A J. H. Dallmeyer 3D Soft Focus Portrait Lens£300
16 Apr 2025 · Flints Auctions · lot 303 · Fine Photographicapremium removed
Dallmeyer (J.H.) 3D Soft Focus Portrait
lens
The Dallmeyer (J.H.) 3D Soft Focus Portrait sells for about £300 (median of only 3 recorded sales, 2019–2025; indicative, one source).
Typical sale price
about£300
median of only 3 sales, 2019–2025
Indicativeone source
Few sales, all from Flints Auctions. Read this as a rough guide; every sale is shown below.
Hammer prices, buyer’s premium removed; eBay as soldHow ↗
How much does one sale move this?
Without the highest sale£300
Without the lowest sale£360
Every sale
A J. H. Dallmeyer 3D f/6 Soft Focus Brass Lens£420
29 Apr 2021 · Flints Auctions · lot 316 · Fine Photographica & Instruments of Sciencepremium removed
◆ ? title doesn’t name the Portrait
A J. H. Dallmeyer 3D Soft Focus Portrait Waterhouse Stop Brass Lens£300
26 Apr 2019 · Flints Auctions · lot 458 · Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicinepremium removed
What it is
{"overview":"The Dallmeyer 3D Soft Focus Portrait is a British-made portrait lens from the long-established London optical house J.H. Dallmeyer, designed specifically for soft-focus portraiture. With only one verified data point the price acts as a guide rather than a firm market value, and clean, complete copies in working flange mounts can sell for materially more when condition and provenance are right.","buying_guide":"Inspect the elements carefully under a torch for internal haze, fungus filaments and cleaning marks, all of which are common on uncoated brass-era portrait optics and can soften an already soft lens beyond usefulness.
Generated summary, 29 Apr 2026 — not checked by hand; prices on this page come from the sales, not from this text.
Questions
Why does the price vary so much on Dallmeyer portrait lenses?
Value is driven by completeness (original flange, caps, barrel engravings), glass condition (haze, fungus, cleaning marks) and mechanical state of the iris and focus, all of which can swing the price well above or below a single reference sale.
Is the Dallmeyer 3D a sharp lens?
No — it is a soft-focus portrait lens by design, intended to produce controlled diffusion at wider apertures rather than the clinical resolution expected of a modern portrait lens.
Facts
- Maker
- Dallmeyer (J.H.)
- Type
- lens
- Sales in the typical price
- 3
- First sale
- 26 Apr 2019
- Latest sale
- 16 Apr 2025
- Median
- £300
- Middle half
- £300–£360
- Evidence
- Indicative · one source
- Method
- v1
Cite this page
“Dallmeyer (J.H.) 3D Soft Focus Portrait: about £300, the median of 3 recorded sales, 2019–2025 (Indicative, method v1).” cameraworth.com, retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.cameraworth.com/d/dallmeyer-j-h/3d-soft-focus-portrait/