The objective of this page is to provide an at-a-glance overview of model name variations, and the differences between the two groups of otherwise very similar cameras.
Aliases, rebadges, rebrands & non-existents
Beauty 35
Beauty Super II
Super L
Lightomatic*
Lightomatic II
Lightomatic III
Alias
-
-
-
Beauty LM
-
Beauty Lite III
Rebadged
Milo 35/Ward 35
-
-
-
-
-
* Some US marketing referred to this model as the Beau Lightomatic.
* I can find no evidence supporting the existence of any of these models. All the "non-existent" cameras appear to be attributable to perpetuated typos, such as the one illustrated here (from Flickr), and from which 1,797 people may have gained the impression there was a "Lightmatic II", especially if they only looked at accompanying photos where the top-plate name was not visible. Similarly, Lightomatic LM was probably a combination of "Lightomatic & LM", while LM2 is likely an abbreviation of "LightoMatic II", and Lightmatic III is just a typo.
Non-existent*
-
-
-
Lightomatic LM
LM2
Lightmatic III
35-type lenses & shutters
(excluding the 35)
Lenses (elements)
Canter f/2.8 (5)
Canter S f/1.9 (6)
Canter S f/2 (6)
Biokor f/2.8 (4)
Shutters
Syncro-Compur
Copal MX
Copal MXV
Copal SV
Super 35
[10]
-
-
-
1/500
1/300
1/300
-
Canter 35
[10]
[10]
-
-
-
-
1/500
-
Super II
[5]
[10]
[5]
-
-
-
1/500 (f/1.9)
1/500 (f/2 & 2.8)
Beaumat
[No., of blades]
-
-
-
[5]
-
-
-
1/500
All 35 type lenses are 45mm, and aperture steps are not click-stopped, apart from the Beaumat which has a soft click stop.
Copal MX and MXV 1/300th shutters have the steps - 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/300.
Syncro-Compur and Copal MXV 1/500th shutters have the steps - 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500.
Copal SV shutters have the steps - 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500.
Lightomatic-type lenses, shutters & viewfinders
Lenses (elements)
Canter S (6)
Beauty S (6)
Biokor S (6)
Shutters
Copal SVL
Copal SV
Viewfinder
Paralax correcting
Meter pointer
Adjustable meter
Adjustable rangefinder
Super L
yes
-
-
yes
-
-
-
yes
-
Lightomatic
yes*
yes
-
-
yes
yes
-
yes
-
Lightomatic II, III & SP
-
-
yes
-
yes
yes
yes
yes (not SP)
yes
* I have seen a couple of images of the LM (Lightomatic) with a Canter lens, but the majority have a Beauty S.
All lightomatic type lenses are 45mm f/1.9 and have 5 blade diaphragms. The aperture steps are not click-stopped.
All Lightomatic type shutters have the steps - 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500.
Lens caps
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35 - unknown? (not shown)
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Super 35 - 42mm, silver, BEAUTY in capitals (not shown).
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Canter 35 - 42mm, silver, Canter in lower case.
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Super II - 42mm, silver, BEAUTY in italic capitals with an offset background circle.
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Super L - 48mm, silver, BEAUTY in italic capitals with an offset background circle.
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Lightomatic - 48mm, silver, LIGHTOMATIC in small capitals.
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LM - 48mm, silver, Beauty in lower case italics.
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Beaumat - 48mm, black, Beaumat in lower case.
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Lightomatic II - 48mm, black , "LIGHTOMATIC" in small capitals.
Up until 1959, Taiyodo Koki and Beauty cameras had a unique, push-fit, lens caps, with logos in a font that matched the model name engraved into the camera body (except for the Super II and Super L, which shared a common cap with a non-matching font). These were good quality; made of aluminium, with matt black painted insides and a strip of flocking on the inside flange to aid grip.
In 1960, the caps were made of 3mm thick black plastic, but still of good quality (Beaumat & Lightomatic II).
1961 marked a change to thin, and cheap looking black plastic lens caps, lacking a camera-matching design.