If you think Nikon’s Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct lens is impressive, set your sights on a rare Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens from 1966. The lens was designed for NASA to photograph the moon’s far side during Apollo missions. There were only 10 copies of the lens ever made, six of which went to NASA. One of these lenses is currently up for auction by Leitz Photographica Auction.
Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens. Image courtesy of Leitz Photographica Auction.
Granted, if you want the super-fast prime, you’ll have to pay a steep cost. At the time of writing, the highest bid is €55,000 (about $67,000 USD), which is €5,000 higher than the starting bid, although the auction doesn’t officially kick off until June 12. Organizers estimate that the hammer price could reach up to €120,000 (roughly $146,000).
Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens. Image courtesy of Leitz Photographica Auction.
The copy up for auction has serial number 2594563 and is listed as being in beautiful condition with clean optics. Leitz Photographica Auction rates the lens as A/B condition. The lens is mounted to a modified Nikon F body (serial number 6477895), and the lens includes a removable tripod mount. According to an interview with Insider, Andreas Schwieger of Leitz Photographica Auction believes the lens for sale is one of the half-dozen lenses that were supplied to NASA.
Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens. Image courtesy of Leitz Photographica Auction.
It’s a fascinating lens. Of the four copies that weren’t sent to NASA for use in space, three were sent to filmmaker Stanley Kubrick for the film ‘Barry Lyndon.’ Some of the film’s scenes were lit only by candlelight, necessitating the use of an F0.7 lens, which was mounted on a modified Michell camera. The film went on to win the 1976 Oscar for its cinematography. Zeiss kept the final lens for its Carl Zeiss factory museum.
Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens. Image courtesy of Leitz Photographica Auction.
The Zeiss 50mm F0.7 lens up for auction is part of the 38th Leitz Photographica Auction and is lot 329 of 469 total lots. There are many interesting pieces of photographic history in the auction catalog, including some beautiful Leica cameras and lenses.
Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens. Image courtesy of Leitz Photographica Auction.
Some other unique items up for sale include a ‘Luxus’ model gold-plated Leica wrapped in lizard skin, a Leica MP2 with Electric Motor and a Leica from 1924 that was owned by Ernst Leitz II, the man who manufactured the first Leica cameras. There are some other items owned by important figures in photography, including three Rolleiflex cameras owned by Walker Evans and a couple of Leica cameras used by Italian paparazzo, Felice Quinto.