B.C.C Beauty Super II [1958 - 1959]
The Super II built on the Canter 35 specification and was the first camera produced under the newly adopted Beauty Camera Company name. It differed from the previous model in several respects.
Three models were initially planned for the Canter 35, but only realised in its replacement model, which supported an old f/1.9 Canter-S, a revised f/2.8 Canter with fewer aperture blades, or a new f/2 Canter-S.
The f/1.9 lens was straight-out of the Canter and set in a Copal MXV shutter, while the f/2 & f/2.8 lenses came in a new Copal SV. The focus scale units remained as feet.
During this period, camera manufacturers were drifting towards a new shutter speed interval convention. The steps of the new Copal SV were: 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250 and 1/500 (the old Copal MXV steps were: 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250 and 1/500). All previous Beauties shutter dials were scaled low to high/left to right. The Super II shutter was scaled low to high/right to left to right and would remain so in all subsequent models.
The f/2.8 and f/2 lens housing was restyled with wider aperture and shutter speed dials, plus a black DOF scale, and the diaphragm construction was reduced from ten blades to five.
The top-plate was restyled to be flatter, along with more heavily raised viewfinder and rangefinder window frames, and the frame counter was moved from the hub of the wind-lever cap to an inset window. The wind-arm was re-shaped and simplified. The integral film-type reminder dial and pop-up film-wound stud were ditched.
The finger-rest collar at the base of the shutter button was widened, and the rewind-crank-arm changed to an unconventional design with a central pivot (functionally resembling a wingnut when erected). When closed, the winder-arm handle sat in a small top-plate depression, which was to become a repeated Beauty design feature. Of course, this means that the rewind knob did not spin when the film was wound-on.
The flash synchronisation port was moved to the body front, bottom left corner of the lens mounting plate (but see Figure 3 for further information), plus there was a new lens mounted M/X synchronisation selection switch.
According to Camera-wiki, Super IIs (and only Super IIs) are date stamped on the back-cover, under the film pressure-plate with the Japanese "Showa"* Year. For example, '33 9 12' would be the year Showa 33 (1958), September 12. I am not inclined to check this detail on either of my cameras, because I can't see how this plate can be safely removed.
* The Showa era refers to the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Showa (Hirohito) from 25 December 1926 until his death on 7 January 1989.
Variations
The f/2.8 Super II was also produced under the name Varicon S II. Follow this link for more information on Varicon.
Most Internet photos show that the focusing lever was a bar and knurled knob, like that of the preceding Canter 35, but my f/2.8 model has the half-moon found on the Super 35. My early to mid-production camera is the only one of its type I've seen. Another variation is the flash synchronisation port located on the top left corner (facing the user) as opposed to bottom of the lens mounting plate. This can be seen in the f/2.8 user manual, some advertising images, plus a few real-life examples have also been observed (see Figure 3). The location of this feature seems to have been altered in early production.
Sales
The serial numbers I have collected do not allow for very robust estimates of production numbers. The "problem" is that the number of surviving examples seems very low when compared to the range of serial numbers (see Research for a further explanation). Nevertheless, the figures suggest something like 16,000 f/2.8 Super IIs were made. There may have been about 6,000 f/2s, while f/1.9 models may not have exceeded much more than 1,000.
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Today, f/2.8 Beauty Super IIs are uncommon, the f/2s harder to find, the f/1.9s very seldom seen, and the Varicon S II almost impossible to acquire.
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In the USA, the f/2 sold for $69.99, while the f/2.8 cost $49.99 (equivalent to £25 and £18 in UK Sterling), according to a 1959 magazine advertisement (Figure 4). Again, it is highly unlikely that the Super II was sold in the UK. In 1958, a mere 1,467 cameras were imported from Japan under the quota system (according to Hansard($)): in the late 1950s, post-war Japan was yet to fully re-establish relations with numerous nations. The Super II was engraved "Made in Japan" on the bottom plate, as were all Beauties from this time onwards.
Follow this link for a copy of the f/2.8 Beauty Super II($) instruction manual at Orphan Cameras: although the images within are actually an f/2 with the PC socket at the top, rather than the bottom of the lens mounting plate.
I have an f/2 and f/2.8 Super II. I paid £27.00 in September 2018 for the f/2. The low speeds below 1/15th are too slow, but otherwise everything works. I cannot recall when I acquired the f/2.8, nor how much I paid. Like the f/2, it's in nice condition, and all working but for the shutter speed selection. The shutter trips at a constant speed regardless of the speed selected.
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Known serial numbers
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f/2.8: see the Varicon page for details
f/2: K1396, K1881, K1925, K2328, K2682, K2734, K2738, K3035, K3043, K3098, K3253, K3312, K3615, K3882, K4293, K4447, K5227, K5322, K5347, K5362, K5400, K5848, K5938, K6203, K6262, K6298, K6582, K6747, K7406, K8136, K8265 (26 examples in a range of 6,870)
f/1.9: K6067, K8752, K9006, K9481, K9578, K9788, K9921 (6 examples in a range of 3855)
Figure 1: front, back, top and bottom views of the f/2 Super II.
Figure 2: the f/1.9 (Internet image) and f/2.8 Super II models.
Figure 3: a real-life example of an f/2 Super II with the PC socket in the "wrong" place. (image found on an auction site). The serial number of this model is K1925. K1396 also has this placement, so the it's likely to be a feature of early production cameras rather than an anomaly.
Figure 4: a February 1959 advertisement from Popular Photography magazine. Note that the PC socket is in the "wrong" place ... at the top rather than the bottom of the lens mounting plate, and the focus dial is black, as found only on the f/1.9.
Figure 5: note that the top of the box says "Super", while the side reads "Super II". The instruction manual cover also omits the "II".
