The number three Japanese PP SLR was a Tokyo Kogaku Topcon R of 1957. From day one, Topcon based their strategy on high end sturdy and innovative quality cameras that would last. Even today, some 50 years after the Topcon peak, these old cameras not
only function, but gives the impression of high quality. The R was produced until 1959, then succeded by the RII. While the R had borrowed both mount and auto diaphragma from the external PAD system of Exacta, the new RII came with an internal system, like
Edixa, Pentax and most others.
Although Pentax had shown a sensational light meter system Through The Lens at Photokina in 1960, it took four years before they produced it. In the meantime, Topcon became worlds first to launch a TTL camera for sale.
The camera was the Topcon RE Super. But customers had been waiting for the Spotmatic from Pentax, and when it came, it swept across the world like a storm, leaving Topcon and the rest behind. Perhaps the design of the RE Super wasn't as sexy as that of the
Spotmatic. Anyway, in spite of innovations and high quality, Topcon did not sell accordingly. Their last quality camera came in 1973, the Super DM. After that, Topcon produced some less advanced cameras like the Uni, until the company decided to stop camera
production from 1978.
The Topcon company, dating back from 1932, still exists with branches all over the world, producing medical products, laser products and GPS systems, among other things.