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Canon FD 50mm f/1.4

The Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 is a fast standard prime for Canon's manual-focus FD mount, introduced as part of the FD system that ran from 1971 to 1987. It was sold as a kit lens with many FD-era SLRs such as the AE-1 and A-1, designed as an everyday standard lens with a bright maximum aperture for low light and shallow depth of field. Both the older chrome-nose FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. and the later New FD (nFD) version share the same basic specification.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the FD 50mm f/1.4 sit mostly between about £19 and £94, with a median around £47 and typical clean copies selling for £40–£60 — these are saleroom hammer results, so they reflect wholesale levels rather than dealer retail. An outlier at £170 in April 2024 shows that exceptional examples, or lots bundled with desirable bodies, can pull well above the norm. As of 2026, recent results (£40 and £45 in late 2025 and early 2026) suggest the lens is worth broadly what it has been for several years, and it remains one of the more affordable fast fifties on the used market.

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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
Mar 2026 £62 Flints Auctions
Jan 2026 £45 Special Auction Services
Nov 2025 £40 Special Auction Services
May 2025 £19 Flints Auctions
Aug 2024 £60 Special Auction Services
Aug 2024 £30 Special Auction Services
Apr 2024 £170 Special Auction Services
Feb 2024 £50 Special Auction Services
Jan 2024 £94 Flints Auctions
Aug 2023 £40 Special Auction Services
Jan 2021 £50 Flints Auctions

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