Dallmeyer (J.H.) Long Focus
The J.H. Dallmeyer Long Focus is a British-made wood-and-brass field camera from the firm founded in London by John Henry Dallmeyer, a maker active in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a large-format plate camera built around an extended bellows draw to accommodate longer focal-length lenses, of the type used by professional and serious amateur photographers of the period.
With only two recorded UK auction results to draw on — £115 in 1999 and £211 in 2002 — hammer prices for a Dallmeyer Long Focus at saleroom level have historically sat in the £120–£210 bracket, though this is wholesale auction data and excludes commission. Today in 2026 the value of any individual example is highly condition-sensitive, with bellows integrity, completeness of the original lens and brass fittings, and woodwork condition the main factors determining what one sells for. Buyers searching for what a Dallmeyer Long Focus is worth should treat the historic range as indicative only, given how thin the comparable sales record is.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2002 | £211 | Christie's | |
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Auction: THE BRITISH CAMERA 1840-1960 THE JIM BARRON COLLECTION (Lot 81) Title: Long Focus hand camera
Description:
Long Focus hand camera Estimate: £150 - £200 |
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| Jul 1999 | £115 | Christie's | |
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Auction: Cameras and Optical Toys (Lot 120) Title: LONG FOCUS CAMERA
Description:
LONG FOCUS CAMERA Estimate: £25 - £100 |
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