Topcon Question

[Randy]

What makes a Topcon camera worth so much? Most of the ones I see for sale are either over priced or broken.

[Deleted]

Topcons are built like tanks and like Nikons of the period had interchangable finders and many accessories. Like the Nikon it was a true "system" camera. There weren't as many sold as some of the other brands which make them more desirable for collectors.

W

[mickeyobe]

I am glad the subject of Topcons was raised. I am not at all familiar with the line.
I have a Topcon IC-1 Auto and a question about it.
There is a dial on the front of the camera with aperture settings f2,2.8, . , 4, 5.6.
According to the manual that dial must be set with the widest aperture of the lens being used.
WHY?
I have never seen such a setting on any other camera.

Mickey

[PeterW]

Mickey,

The dial is called the Lens Speed Compensation Dial and has to be set to the maximum aperture of the lens being used to give the correct exposure with the automatic exposure system.

I don't know quite how it works, but I think its to stop the system trying to give an exposure in dim light which is beyond the maximum aperture of the lens. On Auto setting the electronics try to give the fastest shutter speed for any exposure to lessen the chance of camera shake or subject movement. If the lens won't open up far enough they have to give a slower shutter speed instead.

PeterW

[nikonbob]

I would have to agree with Wayne about the build quality and small number out there keeping prices high. I a surmising this not having a Topcon SLR but a Topcon 35-L fixed lens range finder camera with a 44/2 Topcor lens. It is one of the nicest fit and finished fixed lens range finder cameras that I have used and the lens is no slouch either. If they took the time and effort to build an FLR that way I can only imagine how well built the SLRs were.

Bob

[Rachel]

I had a Topcon Unirex which had this system. I always thought that, as it metered at full aperture, it simply told the system what aperture it was metering at. Some camera systems have something on the lens that tells the camera the maximum aperture of the lens (Canon FD comes to mind), some I think had a proportional system so it didn't matter but the Topcon relied on you telling it that information.

[mickeyobe]

PeterW and Rachel,

Thank you.

I shall check out my Canon FD's tomorrow to see what I can see. Too tired now.

[Rachel]

Canon FD lenses have a stud on the back which tells the camera the maximum aperture of the lens and so adjusts the metering system to match.

[Just Plain Curt]

One of my favourites, I have both systems the Uni, Auto 100, IC-1 Auto and the Super D, RE 200. The leaf shutter, interchangeable lens UNI series suffered from a complicated but fragile shutter and had excellent glass. The Super D etc. was phenomenally strong, well finished, silky smooth shutter and glass I'd compare to any top camera available. So far I have all the lenses (except the zoom) for the UNI series (UV Topcors)and 2 135 f3.5 as well as 2 58 f1.8 RE Topcons. The dial on the front is as Peter and Rachel have said, to set the maximum aperture available using that particular lens for your meter.

[mickeyobe]

Oct 17, 2010 4:15:11 GMT -5 Rachel said:

Canon FD lenses have a stud on the back which tells the camera the maximum aperture of the lens and so adjusts the metering system to match.

Rachel,

You are correct. The stud (Full Aperture Signal Pin) varies in length depending upon the lens' maximum aperture. It pushes down a Full Aperture Adjustment Pin to signal the lens' maximum aperture.

It appears on all FD lenses even single aperture mirror lenses.

HP Books "Canon SLR Cameras" goes into all the details.

I used Canons for over 30 years and never bothered to inquire about it before.

Thanks,
Mickey

[casualcollector]

The Topcon RE Super (aka Beseler Topcon Super D) is an impressively made camera and really advanced the state of the art when it was introduced. I have one and it is absolutely gorgeous. The metering system and lens coupling are so nicely integrated the Nikon F, with even the FTn finder, is clunky in comparison.

The junior member of the family, Topcon RE-2 (Beseler Topcon D-1) requires some patience to find. It is also a very nice camera and is to the RE Super as the Nikkormat is to the Nikon F and FTb to the Canon F-1.

The UV mount Topcons I have no experience with. They use a different lens mount.

The Topcon RE 200, and 300 are compact, badge engineered clunkers but use RE series lenses. The last Topcons were K mount versions of the RE 300.

I've compared the Canon F-1 and Topcon Super side by side. It's easy to think that the Topcon's features inspired Canon more than the Nikon F did.

[alanegreen]

The HI Topcor 87-205 zoom will mount on the leaf shutter cameras (Uni Unirex etc) but becasue the exit pupil of the lens is bigger than the shutter opening of these cameras, it will vignette. The IC-1 is the only camera it will work properly on. The lens was a re-mounted version of the RE series lens.

The UNI series of cameras were quite nice, but limited by the unreliable shutter, and the fact that no independant lens maker offered lenses for them. This was not due to any bloody mindedness on their part - but due to the fact that the aperture ring on these cameras was part of the body, and hence adapting their lenses to cope with the long back focus would have been expensive.

[barbarian]

Why are they pricey? Very well-made, advanced for their day, a joy to use and....



They are beautiful devices. I love this camera.

[daveh]

Barbarian, welcome. I've got a Super D. As you say. quality.

[daveinpasadena]

I'd say Topcon's are a little on the pricey side, but some other SLR's are way more expensive. Most Swiss Alpa models, the Olympus OM-3, the Pentax LX, many Contax Y/F bodies, and so forth will break my bank!