Hasselblad Sonnar · 150mm f/4 C

{"overview":"The Hasselblad 150mm f\/4 C Sonnar is a medium-telephoto portrait lens for the V-system, built in the original chrome\/black C mount with a Synchro-Compur leaf shutter. Designed by Carl Zeiss as a classic Sonnar formula, it was the standard short telephoto for 500-series 6×6 bodies and remains the most common portrait length for Hasselblad film users. This listing covers the non-T* C version; the later T* coated C and the CF\/CFi\/CFE updates are separate products with their own pricing.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the 150mm f\/4 C Sonnar have ranged from around £60 to £275, with most clean copies selling for roughly £90–£175 and a median close to £140. Cosmetically tatty or hazy examples make up the bottom of the range, while the £250–£275 outliers reflect particularly clean glass or kits sold with caps and hoods. Heading into 2026 the non-T* C remains the most affordable way into a Zeiss 150 Sonnar, and at saleroom level it consistently sells for less than the later T* coated and CF versions are worth.","buying_guide":"Inspect the front and rear elements under a strong light for fungus filaments, cleaning haze and the fine internal haze that the older single-coated glass is prone to, as any of these will knock value down toward the lower end of the range. Open the lens to T setting and check that the aperture blades are dry and snappy — oil migration from the focus helicoid onto the blades is common on lenses of this age and affects shutter accuracy. Confirm the Synchro-Compur shutter fires cleanly at all speeds (especially 1s and 1\/500), that focus is smooth without grease drag, and that the chrome barrel is free of dents around the bayonet; remember this is the earlier non-T* C, so do not pay a T* premium for it.","specs":"Key specifications from the listing: 150mm focal length, f\/4 maximum aperture, Zeiss Sonnar design, Hasselblad V-system C bayonet mount with built-in leaf shutter, supplied here in the non-T* coating variant.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Hasselblad 150mm f\/4 C Sonnar worth today?","a":"Based on UK auction hammer results, a usable copy is worth roughly £90–£175, with rough examples dropping to around £60 and the cleanest kits reaching £250–£275."},{"q":"How much does a 150mm f\/4 C Sonnar sell for at auction?","a":"Recent UK saleroom prices show it sells for a median of about £140, with the full observed range running from £60 to £275 depending on glass and cosmetic condition."},{"q":"Is the non-T* C version less valuable than the T* version?","a":"Yes — at auction the plain C Sonnar consistently fetches lower prices than the T* coated C, so check the front ring carefully and do not pay a T* price for a non-T* lens."},{"q":"Why do some copies only sell for £60–£80?","a":"Lenses in that band typically have fungus, heavy haze, oily aperture blades or a sticky shutter, all of which are common faults on 1960s–70s C-series Sonnars and reduce market value sharply."}],"confidence":70,"reasoning":"Fourteen UK auction sales over four years give a solid price picture, but SPECS and FACTS were empty so technical detail is limited to widely-known V-system categorisation."}