Mamiya 500mm f/5.6 (645) · (standard)

{"overview":"The Mamiya 645 500mm f\/5.6 is a long telephoto prime built for the Mamiya 645 medium-format system, covering the 6x4.5 frame at a focal length suited to wildlife, sports and distant landscape work. It mounts on the manual-focus 645 bodies and was designed as a specialist tool when reach beyond the standard short-tele range was required.","market_narrative":"Auction data for this lens is thin: the only recorded UK saleroom result on file is a hammer price of £500 from 2012, so a reliable current range or median cannot be drawn from a single data point. As of today in 2026, what a clean copy is worth at auction will depend heavily on glass condition and completeness of hood and caps, and buyers should treat that older figure as historic context rather than a guide to what the lens sells for now.","buying_guide":"On a long Mamiya 645 telephoto, inspect the front and rear elements for fungus, haze and cleaning marks, and check internal elements with a torch for early separation along cemented groups. Work the focus through its full travel to confirm it is smooth rather than stiff or sticky, and stop the aperture down across the range to check the blades are dry and snappy with no oil migration. Confirm the mount and any tripod collar are tight, and that coatings are free of scratches or wipe marks.","specs":"Key specifications recorded for this lens are limited to the 500mm focal length, f\/5.6 maximum aperture and Mamiya 645 manual-focus mount; further optical construction details are not documented in the supplied data.","faq":[{"q":"How much is a Mamiya 645 500mm f\/5.6 worth at UK auction?","a":"The only hammer result on file is £500 from 2012, which is too little data to set a reliable current value or price range."},{"q":"What does a Mamiya 645 500mm f\/5.6 sell for today?","a":"With just one historic sale on record, no dependable current saleroom price can be quoted; condition of glass, blades and focus will drive whatever a clean example fetches."},{"q":"What was the Mamiya 645 500mm f\/5.6 designed for?","a":"It is a long telephoto for the Mamiya 645 medium-format system, intended for subjects requiring significant reach such as wildlife and distant detail work."},{"q":"What should I check before buying one?","a":"Look for fungus, haze and separation in the elements, oil on the aperture blades, scratched coatings, and stiff or sticky focus, and verify the mount and any tripod foot are secure."}],"confidence":25,"reasoning":"Only a single 2012 sales record and minimal specs are provided, so market commentary and technical detail are necessarily limited."}