Price check: 1200mm f11

[ricardovaste]

<p>http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/1200mm.htm</p>

<p>Any ideas?</p>

[awahlster]

<p>Your link does not work and no I haven't a clue.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>No idea why that link didn't work. Let's try <a href="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/1200mm.htm">again</a>.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>No IS? Doesn't look like a good bet for handholding. ;)</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>A lens for 'Arny', for sure ;P</p>

[james_turner6]

<p>My McKeowns (2005/6) says -</p>

<blockquote>

<p>1200mm f11.0 FL SC - Front Component. With Focussing Unit: $1500-2000.<br />1200mm f11.0 FL SSC - No sales data.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Make of that what you will. <br />In truth, one of those purchases for which there is no relevant market, and the "right" price is whatever the buyer is prepared to pay and the seller accept.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Thanks James. Great point, so true.</p>

[rick_janes]

<p>Richard, I have the FL 1200/11 S.S.C. with Focusing Unit and original aluminum case (of almost 4' in length). They are super rare, amongst the very scarcest of all Canon manual focus gear, so JT's spot-on about pricing (the local SoCal Canon rep has been with them for over 30 years and has never seen one in person!)<br /> Try the 1200 and you'll forever think of an FD 800/5.6L as borderline hand-holdable.</p>

[jodys]

<p>You can sometimes get a working FD 800mm 'L' lens on fleabay for US$1000 - 1500, if you're patient. There's no way in hell I would pay close to that for that 1200mm f11 thing. The FD1200mm f8 referred to in the link is really the FD800mm f5.8 with a built-in FD1.4xA, which I assume you would be buying anyway if you were buying the 800. The issue quality-wise is that the FD800mm f5.6 is really the FD600mm f4.5 with a converter added on the end already, so the FD1200mm f8 is stacking teleconverters. That FL1200mm f11 seems to be the old FL800mm f8 with a teleconverter added to it.</p>

<p>BTW, if anyone has the FL800mm f8 and needs parts, I know where I can get the front end of one cheap.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Jody, are you saying you've seen the 1200/11 priced lower than 1000-1500 on ebay? Or are you just saying that "in your opinion" you would go for the 800 'L' over the 1200/11?</p>

<p>I have no bias, I'm just interested in value, any recent ones been sold. I am not in the market to buy, a friend is looking to part with one.</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

[awahlster]

<p>Jody I have a problem with your built in 1.4XA idea. This may be true for the EF version but if you look at the diagram of the 1200mm f11 shown on the page linked to it obviously has no teleconverter in the back, middle, or anywhere else. It is a very simple telephoto design with 7 element 5 group design.</p>

[jodys]

<p>I guess I'm saying it depends if it's for a 'user' or a 'collector'. The FD 600mm f4.5 / FD 800mm L f5.6 is possibly the finest long lens money can buy for under $10K. I would take either in a heartbeat over the FL1200 f11, but then I've shot thousands and thousands of frames with both of those lenses, and still use the 800 on dSLRs.</p>

<p>If you're a collector and looking to complete your FL lens collection, then the FL1200 is priceless simply because it's so rare. But of course a collector will try to get it for $500, because it's always better to spend $500 on a lens instead of $5000? If your friend wants to sell, put it up on fleabay with a very high buy-it-now (~ US$5-8K) and 'make-an-offer' to see who comes out of the woodwork. If you're looking to sell something unique, <strong>you </strong>get to set the price, so long as you're patient and professional about it.</p>

[jodys]

<p>Mark: I looked it over again, I think you're right. The FL lens design seems quite different than the long FD series.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Thanks for your thoughts Jody, they're appreciated.</p>

[rick_janes]

<p>After buying the FL 1200/11 the seller showed me an e-mail he received from a German collector, offering $800 for the aluminum case ALONE.</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>If <a href="http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=171137">this thread in dgrin.com</a> is to be believed then the point about price being entirely up to buyer and seller is well taken: $600 versus $40,000?</p>

<p>I don't see it in B&H's online catalog however, so maybe the $40k is made up - or someone spent a lot of pocket money on the B&H copy - or one of the warehouse staff dropped it and suddenly cleared a lot of shelf space ;)</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>mifsuds just quoted us 500 GBP as a commission sale for it. Either they don't really know what it is, what it's value is... or they know exactly what it is and are trying to take advantage... or they are just being completely realistic! Eitheryway, I don't think we'll go that route.</p>

<p>Paul, yes, I saw that thread! Whilst scavenging for any signs of a price. Bizarre. I suspect someone read the wrong model, or got confused, or the price was one that never actually sold... I don't know, sounds too high to me!</p>

[rick_janes]

<p>Canon also made an EF 1200mm f/5.6L in extremely limited numbers, like ten or so? For quite awhile B&H had one listed on their site at $100K, no doubt it's the "sticker shocker" being referred to here and not the FL.<br>

My circa '81 edition of Canon Lens Work has two full pages devoted to the FL 1200/11.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>KEH quoted $125! What the hell?!</p>

[rick_janes]

<p>Richard, don't let con artists sway you with such laughable low-ball offers. Stay the course, man!<br>

AT A BARE MINIMUM, for an FL 1200 with Focusing Unit, original caps, and case, 50% above the price of an FD 800/5.6L in similar condition. I do not think that's at all unreasonable given its rarity; remember, these were available by special order only.<br>

An accurate determination and description of condition is what's needed now, and some high quality photos. I'm sure this thread has already alerted a prospective buyer or three...<br>

By the way, there were two variations of FL 1200: the first had no coating designation and the later model (like mine) was marked S.S.C.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Well, as I say, the lens is not mine, I'm just trying to do some research to help out a friend.... but that is just it, I do want to help him, no out-right offend him! I appreciate your thoughts Rick, thank you.</p>

<p>I don't actually know much about the sample he has. I think he has a case. Can you explain what the focusing unit is or looks like ?</p>

<p>Google shows a man that listed a 800/5.6 L with all the bits in good condition for $4200. So that's about in line with other suggestions for the 1200/11.</p>

[rick_janes]

<p>In this picture the Focusing Unit begins at the wide silver ring and continues to the camera mount. Without it the front optic is not usable. The interchangeable F/U also accepted FL 400/4.5, 600/5.6, and 800/8 front sections.<br>

That fella's 800/5.6L price is comical, though it's a great lens.</p><div></div>

[paul_de_ley]

<blockquote>

<p>KEH quoted $125! What the hell?!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>If you want to see even absurdly lower quotes then try the good folks at usedcamerabuyer.com, they truly specialize in quoting pennies on the quids/dollars ;)</p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>There was an FDn 1200mm f5.6. It was very rare and nothing to do with a converted or TC'ed 800 f5.6. It was white and brought out for the 1984 LA Olympics, well that is the earliest I have seen it used.</p>

<p>Interestingly enough, Chuck Westfall of Canon USA says, they were all refurbished/rebuilt by Canon Japan and the elements were rebodied into the EF 1200mm f5.6. Certainly the two that Sports Illustrated used at the 1984 Games were re-bodied into the EF mount.</p>

<p>I think this makes the FDn 1200mm f5.6 the rarest Canon lens ever, there are almost certainly none in existence now. A true collectors dream.</p>