The record price for a Nikon lens was broken this weekend when a rare 58/1.0 lens was sold at the 2022 Wetzlar Auction in Germany.
The 1970s-era lens is thought to be the prototype of an extremely small production range, and sold for €187,500 (£164,450/$182,100) on Saturday (8 October).
“The only Nikkor-O Auto 58 mm f/1 known to us to date, with serial number 580101,” Wetzlar Auctions said. “The serial number is believed to be a combination of focal length and maximum aperture values, as well as sequential number 1 for the very first lens in this series.
“Developed for cathode ray tube (CRT) photography with an engraved magnification scale instead of a distance scale. Two of the extremely rare CRT-Nikkor Auto 58 mm f/1 lenses known to us bear serial numbers in the 58111x range, which is why we assume that the lens offered here may be a prototype.”
The lens came with both a blue rear cap – often used by Nikon to signify prototype lenses.
“Two customers who connected by phone engaged in an exciting bidding war, so that the lens was finally sold for an unbelievable EUR 187,500. This is the world’s highest price ever for a Nikon lens at auction.
The lens was one of more than 250 lots offered for sale in the 2022 edition of the sale, which has become one of the leading auctions for rare and valuable photographic gear.
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
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