{"overview":"The Taylor, Taylor & Hobson 5 Inch f\/2.8 (T3.1) Ortal 127mm is a British-made television broadcast lens, a fixed-focal-length optic rated with both an aperture (f\/2.8) and a transmission stop (T3.1) as was standard practice for cine and TV glass. Built by the Leicester maker better known to collectors as Cooke, the Ortal series was designed for mid-century studio and outside-broadcast cameras rather than still photography.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for this Ortal have sat in a wide band: four copies sold together in late 2025 at £100 each, a single example reached £190 in January 2026, while back in 2019 three lenses from the same sale fetched £624 to £720. That gives a long-run range of £100 to £720 and a recent median of around £100, so today a clean standalone example typically sells for the lower end of that spread at saleroom level, with the older cluster showing what buoyant demand and better provenance can do to the value. Buyers tracking what a 127mm Ortal is worth should note that condition and presentation drive as much of the price as the optics themselves.","buying_guide":"Inspect the front and rear elements for fungus, haze and cleaning marks, as these early coatings scratch easily and internal haze is common on lenses of this vintage. Work the iris through its full range to check for oil on the aperture blades and sticky or stiff movement, and rotate the focus mount end-to-end feeling for grinding or dry grease. Look for signs of element separation (edge discoloration or rainbow fringing between cemented groups) and confirm the mount flange is true, since these were fitted to a range of broadcast camera systems and adaptation affects usability.","specs":"Key specifications: a 5 inch (127mm) focal length, maximum aperture of f\/2.8 with a T-stop of T3.1, branded as an Ortal in Taylor, Taylor & Hobson's TV line.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Taylor, Taylor & Hobson 5 Inch f\/2.8 Ortal 127mm TV lens worth today?","a":"Recent UK auction hammer prices have clustered around £100, with a stronger example reaching £190 in January 2026, so a clean copy is typically worth £100 to £190 at saleroom level."},{"q":"How much does a 127mm Ortal sell for at auction?","a":"Across the logged sales the price range runs from £100 to £720, with four lenses in a November 2025 sale all hammering at £100 and three 2019 examples fetching £624 to £720."},{"q":"Why is this lens marked both f\/2.8 and T3.1?","a":"The f\/2.8 figure is the geometric aperture while T3.1 is the measured light transmission, a dual marking standard on TV and cine lenses so operators can set accurate exposure regardless of element count or coating losses."},{"q":"Is the Ortal usable on modern cameras?","a":"It was designed for period broadcast cameras rather than a stills mount, so usability on modern bodies depends entirely on whether an adapter exists for the specific flange on your copy; this should be confirmed before bidding."}],"confidence":45,"reasoning":"SPECS are empty and no variants or facts were supplied, so the description leans on the model name and the eight sales records; confidence is capped at the rule-8 threshold."}

{"overview":"The Taylor, Taylor & Hobson 8 Inch f\/4 Ortal is a large-format brass-barrel lens from the British optical maker better known as Cooke. With a 203mm focal length and f\/4 maximum aperture, it was intended for plate cameras and studio work typical of its era.","market_narrative":"At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the 8 Inch f\/4 Ortal have been modest, with two recorded sales in January 2026 both reaching £60 — giving a median and range tightly clustered at that level. These are saleroom wholesale results rather than dealer retail, so what this lens is worth as a finished user or display piece in 2026 can sit higher once cleaning and presentation are factored in. With only two data points the picture is thin, so a single well-preserved example could sell for more if condition and completeness are strong.","buying_guide":"Inspect the glass carefully for fungus, internal haze and cleaning marks, all common on brass-era optics of this age. Check the iris for oil on the aperture blades and smooth, even operation, and look at the cemented groups for separation or balsam edge-yellowing. Focus and rack movements should be firm but not stiff, and the brass barrel should be free of dents that would prevent mounting to a flange.","specs":"Documented specifications are limited to an 8 inch (approximately 203mm) focal length and an f\/4 maximum aperture, marked T4.5.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Taylor, Taylor & Hobson 8 Inch f\/4 Ortal worth today?","a":"Based on the limited UK auction data available, examples have sold for around £60 at hammer, though condition and completeness can shift the price either way."},{"q":"How much does an 8 Inch f\/4 Ortal sell for at auction?","a":"The two recorded UK hammer sales both closed at £60, so that figure is the best current guide to saleroom value."},{"q":"Is the Ortal a user lens or a collector piece?","a":"At this price level it is typically bought as a large-format user lens or a decorative brass optic rather than a high-value collectable."}],"confidence":35,"reasoning":"Only two identical sales records and no SPECS or variant data, so confidence is capped well below 50 per rule 8."}

{"overview":"The Taylor, Taylor & Hobson 75mm f\/2 Cooke Speed Panchro is a fast normal-to-short telephoto cine lens from the British Cooke Speed Panchro family, designed for professional motion-picture work where speed and rendering mattered more than compactness. The 75mm focal length sits in the portrait range of the Speed Panchro set, intended for cinematography rather than still photography.","market_narrative":"UK auction data for this focal length is thin: the only recorded hammer result is £1,056 at a UK saleroom in April 2018, which is what the lens sold for at wholesale auction level (excluding commissions). With a single data point on file as of today, that figure is best read as an indicative price rather than a reliable median, and clean, fungus-free examples with smooth iris and original markings are likely to be worth more than tired copies in the current market.","buying_guide":"Inspect the glass under a strong light for fungus, haze and cleaning marks on the front and rear elements, since Speed Panchros of this era often show coating wear and internal bloom. Check the iris blades for oil, confirm the aperture snaps cleanly across the range, and turn the focus through its full travel to feel for stiffness, dry grease or rotational play; also look for any sign of element separation around the cemented groups and verify the mount and lens barrel are free of dents that could indicate a drop.","specs":"Specification data was not supplied beyond the 75mm focal length and f\/2 maximum aperture, so detailed optical construction and mount information is omitted here.","faq":[{"q":"What is a Taylor, Taylor & Hobson 75mm f\/2 Cooke Speed Panchro worth?","a":"Based on the single UK auction record on file, one example sold for £1,056 hammer in 2018; with only one data point, the current value of a clean copy is uncertain and should be cross-checked against fresh saleroom results."},{"q":"How much does a 75mm f\/2 Cooke Speed Panchro sell for at auction?","a":"The recorded UK hammer price is £1,056, achieved in April 2018, which represents the wholesale auction level before buyer's and seller's commission."},{"q":"Is the Cooke Speed Panchro a cine lens or a stills lens?","a":"The Speed Panchro family was designed by Taylor, Taylor & Hobson as a professional cinematography lens line, so the 75mm f\/2 is a cine optic rather than a stills-camera lens."},{"q":"What should I check before buying one?","a":"Look closely for fungus, haze, coating scratches, oil on the aperture blades, element separation and stiff or sticky focus, as these are the common faults that drag the price of vintage Cooke cine glass down."}],"confidence":35,"reasoning":"Only a single sales record is available and no SPECS or variant data was provided, so confidence is capped well below 50 per rule 8."}