The Many Faces of the
RE Auto Topcor 135 mm F/3.5



Apparently this lens, the RE auto Topcor 135 mm F/3.5, was very popular with RE Super/Super D owners and users. In his book Topcon Story, Marco Antonetto estimates a total production of approximately 40,000 and this quantity is surpassed only by the smaller normal lens, the 58 mm F/1.8. But this moderate telephoto lens also includes the second highest number of versions and variations in the RE Auto series, a total of seven, and it includes two Topcon mysteries.

The 135 mm lens was one of the initial series of lenses offered with the new RE Super/Super D in 1963 and remained in production until the end in 1977. It seems the Topcon engineers got it right when they first designed the F Auto Topcor of this focal length for the R Topcon series of cameras. Except for the inclusion of meter coupling to work with the RE Super/Super D camera, the new RE Auto Topcor version was little changed from the earlier lens. In fact it retained the same manufacturing code: 76B. All of the new lenses had serial numbers beginning with 76 and most had seven digits (the F Auto Topcor lenses also had serial numbers starting with 76 but had only six digits). But somewhere along the line this rational numbering was corrupted. Some very early RE Auto lenses were sold with six digit serial numbers and some of the last reverted back to six digits--all those in between were marked with serial numbers of seven digits.

I have looked inside many of these RE Auto Topcor 135 mm F/3.5 lenses of all ages and have seen almost no changes; at least with regards to the mechanical parts. Perhaps the optical formulas were modified but I have no way of testing this. Of course the last, 4th Generation (by my classification), are finished in the matte black. But I also have what I classify as a 2nd Generation in black. It seems that Topcon sold a few lenses, other than the 58 mm normal ones, about 1964 that were black finished and these were probably restricted to the American market.

Below is an image of all seven versions of this lens--underneath this image is a matrix identifying each lens.

The two 1st generation lenses are near identical  with all the attributes of this generation: mixed-case lettering on the decorative ring, focal length in cm, red aperture index dot, milled recess on the rear plate, ribbed focusing bands, and two infinity symbols on the calibrations for the distance scale.

The most obvious difference between these two lenses is the serial numbers. The front of these two lenses are shown in the image to the left--note one with a 6-digit number and one with a 7-digit number. I assume that the 6-digit lens was the initial production in 1963 and later lenses were engraved with a 7-digit number. The rational for serial number change escapes me.

But the 6-digit lens is very curious in another way. While the decorative ring specifies a maximum aperture of F/3.5, the mechanics of the aperture adjustment is limited at about F/3.8. This is not a broken lens, I have looked inside and the limit-stop for the aperture ring has been machined to limit rotation of the aperture ring at the F/3.8 position.

Another indication that this limit is intentional can be seen on the image of the aperture scale, shown to the left. Note black triangle located at about F/3.8. The aperture ring will not open up beyond this point.

I can think of no explanation for the limited aperture on this lens only. I assume the predecessor of this lens, the F Auto Topcor, opened to the full F/3.5 and I know that all RE Auto Topcors that followed did the same.

The black, 2nd generation, lens shown below was apparently produced in very limited quantity and may therefore be quite rare. This particular lens differs in many respects from the later black lenses of the 4th generation. It's attributes are:

  • The lettering on the decorative ring is in mixed case and the focal length is specified in cm.
  • The finish is closer to the satin-finish of the black camera bodies than it is to the matte-finish of the last generation lenses.
  • The focusing ring shows two infinity symbols and the 'feet' scale is white-filled, not the later orange.
  • The rear plate has the milled recess.
  • The filter ring is bright chrome.
  • The front cap of the telescoping lens hood shows three bright metal rings, whereas the last generation lenses has only one.
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By my method of classification this is a true 2nd generation lens. The serial number of the example I have is between two other chrome, 2nd generation lenses.

The serial number of this lens appears to have only six digits and begins with 60. But on close examination it will be seen that the white fill of the first digit is missing. The true serial number is seven digits starting with 76.

Topcon did offer both the F/1.8 and F/1.4 normal lenses in black finish of all generations, to go with the their black camera bodies. But only now are early black-finish lenses of other focal lengths coming to light.

In their final offering of this popular lens, Topcon replaced the chrome-finish with matte-black and added a few cosmetic touches. The filter ring became the same black as the lens barrel and the 'feet' scale on the distance ring was orange filled. The cap on the telescoping lens hood had a single metal-finish ring at the very front.

But the most confusing aspect of this generation of lens is the serial numbering. The decorative ring of two different variations of the 4th generation RE Auto Topcor 135 mm F/3.5 is shown to the left. Note that one has a seven digit serial number of 763XXXX while the serial number on the other has reverted back to six digits,  763XXX. I suspect that the seven digit lens was released first--then for some reason the serial number lost one digit. With the exception of the serial number difference, I find these lenses to be identical, inside and out.

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