donald_dinaro1

All SLR,s no matter who made it, owe huge credit too the engineers who designed the Praktina Fx lla, FX and its variants. It's 1955 folks and this SLR camera designed system, is four years ahead of the Nikon F system, far ahead of German SLR,s and all Japanese SLr,s, but Asahiflex and Miranda and Topcon are close behind. By 1959 Nikon F with its eyelevel prism is announced, and instant return mirror, with its high quality becomes the pro rage but, was it? TTL metering is announced in 1963 by Topcon ,via Toshiba designed electronics, patented! Topcons re auto lenses and re super body ; meter in a matrix etched full sized mirror and the meter is in the body. So prisms, waist levers and magnifiers all work. Getting around Topcon TTL meter patent proves to a legal and engineering headache for all competitors! No doubt that Topcon engineers studied Praktina lla in great detail. I am sure, Nikon F and Topcon engineers used the Praktina lla as their guide, with Topcon well ahead in TTL metering. As far as optics, Topcon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta all had most excellent variations on the double guass lens design.

Bad lubrication on the winding gears too common on 50+ yr. Topcon super D Camera. Dm same troubles. Re Super is a better made design.

If there's no battery in the battery box, the needle will not move, regardless of shutter speed or f stop changes. If the switch is moved to on, and needle does not move the following is possible: 1. Corrosion under the battery box, dead short 2. Corrosion inside the wires under base plate 3. Bad chain drive to the balance bridge circuit variable resistor. 4. Bad ASA speed dial resistance. 5. #1, #2 the most common, it's been 50+ years.

Join Facebook group, "Topcon re super & Beseler Super d", eastwestphoto is the admin

It will, the 58/1.4 has a mount protector that interferes on the re200. Topcon did not make that camera, sub contractor Cima kogaku did.

Absolutely , I have sold plenty on ebay as Eastwestphoto seller. I run facebook group , " Topcon re super & beseler super d"

Don @ Eastwestphoto here-------------------------- A balanced bridge circuit works by equal current flow in the legs of the bridge, with a galvanometer from one side of the bridge to the other. At balance the galvanometer will null at Zero. Thus, The Topcon RE meter will be dead center. One response I read was correct, the Topcon RE Super circuit can accept from 1.6v~1.2v range in batteries. The meter will then be dead center in the two points viewed in the eyelevel prism. so here's the PROBLEM. Battery corrosion puts a resistance in the circuit. IF the battery compartment is clean, no bluish tint, its UNDER the battery compartment the fault. Remove base plate. Be careful of the on - off switch. I use two tiny brads with fine point held by a plier, screw counter clock-wise (easy). take the other screws off, but arrange in order as they are NOT the same length! Take the tripod one of also above the base-plate. set aside. Remove the 3 screws holding the battery compartment. Lift is out from under the back door release lever. Flip over, is it greenish? TROUBLE ahead. The back compartment needs to be very clean, and the center contact if greenish will be a resistance and needs to be re-soldered. Make sure the wire is not corroded. I use solder paste (SMD) and soldering iron, low wattage.. The on off switch is contact driven so make sure they are clean, congrats thats phase 1. Use a DVOM to test for Continuity or voltage around 1.35v, PASS ?, Put the assembly back together and TEST your meter. Works Great, FAILS, Phase 2 Phase 2= DANGER= ASA speed dial is a mechanical gearing , a chain and gears, dont mess with this as you need special tool to hold the spring tension of the chain. Left side top, view, remove rewind two screws in its cover below the rewind knob, Philips screw in back of cover, X-synch screw is a spanner type use those tiny brads again, and pry gently up till its free. From TOP left side is the meter, remember its a Galvanometer and can be tested by a diode test mode of your DVOM meter. Since its 0.7v output it will move the meter movement and you will see it and heard it. If the spring is broken, your dead! Then canalization required from another broken camera. Rutt Roe, Don

Topcor lens 58/1.8, 100/2.8, 35/2.8, 58/1.4 are exceptional on Mirrorless digital cameras.

Camera 35 Tested the Topcor lenses line in late 1960,s , against all the top Japanese manufacturers of that time. Two Topcor lenses scored exceptionally high at 80 L/mm wide open the 58/1.8 & the 100/2.8. Even today on a Sony A7r the images are outstanding.

You are correct, if the light meter works, it works without a lens attached. Make DARN sure the on -off switch is ON! if it still doesnt work removed the base3plate (easy) and remove the battery compartment, check the wiring under that (50%) certain the problem is there. The D'Arsonval meter on that RE Super is built like a tank, not likely the its bad. Dont forget the ASA wheel on the speed dial. Theres a carbon resistor pad under there and thats where I would go next for possible dirt, corosin, etc. Clen there, Regards, Don

Trade secret= the battery cover from the Topcon Beseler Auto 100 in black plastic will fit the Topcon Super Dm in black as a very close match. True its plastic so a small piece of aluminum placed in the cap and then cut around it threads, will work, I have done it, successfully. Finding a black Dm original cap is not easy.

I just wanted to up date you that my first attempt at alcohol to clean the Iris blades ( Topcor UV 53/2 lens was a failure and they froze again. This time lens apart again, optics block out and lens in the ultrasonic cleaner, then heat and air dry process. Looks like its going to work. I learned, this is a very unique lens iris having two sliding levers, one sets the F:stop the other opens and snaps back the iris blades. Its a common notorious problem in the UNI, Univex, Auto 100 and IC-1 Topcon lens line.

Summircron f:2 CL lens is far lighter and smaller, but in M mount. If you 7x focus at F:2 Summar in manual on Sony FF or APS-C , ITS VERY sharp! All old legacy lenses are at their best performance on digital cameras, especially mirror-less. Leica rangefinder collimation was never perfect, unless serviced every ten years. A good copy Summar is a joy to take photos with.

All your have to do is unscrew the lens. Leica had a round cam, Russians had a trapizoid shape. Its simple to tell.