Angenieux Type P1 · 90mm f/1.8

{"overview":"The Angenieux 90mm f1.8 Type P1 is a fast short-telephoto prime from the French optical maker, prized as a portrait lens thanks to its wide f\/1.8 aperture. Produced during Angenieux's classic postwar era, the P1 designation identifies this particular optical formula within the firm's range and is today sought after by collectors and cine-adjacent photographers.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the 90mm f1.8 Type P1 have ranged from £1,250 to £3,000, with a median around £2,250 based on the limited sales on record. These are wholesale saleroom results rather than retail asking prices, and as of 2026 the lens remains a thin market where condition and mount variant can swing what a clean example sells for by a wide margin. The 2014 result of £3,000 suggests strong examples have long commanded a premium over more typical copies.","buying_guide":"Inspect the front and rear elements carefully for fungus, haze and cleaning marks, as older Angenieux coatings are soft and easily scratched. Check the aperture blades for oil migration and confirm the iris snaps cleanly across the full range, and work the focus helicoid end to end to detect stiffness, grease separation or play. Also look along the element edges for signs of separation or balsam browning, which are difficult and expensive to remedy on a lens of this vintage.","specs":"Key specifications on file are limited to the 90mm focal length and f\/1.8 maximum aperture of the Type P1 designation; further details such as element count, coatings and mount variants are not documented in the supplied data.","faq":[{"q":"What is an Angenieux 90mm f1.8 Type P1 worth today?","a":"Based on UK auction hammer results, recent value has ranged from £1,250 to £3,000, with clean examples typically selling for around £2,250."},{"q":"How much does an Angenieux 90mm f1.8 Type P1 sell for at auction?","a":"The three recorded UK auction hammer prices are £1,250, £2,250 and £3,000, which gives a practical working range for the current market price of a saleroom copy."},{"q":"Why do prices vary so much for this lens?","a":"Condition is the biggest driver of value — glass clarity, smooth focus and clean aperture blades push prices toward the upper end, while haze, fungus or oily blades pull hammer results toward the lower figures seen in the sales history."},{"q":"Is the Angenieux 90mm f1.8 Type P1 rare?","a":"Sales data is thin, with only three recorded UK auction results on file, which indicates the lens trades infrequently rather than in volume."}],"confidence":40,"reasoning":"Only three sales records are available and no SPECS or variant data were supplied, so market figures are usable but technical detail is deliberately limited."}