Beseler Topcon L User manual

I . F o c usin g b o se lin e                7. Depth of field scole                     I 3. Shutterring
2 . F i l m win d in g le ve r              B. Shutter speed scole            14. Focusinglever                                                                                 .|5.
3 . F i l m re min d e r                     9. Shutter setting lever             Shoulderstrop hook                                        .|0.4. Shutter releose button            Apurture scole               16. Viewfinderwindow
5 . R on g e f in d e rwin d ow                       I I . Light volue/ operturering       1 7. R e w i n d i n gk n o b
6. Distonce scole                12. Light volue scole
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   YOUR TOPCON.L

      The TOPCON-L which you hove iust chosen is o 35 mlm " minioture" comero of the between-lensshutter
        type ond differs in severol respects from the other types of 35 m,/m comeros, os well os differing from
        the twin-lens reflex, spring ond box comeros. The vorious types hove their merits ond odvontoges, os
        well os disodvontoges,besidesthe generol price differencesof the vorious types.

       For exomple, most photogrophers ocknowledge the twin-lens reflex comero, such os the TOPCOFLEX, os
       being superior for  portroit use becouse of  its lorge focusing screen.  However,  it  is not entirely pos-
        sible to  eliminote the TOPCON-L  from  portroit use in  view  of  its extro bright life-size viewfinder
       eyepiece with  its porollox compensoting" MOVING BRIGHT LINE FRAME" which olwoys fromes your
       subiect cleorly so thot portroit toking is very eosy.                                                                                                               \
            It  is olso impossible to discount such portroit toking odvontoges of the 35 m/m, os -  speedy oction to
       cotch thot certoin moment when the foce hos the expressionthot speoks, or, for continuous shots from
       which you  will cotch the unguorded moment which will be the mosterpiece-   oll, olmost impossibleon
          '        the usuol reflex comero.

       Of course, the forte  of the 35 m/m " minioture " comero, os its nome denotes, is in  its light ond .orpo.i
       design, which mokes it suitoble for  corrying  ot  oll times for toking shots onywhere ond onytime, ond
          its use of the 35 m/m film, which gives 36 exposures ot one looding.
      Added to these fundomentolfeotures, the TOPCON-1, in common with most modern 35 m/m comero, hos
       o thumb level ropid winding lever with simultoneousshutter cocking oction plus fost rewinding of  the
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finished film for further speed in toking snop-shots,octions shots,etc. where oll oround speed is required.
The TOPCON-L's self cocking ropid winding  lever  is  porticulority suited for continuous shots becouse
numerous quick short strokes will complete the winding-cocking oction without getting the comero woy
out of focus for the next shot.  The rewinding knob pops up for foster oction ond there is no need
to  fumble with folding cronks which con slow you down.  The shutter releose button is conveniently
situoted for quick shots, ond hos on over-sizedsnop-shotbutton to focilitote working with gloves outdoor.

However, more thon onything else the TOPCON-METER ond the SEIKOSHA MXL shutter with the mogic
LVS  (light volue settings) system gives you quick storting speed, without socrificing proper exposure
becouse (l) the TOPCON-METERwith only one oction gives you instont ond direct light volue reodings
 which con immediotelybe set on the LVS shutter ond (2) ony combinotion of correct exposures,ot ony
speed suitoble for the picture being token, will olwoys be set due to the coupled speed/opertureoction.

This combinotion of TOPCON-METER ond LVS shutter is  o combinotion thot is o must for  sotisfoctory
picture toking whether   it  be snop-shotsor  portroit shots, ond  is on entirely new concept in modern
photogrophy.

The between-lens shutter is the only type thot gives the  fullest instontoneouslight possoge moking it o-
shutter incomporoble for  flosh shots.  At  the some time, the M..F. X. synchronizotiongives full syn-
chronizotion for  oll flosh shots but, more thon ony other shutter, is most suited for electronic flosh units
ond  f or closs M bulbs, which ore o  " must"  for modern f losh shots. The between-lensshutter ot 1/500
seconds, with  the use of closs M  bulbs, ot M  setting gives effective speed coveroge equol to  lil000
seconds on the focol plone shutter comero.
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As noted before, the finder system is suited for  portroits, too,  but  it  is iust os well suited for the forte
of the 35 m/m comero, i. e., snop-shots,oction shots, etc., ond for  color shots.
The  extro  bright  view-rongefinder system mokes focusing under poorest lighting condition os eosy os
onywhere outdoors in the sunlight, while ihe 50 m/m effective boseline meons greoter occurocy in focus-
ing of the double imoge. The life-size rotio of the viewfinder, together with  the  " MOVING BRIGHT
tlNE FRAME", ossuresquick composition ond shows the finol picture (thisis speciolly voluoble for color
prints) before you releose the shutter.

Lost, but not leost, the TOPCON-L hos o speciolly designed TOPCOR F , 2 lens which is the finest within
procticol ronge ond is speciolly suited for snop-shots,oction shots ond color shots. The 44nlm semi-wide
ongle gives wider coveroge, more depth of  field ond is ultro-fost, with shorp definitionond high resolv-
ing power.  The lens hos shorp definition up to the edge of the  picture, deeper  perspective bolonce
with olmost noturol " fodeowoy  "  of foreground ond bockground obiects, plus sufficient brightness over
the whole lens-   this is o must for color picture toking, os well os giving good scenery picturesin block-
ond-white.

Enlorge your  prints 50 times or more io  reolly oppreciote the high efficiency of your TOPCOR F : 2
lens, which is truly o work  of quolity, bocked by o trodition of exocting workmonship ond experience
in producing only the best lenses,coupled with continuous efforts to bring constont improvementsto you.

All other feotures ore olso designed to give you o more versotile ond sotisfying comero, such os -   click
stopping shutter speed ring, one-glonce scoles on top  of the lens borrel, coupled film reminder showing
unexposed fromes, visuol checking shutter setting lever, ond  full ronge of exclusive occessories.

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Your TOPCON-L  hos been tested occording to our  strictest stondords before  it  left  our  foctory.     lt
   combines the ultimote in precision with unsurpossedperformonce ond will  give you utmost sotisfoction.
   Pleose toke core of your TOPCON-L ond  it  will give you yeors of pride ond pleosure.
    This  lnstruction Monuol  hos been compiled to exploin in detoil the operotions of the TOPCON-I,  os
    well  os  the  finer  points of the comero ond, ot the some time, ottempts to give you some elementory
    picture toking principles in  order  thot you moy more  fully  enioy your TOPCON-L picture toking
    experience.





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FILM LOADING

Use 20 or 36 exposure 35 m/m film in doylight cortridge, or dorkroom looding films pocked in speciol
ToPCoN  mogozines,henceforth to be colled cortridge.
l.  Pull up the bock cover lock l22l on the side of the body ond the bock cover will gently spring open.
                                      ,l7l2. Pull up the rewinding knob    ond insertthe film cortridge into the empty chomber. Pushthe rewinding
   knob bock  into  ploce;   if  the rewinding spool shoft l25l does not  fit, turn the k n o b s l i g h t l y u n t i l
   the shoft fits into the cortridge.



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3. Drow out the film end from the cortridge ond insert os deep os possibleinto the film toke-up spool
    slit (28) ond, ot the some time, engoge the film perforotion to fhe screw-heod profruding neor the
    slit on  the lower end  of the toke-up spool.   (lf slit is not visible, turn the toke-up spool by   ils
   serroted edge untrl it oppeors). Turn the toke-up spool so thot film  is token up on  toke-up spool'
4. Moke sure thot the teeth of the tronsport sprocket 126l lully engoges the film perforotions ond fhen
   close the bock cover, by pushing bock the bock cover lock l22l'
5. After the bock cover hos been closed, push the film winding lever (2) wilh the right thumb os for
   os  it will go ond releose. Repeot once more ond the film hos odvonced one frome ond lhe shutter





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hos been cocked.    lt  is  olso possible to odvonce the film by quick short movements on the ropid
film winding lever but until the lever mokes o  full stop the shutter will  not be cocked.   Since the
shutter selting lever (9) moves upword  to o  full slop when the film winding  lever cocks the shutter,
o visuol check con olso be mode to see whether the shutter is cocked.

For multiple shots, trick shots ond double exposures ot  night, the shutter should be cocked by using
the shutter setting lever {9) insteod of the film winding  lever.

When  the   f ilm hos been odvonced one   f rome ond the shutter hos been cocked,  f ollowing obove
                                                  instructions,pressthe shutter releosebutton (4).  Repeot
                                        obove operotion once more. By cocking ond releosing
                                               the shutter twice, the  f ilm hos been odvonced to  the
                                            oppropriote position for the first shot.

                                                  6. when  your thumb is releosed from the  film winding
                                                 lever, the lever outomoticolly returns to  o  position
                                                   slightly short of  its originol position.

                                             This is to focilitote the next winding oction. When
                                               closing the leother ever-reody cose the lever is eosily
                                       pushed bock into its originol position.

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N O T E :
   With  the obove  operotions you hove looded your
  TOPCON-L;  however, you  should slowly turn the
   rewinding knob l17l in the direction of the orrow  in
   order to tension the  f ilm inside the cortridge.

  When this is done, eoch f ilm odvoncing ond shuttercock-
   ing oction will rotote the rewinding knob ogoinst the
   oction of the orrow  engroved on  it,  thus indicoting
   thot the film is odvoncing properly.

A.  FIIM REMINDER
Next, rotote the  f ilm reminder (31 by pushing the smoll
studs until you hove set either "36"  or  "20"  opposite
to the block dot, depending on whether you  ore  using
o 36 exposure or 20 exposure f ilm.

Your TOPCON-L shows the number of shots still ovoiloble
on  the  film reminder; os you keep toking pictures, the
number grows smoller.


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B.  FIL,\AINDICATOR
There ore  severol types  of  films with different speeds
ond exposure will  differ occording to the type  of  film
looded in the comero. See the instructionsheet in the film
pockoge for the proper film speed (ASA index number)
ond set the index number to the dot on  the outer ring
of the film indicotor (l 8).

This will olwoys remind you  of the type of film in use.
The film indicotor of TOPCON-L indicotes speeC in ASA
index numbers but due to spoce limitotion is indicoted
in figures  I /l 0  of octuol figures-    i. e., ASA  I 00 is  I 0,
50  is 5, etc.
Block numbersore for ponchromolicfilms, red numbers
for doylight color films while yellow numbersore for ortificiol illuminotioncolor film.
Film sensitivitydiffer occording io mokersond vorioussystemsore used to indicotethe film speed. The
following toble gives the relotionshipof vorious systems.
         ASA     r0         r 5     32     50        r 0 0    200    800
        WES      8      1 2     24     40      80       r 6 0    340
          DIN          l l / 1 0          l 3 / 1 0         l 6 i l 0          l 8 / 1 0   2 1 1 1 0  2 7I 1 0   3 0 / lo

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TOPCON-METER
I     exclusivelyThe TOPCON-METERmode for theis oTOPCON-1.photo-electricWithoutexposuredifficultmeter
       colculotions,ond simply by setting the film ASA index
      number on the meter, it is possible to reod off the light
       volue numberwhich the needle points to with greot speed
      ond occurocy. The light volue number is  o number
      corresponding to the omount of  light required for  correct exposures, bosed on the film speed.

     The TOPCON-Lhos light volue numbers2, 3......16, 17, whichcoversoll the possiblecorrectexposures
      requiredfor ihe TOPCORF , 2 lens ond SEIKOSHAMXL shutter. Expressedin terms of brightnessthis
      would be 2.2 lux (condles per squore meterl to 18,000lux which is eosily within the ronge of the
      exclusiveTOPCON-METER,with the oddition of the speciolomplifierfor lower rotings.

      With o film speed of ASA 200, the light volue numberfor o normol interior scene would be obout 6,
      while o  bright seoshore scene would be obout I7, which shows the greot ronge of this TOPCON-
     METER.
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The TOPCON-METER is normolly used ottoched  to the occessory shoe on top  of TOPCON-1, but  it
      moy be used seporotely with some results.

      A. FILM SPEEDAND MEASURINGRANGE
      The TOPCON-METER covers three meosuring ronges, H (Highl with hinged boffle closed, L (Low) with
        boffle open ond A  (Amplifier) with  omplifier in occessory shoe on the meter.

      _                                     H . . . . . . . . . b r i g h to u t d o o r s c e n e
               -  Topcon                            L . . . . . . . . . r o i n y o u t d o o r s c e n e o r b r i g h t  i n d o o r s c e n e          Meter       A . . . . . . . . . n i g h t s c e n e o r d i m  i n d o o r s c e n e
                                            The obove ore opproximote ronges ond if the needle does
                                                     not move in one ronge try the next.

                                                     Filmspeed ASA index numbers ore shown on the TOPCON-
                                     METER by numbers ond dois.  The  dots  represeni 10,
                                                     1 6 ,  2 5 , ' 1 6 0  w h i c h  o r e   t h e  c o m m o n  f i l m s p e e d s f o r
                                                    odiusting to  ortificiol illuminotionwhich registerso higher
                                                              light volue thon  its octuol volue.  Reod the instruction
                                                      sheet, included with  film, to  find out film speed.

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Set the film speed ASA index number on the TOPCON-METER by simply turning the round diol on top
       of the meter until the ASA index number  is  opposite one  of the H, L. A. morks.   lf ASA 200 film is
     being used ond you ore toking on exposure reoding in bright doylight, ASA 200 would be set opposite
      the triongulor mork of H.

      H                              A

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       CLOSEBAFFLE           OPEI'IBAFFLE        USEAMPLIFIER
                                        OPENBAFFLE
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B. THREEMEASURINGMETHODS
One of the following three methodscon be used
to  reod  the  light volue number ofter the film
speed hos been set on the TOPCON-METER.

l.   Reflected Light Meosurement
   T h i s i s t h e m o s t p o p u l o r m e t h o d .  l t i s c o n v e n i e n t
  ond con be used for meosuringot ony distonce
   os long os there is not too much controst in
   brightness between subiect, bockground ond
   s u r r o u n d i n g s, u c h o s e x c e p t i o n o l l y b r i l l i o n t o r
   s p e c i o l l y d o r k b o c k g r o u n d sl i k e w o t e r o r s k y .

   Point the meter ot the subiect so thot the ref-
   lected light is token in through the honeycomb  window.  However, core should be token to N
   direct the meter slightly downwords  so  thot
   direct light ond sky light does not strike the
  honeycomb window  or you moy  get o very
   high reoding, leoding to underexposure.

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2.  Close-up Method
   This is the most occurote method ond is usuolly
  used when the subiect shows strong controsts
   in its more imPortont Ports.
   Point the meter ot the subiect from o distonce
   of obout 3 inches,ond ovoid costingo shodow
  on the meter or hoving the light source shine
   directly into the meter.   lt is best to meosure
   the brightest ond dorkest ports seporotely ond
   toke on overoge reoding  to  obtoin  proper
  exposure.
   For inoccessibleobiects, without strong con-
   trost, it  is possible to toke reflected reodings
   by toking o close-up reoding of ony neorby
   obiect hoving the some lighting condition ond
   texture os  the  subiect motter.  Your hond
    will  serve for  good  flesh-tone reodings if
   you hold your hond so thot the light strikes
     it ot the some ongle os the subiect.
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3.   Incident Lighf Meosurement

   This method is used when  controst  within  the  picture
  bockground ond surroundingis greot or close-up reodings        \\\\
   ore impossible.
   This method meosuresthe octuol light folling on the scene        [,ur--)--=';l   or subject. For this method snop the opol disc into the meter        .f
   to cover the honeycomb window.  The meter is pointed,
  from the subiect position, ot o point midwoy between the                /\
  moin light source ond the comero (if the TOPCON-METER
   is detoched ond usedl or  the picture toking position os
  opposed to the reflected light meosuring method.  In cose   \ \ \ \
  the subiectis inoccessibleond/or the light conditionsore the  some ot the comero point outdoors, incident light reodings -t=r+  moy be token ot the photogropher'sposition by oiming the       [*
  meter ot o point midwoy between the light source ond the
  subiect-comero extended line.                                               /\




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However, in cose of sunlight or  ortificiol illuminotionfolling on the subiect from one side only, os is
often done when highlighting portroits, or when ortificiol illuminotiononly  is used os the moin light
source indoor, the exposure reoding must olwoys be token of the subiect's position.

The incident light method is suited for ogoinst-the-lightshots, close-upsond is recommendedespeciolly
for color-shots. For indoor shots ond illuminotionshots, the reoding should olwoys be token ot the
subiect'sposition to obtoin correct exposure.
When toking exposure reodings of  bright seoshores,snow scenes or distont mountoin scenes,odd  I  to
the light volue number obtoined, os will be the cose for o very  light or whitish subiect. When the
subiect is dork subtroct I  from the light volue number.

N O T E :
I . The opol disc is used only for incident light meosurements.Check to see thot it is off for ref lected
   light reodings. Use of opol disc for reflected light reodings or incident light reodings without opol
   disc will give you wrong  light volue numbers.
2.  lf the light volue does  not  register under the poorest lighting condition (such os, outdoor night
   scenes,indoors in night clubs or bors, etc.) even with the omplifier ottoched ond whether by the
   reflected light meosurementor incident light meosurementmethods, detoch the opol disc ond point
   the honeycomb window  directly ot the moin light source. The light volue reoding thus obtoined
   must be odiusted by decreosingit by 3 numbers,for exomple, if the number is 5 on the TOPCON-
  METERthen the light volue settingshould be set to 2.  In normol use, odiustingthe light volue number
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shoufd suffice ond is recommenedbecouse of the speed.  lf, however,
   the light volue numberconnot be odiusted,set the numberobtoined on
   the comero, os exploined in the following sections, then multiply
   the shutter speed obtoined l0  times to get the correct speed, for
   exomple, if  shutter speed is 1l2 second ond operture is   f 12, the
    c o r r e c t s p e e d w i l l b e 1 1 2 s e c o n d .. l 0  o r 5 s e c o n d s . A s w i l l b e
   exploined loter on, correcting the shutter speed will outomoticolly
  move the operture, thus the previous numbers must be remembered
   ond re-set once more.

3. The TOPCON-METERhos o  sofety lock under the boffle which is
   odiusted to  lock the TOPCON -METER in the occessory shoe so
   thot  it will not slip out.     lf the bose underneoththe meter does
   not  fit the occessory shoe perfectly,  it con be odiusted by either
   squeezing,if too wide, or by spreoding with o driver, if too loose.

5 . Y o u r T O P C O N - M E T E Rs h o u l d b e c h e c k e dp e r i o d i c o l l y( o n c e o r  t w i c e
   o  yeor)  to  see  if reodings ore correct.  Close the boffle of the
   meter ond prevent oll light from reoching the honeycomb window.
  The needle must point steodily of  " zero"  under such conditions.
     lf " zero "  is not registered,odiust the lorge-sizescrew on the bottom
   of  the meter by turning in either direction until the needle points
   to  " zero ".

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LTGHTVALUESCALEond SPEED/APERTURECOMBINATION

On the TOPCON-L lens borrel you  hove, beginning from the
outside, the operture scole (which does not move), the light
volue/operturering with o red dot (which moves independently),
the light volue scole, the shutter speed ring with block dot (which
moves coupled with the light volue/operturering) ond the shutter                     | 2 5 r0 2550100250m
soeed scole.
The light volue number, obtoined on the TOPCON-METER,is set
on the comero by moving the light volue/operture ring with red
dot until the red dot coincides with the number on the light volue scole. The light volue number in the
photo is  I l.  At the some time, the red dot olso sets the operture on the operture scole.  In the photo
fhis is between f/8 ond 115.6 or   f 16.
lf, prior to setting the light volue number, the shutter speed hos previously been set, by odiusting the
shutter speed ring (with the block dot) to the required speed on the  shutter speed scole, the correct
operture for  the speed hos now been obtoined,  i. e., correct exposure.  In the obove photo, the speed
is 1 /50 seconds.
On the other hond, if o chonge in operture is required, odiust the light volue/operture ring red dot  to
the required operture number by moving the shutter speed ring ond the correct shutter speed is outomo-
ticolly set, olso.
Due.to the coupled speed/operturecombinotion, effective exposure olwoys remoins the some for o set
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light volue number.  On  setting o  foster  shutter speed the coupled oction outomoticolly opens the
      operture, while  in  the reverse cose, setting o smoller operture outomoticolly odiusts the shutter to o
      slower speed.
     NOTE:                                                                                                                     :
           l. Both light volue/operture ring ond shutter speed ring ore click stops so thot oll settingsore felt ond
         o click heord when properly set.  The light volue/operture click stops ot holf points between numbers
        on the scole to give more proper exposure but the shutter speed ring con only be stopped ot lhe
       --  numbers on the scole.
                                                                                                 'l/500       2. An  exception  to  the coupled speed/operture combinotion is shutter speed       seconds.  When
         odiusting speed from   I 1250 to   I /500 seconds,olwoys move the light volue number left on odditionol
        number.   lf  it wos 1 2, move up to   I 3  ;  if  it wos 17, move to the red dot.

       3. The light volue/operture ring only covers the ronge of opertures from 2  to 16 ond will not set to
         opertures outside these limits. Therefore, if the light volue number must be set to o number which
           will, ot the some time, bring the red dot  to o  point outside the regulor opertures (which connot bel1I     done), first move the shutter speed ring in the opposite direction.

       4. ln spite of the coupled speed/operturecombinotion, it  is possible to  set the operture without  re- i      ference to the light volue scole if such o necessity should orise.
        There moy be occosions when you  will not hove time for toking o correct  light volue reoding ond
           will wont to set the operture bqsed on Exposure Tobles.  Or, when toking flosh pictures you  will
         not be oble to use the light volue scole ond will hove to set the operture directly.

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