Dallmeyer (J.H.) Dallac · 85mm f/2

{"overview":"The Dallmeyer 85mm f\/2 Dallac is a fast medium-telephoto lens from the British optical maker J.H. Dallmeyer of London, designed in the post-war era when f\/2 short teles were prized for portraiture and available-light work. Production was limited, and surviving examples are scarce, making the Dallac one of the more collectable items in the Dallmeyer catalogue.","market_narrative":"At UK auction the 85mm f\/2 Dallmeyer Dallac has shown a very wide spread: hammer results range from £700 in 2007 to £8,000 in 2021, with the two recorded sales straddling roughly £4,350 as a midpoint. Because these are saleroom hammer prices — wholesale levels before buyer's and seller's commission — the figure a private collector pays at retail today in 2026 typically sits well above the headline result, and the 2021 jump shows how much a clean, complete example is worth when one surfaces. Condition, completeness of the original mount and glass clarity are what determine where in that range an example sells for.","buying_guide":"Inspect the elements carefully for fungus, haze and any signs of edge separation, all of which are common in British lenses of this age that have spent decades in damp storage. Check that the iris blades are dry and snappy with no oil migration, that the focus helicoid turns smoothly without grinding or stiffness, and that the front and rear coatings are free of cleaning marks and deeper scratches. Originality of the mount and presence of any matching caps or cases materially affect the price.","specs":"Recorded specifications are limited: the lens is an 85mm f\/2 short telephoto branded Dallac, made by J.H. Dallmeyer of London.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Dallmeyer 85mm f\/2 Dallac worth today?","a":"Based on the two recorded UK auction hammer prices, value has ranged from £700 to £8,000, so a clean complete example can be worth several thousand pounds at saleroom level."},{"q":"How much does a Dallmeyer 85mm f\/2 Dallac sell for at auction?","a":"The most recent recorded sale in 2021 fetched £8,000 hammer, while an earlier 2007 result was £700; the price any individual copy sells for depends heavily on optical and cosmetic condition."},{"q":"Why is the price range so wide?","a":"With only two recorded sales and a fourteen-year gap between them, the spread reflects both changing collector demand for British classic optics and large differences in condition between the examples offered."},{"q":"What should I check before buying one?","a":"Look for fungus, internal haze, oil on the aperture blades, coating scratches, element separation and stiff focus, as these are the typical faults that reduce value on a lens of this age."}],"confidence":35,"reasoning":"Only two unverified sales records and no SPECS, variants or facts were supplied, so claims are kept narrow and confidence is held low."}