Towards the end of the 1960s Topcon finally got the message from users: "the lineup of RE Auto Topcor  lenses was too thin". This family of lenses had not much changed from 1963, when the RE Super/Super D was first offered, and the lens available from other camera makers far exceeded the range available for the Topcon.

About 1969 Topcon brought out their first lens of a new series; the 20 mm F/4 super wide angle. The most obvious change from previous RE Auto Topcors, at least for collectors, was the lettering on the decorative ring--now in all upper case with word 'Japan' following 'TOKYO TOGAKU' no longer present. This attribute is what I use to classify a lens as being a member of this, the last series of lenses sold to accompany the Super Dm camera.

The 20 mm was offered in chrome finish and was soon followed by a popular wide angle focal length: 28 mm F/2.8. Then most of the RE Auto Topcors were changed cosmetically with the brushed chrome finish, so long a hallmark of the RE Auto Topcor lenses, replaced with a matte black finish. According to Marco Antonetto's book Topcon Story these re-issued lenses were given the manufacturing code ending with BG. In addition to the black finish, all these lenses replaced the bright chrome filter ring with the same matte black as the rest of the lens, the calibrations on the 'feet' distance scale were filled with bright orange, and the lettering on the decorative ring followed the format used on the 20 mm. A matte black finish 28 mm was offered (originally with the same bright filter ring, later changed to black). Only the venerable 25 mm F/3.5 wide angle lens was left out. Two additional lens were also added: 300 mm F/5.6, and finally the 85 mm F/1.8.

I am sure some collectors will argue with my criteria for selecting the lenses of this series. Some will suggest that the 500 mm F/5.6 should be included, but I decided against this because it's lettering is mixed case and the finish is not the same matte black as the others. Other collectors will probably insist that the two GN lenses fit into this category. I excluded the GNs because they are, in my estimation, different enough to be in a class by themselves. I am on record expressing my negative opinion of the GNs, but this really had no influence on my selection.

Below is an image showing all 12 of this class of lenses. The lone 20 mm seems out of place with it's flashy chrome juxtaposed against the matte black of the rest of it's family.