# R TOPCOR 300mm f2.8 "Big Bertha" lens



## jeffh4 (Sep 24, 2013)

Found this at a garage sale, along with a couple of Topcor cameras. 

Here are a couple of links for info, but in short: 

"The lens was introduced as one of the original Topcon R lenses in 1958. It was a truly amazing optical achievement for the time, and still is. Offhand I can't think of ANY OTHER early 35 SLR LENS from a camera manufacturer which remained the best of its type for almost 20 years, without any contemporary competitors. 

Is there much interest in Topcor lenses and cameras today? I've not seen active Topcor forums on the Net."

Click on the link in the first paragraph for an album of pics.


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## timor (Sep 24, 2013)

Welcome to the forum jeffh4. 
Topcons are excellent cameras. Built like a battleships to the specification of US Navy were their official cameras. If I see any, usually it is with 50mm lens only, maybe Navy didn't use too much of any other lenses and maybe Topcons were too expensive to be popular with general public.
(BTW, if you have no competitors you will be the best by default .)


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## compur (Sep 24, 2013)

The cameras are Topco*n*s, the lenses are Topco*r*s.


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## timor (Sep 24, 2013)

compur said:


> The cameras are Topco*n*s, the lenses are Topco*r*s.


Sorry, you right. I don't see them too much around.


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## Derrel (Sep 24, 2013)

The Cameraquest article states, "*Marco Antonetto reports a known serial number range between 341001 to 341682,* ", and your lens is 340033...which sounds like it might be, I am guessing, the 33rd unit manufactured, maybe. Regardless, the test figures for it sound pretty good. This lens I woulkd think, if a very collectible, high-value item for a Topcon collector...maybe somebody in Japan would go ga-ga for this.


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## compur (Sep 24, 2013)

click me


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## Derrel (Sep 24, 2013)

compur said:


> click me




I noticed the seller had re-listed the item after the auction listed...not sure, how does that work??? Was "he", the seller, the $305 bidder on the July 5 auction, and then he put it up for auction again on the 25th of July??? Not sure how that works...


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## minicoop1985 (Sep 25, 2013)

That relisting was deleted "Due to an error." Maybe it was relisted accidentally? Maybe the lens didn't get to its reserve price? Maybe the seller is running a scam of some sort? Who knows.


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## compur (Sep 25, 2013)

Accidentally re-listing items is not unusual with eBay's automated listing software. All it takes is one misplaced click.   I've done it myself.


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## jeffh4 (Sep 25, 2013)

Derrel said:


> The Cameraquest article states, "*Marco Antonetto reports a known serial number range between 341001 to 341682,* ", and your lens is 340033...which sounds like it might be, I am guessing, the 33rd unit manufactured, maybe.



Perhaps. The main thing I found interesting was that my lens is from the 340XXX series, while Marco Antonetto only knew about a 341XXX series.

Could this lens be from a prototype run? My lens also says "30 cm" instead of "300 mm" which is standard for the 341XXX series (as far as I can tell).

Compur, thanks for the link to the auction! I did not find that listing when I looked on ebay before. Again, a 341XXX series lens.


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