The Olympus Pen F, Pen FT and Pen FV are very similar half-frame 35 mm single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras with interchangeable lenses produced by Olympus of Japan between 1963-1966 (Pen F), 1966-1972 (Pen FT) and 1967-1970 (Pen FV).
The original Pen F has a double-stroke film advance and a distinctive logo rendered in a gothic font. The later Pen FT added a single-stroke film advance, and an uncoupled, integrated light meter, which uses a system of exposure numbers rather than f-stops. The exposure numbers were added to the aperture rings of later Pen F lenses; the rings could be pulled out and rotated to show conventional f-stops instead. A side-effect of the FT's light meter was a dimmer viewfinder. The Pen FV was essentially a Pen FT with the light meter deleted and the F's brighter viewfinder reinstated.
Half frame means that the camera uses an 18×24 mm vertical (portrait) format, producing twice the pictures on a roll of 135 film as the regular 36×24 mm format. The smaller image format also allows for a smaller camera and lenses, making the Pen F system one of the smallest SLR systems ever made; the Pentax Auto 110 was smaller, but with a much more limited range of lenses and accessories, and smaller 110 film.
These cameras are somewhat exceptional since they used a rotary focal-plane shutter, rather than the two-curtain focal-plane shutter commonly used in other SLRs at that time. Since this one-piece shutter opens fully before it starts to close, it can synchronize to electronic flash at all shutter speeds.
Pen-F series cameras are occasionally modified to mount standard motion picture camera lenses for use as film test cameras with 35mm motion picture films. The Pen-F frame size is close to the 35mm motion picture Super 35 frame.
Lenses manufactured for the Olympus Pen F System
| Type | Lens | Foc.Leng.(mm) F |
35mm equiv. |
Angle of view | Gr.-El. | TTL-No. | F/stop range | Min. Focus | Filter | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | G.Zuiko Auto-W | 20mm F3.5 | 28mm | 73° | 6-7 | 0-4 | 3.5–16 | 0.2m | 43mm | 145g |
| E.Zuiko Auto-W | 25mm F4 | 35mm | 62° | 5-5 | 0-4 | 4–16 | 0.25m | 43mm | 120g | |
| G.Zuiko Auto-W | 25mm F2.8 | 35mm | 62° | 5-7 | 0-5 | 2.8–16 | 0.25m | 43mm | 160g | |
| Standard | F.Zuiko Auto-S | 38mm F1.8 | 55mm | 43° | 5-6 | 0-6 | 1.8–16 | 0.35m | 43mm | 135g |
| G.Zuiko Auto-S | 40mm F1.4 | 58mm | 41° | 6-7 | 0-6 | 1.4–16 | 0.35m | 43mm | 165g | |
| H.Zuiko Auto-S | 42mm F1.2 | 60mm | 39° | 6-8 | 0-6 | 1.2–16 | 0.35m | 49mm | 255g | |
| Telephoto | G.Zuiko Auto-T | 60mm F1.5 | 85mm | 28° | 5-7 | 0-6 | 1.5–16 | 0.8m | 49mm | 270g |
| F.Zuiko Auto-T | 70mm F2 | 100mm | 24° | 5-6 | 0.5-7 | 2–22 | 0.8m | 43mm | 230g | |
| E.Zuiko Auto-T | 100mm F3.5 | 140mm | 17° | 4-5 | 1-6 | 3.5–22 | 1.5m | 43mm | 250g | |
| E.Zuiko Auto-T | 150mm F4 | 210mm | 12° | 4-5 | 1-5 | 4–22 | 1.7m | 49mm | 380g | |
| Super Telephoto | E.Zuiko T | 250mm F5 | 360mm | 7° | 3-5 | 1-6 | 5–32*M | 3.5m | 58mm | 800g |
| E.Zuiko T | 400mm F6.3 | 570mm | 4° | 4-5 | 1-5 | 6.3–32*M | 5m | 72mm | 1750g | |
| Zuiko Mirror T | 800mm F8 | 1150mm | 2° | 4-5 | - | 8 | 16m | 25.5mm | 2400g | |
| Zoom | Zuiko Auto-Zoom | 50–90mm F3.5 | 70–130mm | 34–19° | 8-10 | 0.5-4 | 3.5–16 | 1.5m | 49mm | 420g |
| Zuiko Zoom | 100–200mm F5 | 140–280mm | 17-9° | 9-12 | 1-6 | 5–32*M | 1.7m | 49mm | 700g | |
| Others | E.Zuiko Auto-S | 38mm F2.8 | 55mm | 43° | 4-5 | 0-5 | 2.8–16 | 0.8m | 43mm | 70g |
| D.Zuiko Auto-S | 38mm F2.8 | 55mm | 43° | 3-4 | 0-5 | 2.8–16 | 0.35m | 43mm | 125g | |
| E.Zuiko Auto-Macro | 38mm F3.5 | 55mm | 43° | 4-5 | 0-4 | 3.5–16 | 0.156m | 43mm | 200g |
- *M=manual diaphragm
References
- Nakamura, Karen (2005). Classic cameras: Olympus Pen F. PhotoEthnography.com. Retrieved on November 13, 2005.
- Gandy, Stephen (2003). Olympus Pen F, FT, FV: Largest Half-frame System. CameraQuest.com. Retrieved on November 13, 2005.
- McGloin, Joe (2004). Olympus Pen F Cameras. The Sub Club. Retrieved on November 13, 2005.