Topcon 35

From Camera-wiki.org
Revision as of 23:12, 14 January 2007 by Rebollo fr (talk | contribs) (section about the tele lens and tweaks)
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is a stub. You can help Camera-wiki.org by expanding it.
This is a work in progress.

The Topcon 35A and Topcon 35B are 35mm cameras with an interchangeable lens, made between 1953 and 1956 by Tōkyō Kōgaku.[1] They were the successors of the Minion 35 series and they were the first cameras to have the name "Topcon".

The Topcon 35A

Description

The Topcon 35 or Topcon 35A is a viewfinder-only model. It has a rounded body, shaped like the Minion 35 but higher. The back is removable together with the bottom plate for film loading. It is locked in place by two keys under the camera. The top plate supports the tubular viewfinder in the middle, the advance knob and exposure counter at the right end and the rewind knob at the left end. Next to the advance knob are the body release and the rewind unlock lever with A and R settings. There is also an accessory shoe to the left of the viewfinder. The name Topcon and the serial number are engraved in front of the accessory shoe.

A rectangular metal plate is screwed to the front of the body and surrounds the lens and shutter assembly. The shutter is a Copal giving B, 1–300 speeds. It has a self-timer and it is synchronized for flash, via a connector situated at the bottom of the rectangular front plate. The connection between the advance knob and the cocking lever is externally visible above the shutter housing. The standard lens has f/3.5 maximal aperture. It is screwed to the front of the shutter and it is interchangeable.

Variants

The only major change that occurred during the production of the Topcon 35A was the switch from the Toko 4cm f/3.5 standard lens, presumably having three elements, to the Topcor 4.2cm f/3.5 with four elements. In addition to this, minor variations have been observed. Most cameras have a heavy accessory shoe and a cup surrounding the release button, itself known in two minor variants. (It is the model pictured in all the advertisements observed so far.) Some examples are known with a thinner accessory shoe and a screw thread around the release button, sometimes with a small milled part attached.

Advertising

The camera was released in autumn 1953.[2] It probably corresponds to the Minion 35E that was announced in early 1953 but never sold, and whose description is similar except for the top speed. An advertisement dated December 1953[3] simply calls the camera "Topcon 35" (トプコン35) and gives no price. The lens is the Toko 4cm f/3.5 and the number of elements is not given. One year later, in November 1954[4], the price of the camera was ¥16,500.

In January 1955[5], the standard lens was the Topcor 4.2cm f/3.5, described as having four elements. The rest of the features and the prices were unchanged. In August of the same year[6], the Topcon 35B was already present but the camera was still called "Topcon 35". The price was ¥14,000. In November[7], the viewfinder model was called Topcon 35A (トプコン35A) and the price was unchanged. The 35A was still featured in a catalogue also showing the Topcon 35-S, certainly dated 1956.[8]

Topcor 8cm f/5.6 tele lens

The only non-standard lens made for the Topcon 35A and 35B is the Topcor 8cm f/5.6 medium tele. The advertisements say that it has five elements. It was sold together with an external viewfinder for use on the Topcon 35A. It was not yet offered for sale in December 1953, and its price together with the viewfinder was ¥13,000 in November 1954 and January 1955 and ¥9,000 in August and November 1955. Some months after the release of the 35B, the lens was also offered without the viewfinder, the lens alone costing [[Japanese prices#{{{2}}}|¥8,000]] in November 1955.

Notes

  1. ↑ Dates: advertisements listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 355.
  2. ↑ The earliest occurrence listed in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 355, is in the new products column of Asahi Camera September 1953.
  3. ↑ Published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 151.
  4. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 151.
  5. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 151.
  6. ↑ Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 151.
  7. ↑ Advertisement published in Shashin Salon, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 151.
  8. ↑ Tōkyō Kōgaku catalogue certainly dating 1956, reproduced in this page of the Topcon Club website.

Bibliography

  • Antonetto, M. and Russo, C. Topcon Story. Lugano: Nassa Watch Gallery, 1997. ISBN 88-87161-00-3.
  • Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. Items 621–2.
  • McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). P. 925.
  • Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 3794–6.

Links

In English:

In Japanese:

Retrieved from "http://camera-wiki.org/index.php?title=Topcon_35&oldid=73190"