Topcor 25mm 3.5

davoodt · Expire: 2014-11-24

Impressions: Amazing color and sharpness at every aperture. Here is a sample of Topcor’s painterly colors. Notice that blacks are nice and black.

Below please find a 100% crop of the above handheld 10 megapixel image. Wow. Pure magic. You can even see the loose fibers sticking out from the hat.

Here is a picture of the interior of the National Portrait Gallery. Check out the 100% blowup from the extreme corner of the above image. Why cant Canon learn how to do this.

This lens focuses down to around 6″!!!!

Mod: Unfortunately this 25mm, being in Exakta mount, needs the mount to be shaved before the mount clears the Canon 5DII’s mirror. Even after shaving the mount, the rear element interferes with 5DIIs mirror at infinity. There is a shroud and rear filter holder behind this lens’s rear element. Without removing these items I get infinity focus between f3.5 and f5.6. Removing the shroud and filter holder may do the trick but I have not yet figured out how to remove them. Please let me know if you know how.

Top Tip: The nice click of the aperture ring is created by a 1mm ball bearing riding on an indented surface within the lens. When you open up any Topcor RE lens, there is a good likelihood that you will loose the little ball bearing. I have bought 100 of these 1mm bearings from ebay for a couple of dollars.

Here is a picture of Topcon Topcor RE 25mm f3.5 on Canon 5DII:

Here is a picture with filter holder and a filter. The filter holder takes series 9 filters.

Rating: 9 out of 10 (Based on how much I love this lens)

You can see more of my lens reviews at: http://abbynormallenses.com/category/reviews/

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

I'm not sure if you made a typo, but it's a Topcor RE lens, not R.

stingOM · Expire: 2012-12-27

Very nice! Surprised

Would you mind showing which EOS adapter you are using? Does the mirror hit the back of the lens?
Thx!

davoodt · Expire: 2014-11-24

Thanks James for the catch. I corrected the text.

Dear StingOM, I have used a big_is and another cheapo brand's AF confirm Exacta adaptors from ebay.

There are two problems with using this specific Topcor on a 5DII. 1) With this 25mm as well as all Exakta mount lenses, the mirror hits the lens mount. I have filed down the mount. 2) Additionally, the rear element of the 25mm hits the mirror at infinity (not a practical issue due to large depth of field). You can read more and see pictures on my web site.

keithcanisius · Joined: 29 Dec 2014 Posts: 29

There is a 35mm 3.5 for sale around where I live for like 9$, but is it worht getting for my 5d mark ii ?

Sorry if I'm off topic.

Maybe just as collection.

tao · Expire: 2015-03-12

@keithcanisius. Topcor 35/3.5 has UV mount. It won't fit Canon DSLRs without a set of two adaptors, one of which is scarce and expensive. However, iirc, someone in this board said last week that he had extra homemade adaptors for sale.

@davoodt. You could shave the mirror once instead of file down every single lens. There is a direction somewhere in this forum.

stingOM · Expire: 2012-12-27

davoodt · Expire: 2014-11-24

Thanks StingOM,

I knew about the M42 mount but could not justify the price.

Thanks,

Davood

tromboads · Expire: 2015-10-01

and shame on you for shaving the lens. you shave the mirror! Razz

Lens are for ever, camera bodies are for never Razz

John Shriver · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 199

The outer black ring with two spanner holes holds the rear optical assembly into the aperture mechanism casing. I suppose it could be machined a little thinner and still hold that assembly into place.

I don't think the rear optical assembly can be disassembled further non-destructively. I think the glass is held in by peened-over edges. There's four air-spaced elements in there.

But the rear filter is purportedly part of the optical design of the lens. Perhaps just in terms of infinity focus -- Tokyo Kogaku never said why, just "always use the filter."

The Topcon cameras worked fine with a very short mirror, although it was annoying in macro work, where the top of the frame just disappeared when you stopped down. So I'm with the "grind the mirror" crowd.

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

I would love to find a black version.....

John Shriver · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 199

I've only seen this for sale in black twice on eBay. I recorded one sale for $344 in July 2001. I have a picture saved from eBay in October 2011 of another one, serial 933885. Early version of the lens (mixed-case beauty ring), presumably just a special order in black. So we're talking rare here, twice in 15 years. Less common than the 85/1.8 or 500/5.6.

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

A picture you say?

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7581 Location: Hong Kong

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Great shots!

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Lucky man!
If you should decide to sell it, I'd love the opportunity to buy it.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Mir · Expire: 2017-09-30

It would be fun to see a shot with the whole family together !

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

If I got nothing else to do, sure, but if I were you,
I wouldn't hold my breath Wink

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Here at least is teh lens I bought...

tao · Expire: 2015-03-12

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Nice!
Sigh, I still wish Topcon was still making cameras and lenses, I often wonder what they could have come up with if they had moved to a more modern mount like SR or K when they produced the RE line.

Gatorengineer64 · Joined: 26 Oct 2017 Posts: 283

Sorry for resurrecting a very old thread. I have this lens without the rear filter. I do not believe that it is required as it shoots great without it. THoughts or a reference that says its required?

Mark

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7581 Location: Hong Kong

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11