Tokyo Kogaku 50mm f/2 Topcor-S Lens Review

Описание: In this episode, I review the Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm f/2 - a true gem and “sleeper” lens that deserves so much more attention than it gets. At the time, it aimed to compete with the famous Leica Summicron and the brand Tokyo Kogaku, or Topcon, was a serious contender next to Nippon Kogaku (Nikon). Back then, the lens was typically sold together with a Leotax camera which was a Leica copy. Today, the brand has been largely forgotten and the lens can be had in fantastic condition for about 200-300 Euro from Japan.

This Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm f/2 lens is arguably as good as or even better than the Leica Summicron lenses at the time offering fantastic sharpness and high resolution in the center, a characteristic smooth bokeh and wonderful color rendition. Handling the smooth focusing and aperture rings quickly makes clear that this is a high-quality product on par with lenses that are much more expensive today. This makes the 50mm Topcor-S a high-value alternative to more expensive vintage Leica, Nikon or Canon LTM lenses. And since it comes with the LTM mount, you can not only use it on any vintage and modern LTM camera but also on any Leica M using an adapter.

I had already raved about this lens in my Canon L2 review but wanted to dedicate an entire video to it since it is such a remarkable lens and there is so little content about it out there. So for this video, we will dive deeper into the history of Tokyo Kogaku or Tokyo Optical in English, explore the features and optical design of the lens, and take a close look at its performance and the results it produces.

Gear used:
Canon L2 with
Tokyo Kogaku 50mm f/2 Topcor-S

Films used:
Ilford FP4
Ilford Delta 400
Fuji Superia 200
Kodak Gold 200

References:
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/19040885...
http://www.topgabacho.jp/Topconclub/l...

If you enjoy our videos and like to follow us on Instagram, find us here:   / analog_insights