Rare Canon FD 24mm F1.4 S.S.C. Aspherical lens poised to fetch more than $15,000 at auction: Digital Photography Review

On October 8, a very rare Canon lens will be available at the Wetzlar Camera Auctions. The Canon FD 24mm F1.4 S.S.C. Aspherical prime lens is estimated to sell for €12,000-15,000, which works out to around $11,770-14,715.

The fast prime lens was manufactured in 1975, and the sample up for auction, serial number 10,337, is listed as being in ‘almost new’ condition with completely clean optics. At the time of its release, it was the fastest 24mm lens available. In the nearly 50 years since, more 24mm F1.4 lenses have been released, of course, but few are as rare as this vintage Canon lens.

Despite its age, it remains a highly sought-after lens due to its aspherical design, which was phased out in newer iterations, and its utility for cinema and video. You can learn a lot about why Canon FD lenses are popular for modern cinematographers today in the video below from the YouTube channel Media Division.

According to Canon Rumors, the Canon FD 24mm F1.4 S.S.C. Aspherical includes a floating focus mechanism to deliver high image quality throughout the entire focus range. The lens includes 10 elements across 8 groups, including a polished glass aspherical lens surface to correct for spherical aberration and astigmatism. The lens launched with a $1,300 price tag, which, when corrected for inflation, is over $7,100 in today’s dollars. It was a costly lens.

It’s unclear how many lenses were produced, although it was a mass-produced lens. However, it’s clearly a valuable lens, given that two listed on eBay from Japanese sellers are around $16,000. Further, Wetzlar Camera Auctions has the forthcoming auction starting at €6,000, or about $5,885. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the auction eclipse the current high estimate of nearly $15,000. The lens comes with both original caps, which helps increase its value.

As always, many more interesting items are up for auction from Wetzlar Camera Auctions. Items include a Leica MP Black Paint listed at €150,000, a Leica M3 Black Paint kit for €30,000, an Arsenal Salyut 1V Space Camera for €30,000, a rare Seischab Esco for €10,000, and much more. In total, more than 250 lots are available in the latest auction.