 3500 Euro. I am very confident it will blow the old Canon out of the park in resolution and IQ. Same for the current Canon RF 85mm 1.2 L. Besides, movies are very rarely recorded at f1.2 anyway because focus pulling becomes a game of luck.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It's not about resolution and image quality- it's more about rendering. Some of the old lenses are sought after for their individuality. I know of one pre-war 5cm F1.5 uncoated Sonnar being custom mounted for a film maker. I'm not surprised to see this catch on, and am glad that some real specialty shops like Skyllaney have stepped up to do these conversions professionally.

 

[raid]

It's not about resolution and image quality- it's more about rendering. Some of the old lenses are sought after for their individuality. I know of one pre-war 5cm F1.5 uncoated Sonnar being custom mounted for a film maker. I'm not surprised to see this catch on, and am glad that some real specialty shops like Skyllaney have stepped up to do these conversions professionally.

The CZJ 5cm 1.5 is a classic. I just love using this lens. The CZJ 5cm 2 is also excellent overall. I bought anitther one very recently (in Contax mount).