Dallmeyer (J.H.) 3D Soft Focus Portrait
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. It belongs to the classic era of dedicated portrait optics, prized by photographers seeking a controlled diffusion effect on skin and a smooth rendering of out-of-focus areas rather than clinical sharpness.
Evidence on what a Dallmeyer 3D Soft Focus Portrait is worth in today's UK market is thin: a single tracked example sold for £375 at recent UK auction (April 2025), and that hammer figure is wholesale, taken before buyer's and seller's commission. 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.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2025 | £375 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 303) Title: A J. H. Dallmeyer 3D Soft Focus Portrait Lens
Description:
brass, serial no. 19113, body, G-VG, missing rack & pinion, elements, G-VG, some very light cleaning marks and some separation to the perimeter of |
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| Apr 2021 | £521 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 316) Title: A J. H. Dallmeyer 3D f/6 Soft Focus Brass Lens
Description:
no serial no., marked to. body 'Unscrew for Soft Focus', body, G, elements, G-VG, some very minor separation to the perimeter of front element and |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Dallmeyer 3D Soft Focus Portrait lens worth?
Based on the limited UK auction data available, one example sold for £375 at hammer in April 2025; this is a wholesale saleroom price and excludes commission, so retail and dealer asking figures will typically sit above this level.
How much does a Dallmeyer 3D Soft Focus Portrait sell for at auction?
The only tracked UK hammer result is £375, but with just one sale on file the realistic price range for a clean, complete example today cannot be defined precisely from the data alone.
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.