CameraWorth.com

Canon F-1 High-Speed

The Canon F-1 High-Speed is a specialised variant of Canon's professional FD-mount 35mm SLR, built in limited numbers for sports and press photographers. It uses a fixed pellicle (semi-transparent) mirror in place of the standard reflex mirror, allowing continuous shooting at frame rates well beyond what a moving-mirror body could sustain. Production was tied to major sporting events, and the camera was sold to professionals rather than offered as a regular catalogue model.

Recorded UK auction hammer results for the F-1 High-Speed span roughly £1,400 to £5,500, with a median around £3,500 — these are wholesale saleroom figures and exclude buyer's and seller's commission. The most recent sale in the data fell at the lower end of that range, while earlier results in the 2000s reached the upper end, so today's value depends heavily on completeness, cosmetic condition, and whether the original motor drive and accessories accompany the body. Because so few examples reach the open market, a single well-documented set can sell for a multiple of what an incomplete body sells for.

Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Date Price Source
Jun 2023 EUR 1,400 Leitz Auction
May 2012 EUR 1,400 Leitz Auction
Nov 2008 EUR 5,500 Leitz Auction
Nov 2001 £3,525 Christie's