Topcon RE Super

I used Topcons for 12 years, starting with the model B with no meter then Super Ds.
Topcon made a 300mm f=2.8 lens years before Nikon or Canon which was the great attraction for the US Navy and FBI. I still have all of mine and they are flawless.
The 24mmf= 4 and 20mm f=4 lenses have a lens hood that is flat with a rectangular aperture the exact size required for those focal lengths. They are the best lens hoods for wide angle lenses that I have ever used.
During Covid 1 I copied hundreds of Kodachrome 25 slides to make books by Blurb and Momento. The results are indistinguishable from work I did later with Leica and dNikon.
Unfortunately they do not sell for high prices.
Use it all.
Cheers
Philip
 
silverhalidedreamer said:
...even the IIIM?

I was settling; what I really want is a Contax ii/iii with a 50mm 1.5. Perhaps selling this will help offset the cost.

But you guys are making intriguing arguments. I am a sucker for Zeiss normal lenses.
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I'm honestly not sure what a II/III sells for these days, the last time I got myself a 1936 II a few years ago I paid from memory $200 to the son of the late owner who bought it new in London in 1936. But the problem of course with the pre-war cameras is finding one that really does work, or, learning to sort them out yourself. I did the latter. By all means get one: I still maintain the II/III has the finest rangefinder installation ever fitted to a 35mm camera. It is of phenomenal quality. All I am saying is be aware that buying a Contax is one thing: being able to use it, is another all together. Given the scarcity of technicians willing to work on one these days, you must be sure any prospective purchase really is in good repair, or, that you have a way of making it so.

Please don't ever assume an as found one will be reliable. They are a reliable camera but curtain ribbons simply get too old. Any fitted with its original set will have only handfuls of shutter actuations left in them, if that. They will break. Not might break. Will. Replacing them is not as difficult as some people seem to think it is (less work than swapping curtains in a Barnack, for instance). But getting the shutter running really well may be harder. FYI.
 
silverhalidedreamer said:
Forgive my ignorance; what is a "Barnack" camera? Is it like the old, screw mount Leicas? If so, which do you recommend?
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A Barnack Leica is a Screwmount Leica. That was not the official name of any of them, but one that Leica users and collectors gave the screwmount Leicas because they were designed by Oscar Barnack, the inventor of the 35mm camera. Barnack didn't have any role in the design of the M-mount Leicas.

I have two IIIf bodies and love them. The IIIc is fine too. Keep in mind that most of these cameras out there need service. Every single one I have looked at has needed new shutter curtains and a new beamsplitter mirror in the rangefinder. One of mine was a gift from a friend who had it rebuilt by Don Goldberg (DAG Camera) before giving it to me. I bought the second one from Don. He sells screwmount Leicas that he has rebuilt, and his prices are very fair for what you get, Most are around $400. Keep in mind that he charges over $300 to rebuild one of these cameras if you buy one elsewhere that needs service!

Unfortunately, his website doesn't have any shown for sale now. You might call hm and ask:
https://www.dagcamera.com/store/c8/Leica_Screwmount.html
 
Duplicated and deleted and turned into this:-


"Forgive my ignorance; what is a "Barnack" camera? Is it like the old, screw mount Leicas? If so, which do you recommend?"

Oscar Barnack designed the original screw thread Leica and they are named after him by wicked collectors. He didn't design all of them because he died young in January 1936.

I would suggest the classic model II but many others will suggest them with the extra slow speeds or else the early ones without the RF and so on. Once you have one you will be bitten, so does it matter where you start?

Speaking as a wicked collector, I'd suggest the FED 2 which is a USSR designed and made RF combining the best features of both the pre-war Contax and Leica; you can even fit it with a copy of one of their lenses to get that pre-war "signature". Look for a lens with the KMZ logo to be certain.


Regards, David
 
silverhalidedreamer said:
...And then again...it is an slr. The only one I find it difficult to get rid of is an Olympus OM10, but that is because I love the 50mm 1,8.

I agree that fine photo equipment should be used. Collectors annoy me.

I generally prefer rangefinders.
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1, Think of the OM10 as a very superior P&S and enjoy it! It is also foolproof and can be used to grab shots without turning on the power button. And you can get them repaired. And they are dirt cheap - mine cost two pounds.

3, If you want to go into a better OM - one with a hyphen in its name - then be warned that they are all different and even with one of each it can do your head in trying to decide which one(s) to keep and which to sell.

3, Collectors often use their cameras and so can answer weird questions about them on forums. Some appreciate this as it saves them money and misery. F'instance there's over a dozen versions of the OM and collectors can help you decide on one or suggest you get the OM10 manual adapter etc, etc...

4, Collectors get annoyed by people who buy cameras to use but don't bother to get an instruction manual; or worse they don't bother to read it.

5, OTOH, between them no one ever gets bored.

Regards, David
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
I'm honestly not sure what a II/III sells for these days, the last time I got myself a 1936 II a few years ago I paid from memory $200 to the son of the late owner who bought it new in London in 1936. But the problem of course with the pre-war cameras is finding one that really does work, or, learning to sort them out yourself. I did the latter. By all means get one: I still maintain the II/III has the finest rangefinder installation ever fitted to a 35mm camera. It is of phenomenal quality. All I am saying is be aware that buying a Contax is one thing: being able to use it, is another all together. Given the scarcity of technicians willing to work on one these days, you must be sure any prospective purchase really is in good repair, or, that you have a way of making it so.

Please don't ever assume an as found one will be reliable. They are a reliable camera but curtain ribbons simply get too old. Any fitted with its original set will have only handfuls of shutter actuations left in them, if that. They will break. Not might break. Will. Replacing them is not as difficult as some people seem to think it is (less work than swapping curtains in a Barnack, for instance). But getting the shutter running really well may be harder. FYI.
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Thanks, that saved me a lot of typing and swearing.

Regards, David
 
As others have mentioned the RE Super is built like a tank, and the lenses are very good.

informal portrait of a Sydney barista.
Topcon RE Super, Topcor 58mm f1.4 FP4+ in XTOL 1:1, LR4

U27021I1438704028.SEQ.0.jpg


random stranger portrait on a walking track
Topcon RE Super, Topcor 58mm f1.4 FP4+ in XTOL 1:1, LR4

U27021I1438771809.SEQ.0.jpg
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
ll I am saying is be aware that buying a Contax is one thing: being able to use it, is another all together. Given the scarcity of technicians willing to work on one these days, you must be sure any prospective purchase really is in good repair, or, that you have a way of making it so.

Please don't ever assume an as found one will be reliable. They are a reliable camera but curtain ribbons simply get too old. Any fitted with its original set will have only handfuls of shutter actuations left in them, if that. They will break. Not might break. Will. Replacing them is not as difficult as some people seem to think it is (less work than swapping curtains in a Barnack, for instance). But getting the shutter running really well may be harder. FYI.
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This is why I have not "pulled the trigger" yet on the one I am eyeing on evilbay.

Thank you for this advice. I probably should just get over the Contax.
 
But the Hexanon lenses are compelling as well.

And they cost less.

But I have had 3, not including the one I was just given, that either met with untimely deaths by idiocy, or simply went belly up. Such is the life of an owner of the Auto S2.
 

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silverhalidedreamer said:
This is why I have not "pulled the trigger" yet on the one I am eyeing on evilbay.


Thank you for this advice. I probably should just get over the Contax.
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Oh I don't know. Life is short. They are a fabulous camera. And very reliable once sorted. It's just that whilst silk is a very strong material, it does not last forever. Zeiss chose silk because of its durability, resistance to stretch and ability to resist wear. But decades later the fibres have deteriorated, probably at a molecular level. You can take a piece of original 1930s Zeiss ribbon that still appears to be in perfect condition, but as soon as you hold it in both hands and place a little tension on it with thumbs and fingers, the fibres can disintegrate like gossamer.

There can be a few things to be aware of, generally, however if you procure a really clean and tidy example that has not been abused, or tampered with by someone who has tried to disassemble it and failed, after a thorough cleaning of the mechanism and RF, and a new set of pure silk ribbons, one should work reliably again for a long time. The catch, is you need to find someone willing to do this, or jump in the deep end and tackle it yourself. There are in fact a few members of this forum who still shoot with a II or III, and a decent percentage have done their own cameras. I'm not saying you should also because I don't know your skills base. Merely that there is quite a bit of information that talks about the process on this site by them. There are still a few technicians who will look at a pre-war Contax. Not in every country, though, so how easy it is to access their help may well depend on where you are located.

If you would like to PM me with a link to the particular one you've been looking at, I am happy to cast an eye over it and share my thoughts about it with you. I've already got a III and three IIs, so you need not fear being gazumped by me: I'm merely offering to help.

None of this should detract from the Topcon, which is a well made, quality SLR. But a Contax is not a Topcon, and a Topcon, is not a Contax.
Cheers
Brett
 
silverhalidedreamer said:
There is something about the Zeiss 50mm 1.5 that I find compelling.
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The camera is just a box, remember; the lens does the drawing. If you like Zeiss lenses, find yourself the one you want in Contax mount and stick it on an adapter, such as the Amedeo version, then mount that to a Leica M body. You have the best of both worlds there.

You could also get a screw mount Leica or Leica copy (Leotax, Nicca, Canon, Fed, Zorki, Kardon, Reid, Yashica, Minolta, etc) then find the Zeiss 5cm in LTM and have fun. Or, buy the Leica copy and find 10 Jupiter-3 lenses, and pick the best couple. The Jupiter-3 and Jupiter-8 are fantastic lenses and I wouldn't buy a Zeiss simply because the Jupiters are that good. Again, this is my opinion.

If you've only experienced Konica Auto S fixed lens rangefinders, but like the glass, pick up a Autoreflex T3 with a few lenses. Some of the Konica Hexanons (not Hexars) were and still are, considered among the very best lenses ever made by any manufacturer. Every camera maker had a few exceptional lenses, and every one had some dogs. Even the dogs have their place though, because photography should be fun, not clinical science.
If you're bent on shooting only Konica RF glass, save up your money for a good sample of anything other than the 50mm f/3.5 Hexar. Even those are starting to go for a high amount these days.

Phil Forrest
 
Phil_F_NM said:
The camera is just a box, remember; the lens does the drawing. If you like Zeiss lenses, find yourself the one you want in Contax mount and stick it on an adapter, such as the Amedeo version, then mount that to a Leica M body. You have the best of both worlds there.

You could also get a screw mount Leica or Leica copy (Leotax, Nicca, Canon, Fed, Zorki, Kardon, Reid, Yashica, Minolta, etc) then find the Zeiss 5cm in LTM and have fun. Or, buy the Leica copy and find 10 Jupiter-3 lenses, and pick the best couple. The Jupiter-3 and Jupiter-8 are fantastic lenses and I wouldn't buy a Zeiss simply because the Jupiters are that good. Again, this is my opinion.

If you've only experienced Konica Auto S fixed lens rangefinders, but like the glass, pick up a Autoreflex T3 with a few lenses. Some of the Konica Hexanons (not Hexars) were and still are, considered among the very best lenses ever made by any manufacturer. Every camera maker had a few exceptional lenses, and every one had some dogs. Even the dogs have their place though, because photography should be fun, not clinical science.
If you're bent on shooting only Konica RF glass, save up your money for a good sample of anything other than the 50mm f/3.5 Hexar. Even those are starting to go for a high amount these days.

Phil Forrest
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Vouch for Autoreflex T3 and Hexanons. Great lenses and great value.
 
Phil_F_NM said:
The camera is just a box, remember; the lens does the drawing. If you like Zeiss lenses, find yourself the one you want in Contax mount and stick it on an adapter, such as the Amedeo version, then mount that to a Leica M body. You have the best of both worlds there.

You could also get a screw mount Leica or Leica copy (Leotax, Nicca, Canon, Fed, Zorki, Kardon, Reid, Yashica, Minolta, etc) then find the Zeiss 5cm in LTM and have fun. Or, buy the Leica copy and find 10 Jupiter-3 lenses, and pick the best couple. The Jupiter-3 and Jupiter-8 are fantastic lenses and I wouldn't buy a Zeiss simply because the Jupiters are that good. Again, this is my opinion.

If you've only experienced Konica Auto S fixed lens rangefinders, but like the glass, pick up a Autoreflex T3 with a few lenses. Some of the Konica Hexanons (not Hexars) were and still are, considered among the very best lenses ever made by any manufacturer. Every camera maker had a few exceptional lenses, and every one had some dogs. Even the dogs have their place though, because photography should be fun, not clinical science.
If you're bent on shooting only Konica RF glass, save up your money for a good sample of anything other than the 50mm f/3.5 Hexar. Even those are starting to go for a high amount these days.

Phil Forrest
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I bid on a IIIM, and lost. Good, because there was no service record. It could literally have broken down the first time I used it, and I would be on this forum asking for info on where to get it fixed... if that is even possible.

What do you think of the Konica I?
 
I just scored a Konica II for $9. Supposedly it works, but I'm not holding my breath. I also know I can confidently repair it though, so it's a risk worth taking. Don't pay too much for a fixed lens Konica. The one I found has the f/2.8 Hexanon, but I can say that the f/3.5 Hexar is an excellent lens, on par with the f/3.5 Leica Elmar.

Phil Forrest
 
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