Topcon RII
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| 1961 Beseler advertising in Popular Photography magazine |
The Topcon R II was a transitional model for Tōkyō Kōgaku. While it retains the Exakta lens mount, it drops reliance on lenses with external PAD aperture linkages in favor of stop-down to shooting aperture via an internally coupled, instant-reopen diaphragm linkage. On some examples "automatic" now appears engraved on the pentaprism. Yet this is still a meterless model; and its shutter speed dial split between fast and slow speeds limited the ability to create a clip-on design (as used by other brands and eventually Topcon themselves).
The Topcon RII was offered to the US market by Charles Beseler as the Beseler C Topcon beginning in 1960[1]. Based on surviving examples it does not seem to be a common model. After a revised Topcon R III the pointed pentaprism housing would give way to the iconic "shed" design of the Topcon RE Super which became the brand's design trademark.
Notes
- ↑ The Beseler version was shown at the March 1960 MPDFA expo and advertised in late 1960
