The Olympus XA series of cameras were a range of very compact cameras in a clam-shell case. They were designed for Olympus by Maitani Yoshihisa. The series was largely replaced by the Stylus/mju series in 1991.
These came out in the 1980s. First there was the XA, complete with manual rangefinder focus, and then the less expensive XA2.
Much less common are the XA1, XA3 and XA4. The XA3 is an XA2 with DX reading for film speed. The XA4 has a wider 28mm lens. A really cheap version was called the XA1 - avoid it for photography since the other models aren't much more expensive.
The XA2, introduced in 1980, was a simplified version of the XA with zone focusing and a programmed exposure system. It had a four-elements-in-four-groups Zuiko 35mm f:3.5 lens. The exposure meter was a CdS exposure sensor above the lens. Shutter speed range was 2 secs. to 1/750. The minimum focusing distance was 3,3 feet or 1 meters. Its film speed range was ASA 25 -800. Limited supplies in white, red and blue were also produced.
Lens: 35mm f/3.5, four element Tessar variant, front element focus.
Focus: three zone manual. Resets to mid-distance when clamshell is closed.
Metering: Center weighted, program auto.
ISO: 25 to 800.
Shutter: 1/500 - 2 seconds. Aperture integrated with the two shutter blades.
Power: 2 S76 cells.
Size: 2.598" x 4.102" x 1.605" HWD (measured).
Weight: 7.480 oz., (212.1g) with two S76 cells (measured).
Esta fotografia é do exemplar que possuo. Características
The Pen series is a family of half-frame cameras made by Olympus from 1959 to the beginning of the 1980s. Aside from the Pen F series of half-frame SLRs, they are fixed-lens viewfinder cameras.
The original Pen was introduced in 1959. It was designed by Maitani Yoshihisa, and was the first half-frame camera produced in Japan. It was one of the smallest cameras to use 35mm film in regular 135 cassettes. It was thought to be as portable as a pen; thus the name. The idea was to be much copied by other Japanese makers.
A series of derivatives followed, some easier to use with the introduction of exposure automation, e.g. the Pen EE; others with a wider aperture lens and a manual meter, such as the Pen D.
In 1966 the arrival of the Rollei 35, a camera almost as compact but making normal 24×36 exposures, would announce the beginning of the end for the half-frame concept. However, Olympus went on producing the simpler models of the Pen family until at least 1983. 17 million Pen half-frame cameras were sold.
In the descriptions below, please note that the focal lengths indicated do not give the same angle of view as for full-frame cameras: 30mm on the Pen is roughly equivalent to 45mm on a full-frame, and 28mm to a 40mm.
The original Pen is a very compact half-frame camera, with just a viewfinder, no meter and fully manual settings. It has a 28mm f/3.5 Zuiko lens. Its shutter settings are 25, 50, 100, 200, B; its aperture range from 3.5 to 22. It has a PC Sync terminal at the lower-left of the lens. The back is removed completely for film loading and unloading.
The Pen S is almost the same camera, with the following shutter settings: 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, B. It existed in two versions, with a 30mm f/2.8 lens or an 28mm f/3.5 lens.
The Pen EE was introduced in 1961 and was the amateur model, with fully automatic exposure and fixed focusing. It is a true point and shoot camera, and has a 28mm f/3.5 lens. The Pen EE family is easily recognized by the selenium meter window around the lens.
The Pen EE.S, launched in 1962, is the same model with a 30mm f/2.8 and a focusing ring, made necessary by the wider aperture.
In 1966 the two cameras were slightly modified and became the Pen EE (EL) and Pen EE.S (EL) with a modification of the take-up spool to make film loading easier. EL stands for Easy Loading. You can only recognize them by a small label marked EL stuck on the front, or you can open them and look at the take-up spool.
Features like fixed focus, a shutter speed of 1/60 sec., and an automatic exposure adjustment reveals, that easines of use was undoubtedly one of the main goal in the planning work of the Olympus Pen cameras. In fact, Olympus introduced eight models in the Olympus Pen EE series. Common feature was, that they all was half format cameras.
The EES is the Pen EE with a focusing lens and even EES exists in slightly different variations. Lens is Olympus D. Zuiko 1:2,8 / 3cm with three focus-indents for near, far, and intermediate distances. Shutter has two speeds 1/40sec and 1/200sec. F-stop is automatically selected by the selenium meter at 1/200 shutter speed but can be set manually with the shutter speed at 1/40.
Esta fotografia é do modelo que possuo Características
The Trip 35 is a 35mm compact camera, manufactured by Olympus. It was introduced in 1967 and discontinued, after a lengthy production run, in 1984. The Trip name was a reference to its intended market – people who wanted a compact, functional camera for holidays. During the 1970s it was the subject of an advertising campaign that featured popular British photographer David Bailey. Over ten million units were sold.[1]
The Trip 35 was a point and shoot model with a 40mm f2.8 lens, solar-powered selenium light meter, and just two shutter speeds. In 'A' mode, the camera operated as a Program automatic, choosing either 1/40th sec or 1/200th sec. The camera could also sync with flash, and had a range of aperture settings, from f2.8 to f22. In flash sync mode the shutter was set at 1/40. Apart from a simple four-position zone focus system, and an ISO setting from 25–400,[2] the camera had no other photographic controls. The camera had a Prontor-Compur sync connector and a hot shoe. Its lens was a coated Zuiko 40mm f/2.8, with four elements in three groups.
The camera had an ISO range of "only" 25–400, but this was acceptable, as films faster than 400 were uncommon and not of high image quality. 25 speed allowed the use of Kodachrome, while 400 speed allowed use of Tri-X and similar fast materials under low light.
Earlier models, from the first few years of production, had a maximum ISO speed of 200.
The four-element Tessar lens, still impressive today, gave high-quality images. If used with modern film emulsions, the results can be very good.
The use of a selenium photocell to select the shutter speeds and aperture let novices use the camera as a "point & shoot", with good results obtained most of the time. And no battery was needed to power the camera, an important consideration when travelling where batteries might not be available.
The lack of more than two shutter speeds was not a problem. At 1/200 and f:22 with 400-speed film, the camera could deliver correct exposure in full sunlight, while at 1/40 and f:2.8, correct exposure could be obtained under bright fluorescent light, without a flash.
The aperture could also be adjusted to cope with sunny/dull conditions etc., so again this allowed for better results, but in low light conditions, with perhaps a smallish aperture (for long depth of field), the camera would probably set itself to the lower speed of 1/40th, so camera shake was a possibility if higher-speed film was not used.
The Olympus TRIP 35 is a full-sized compact EE camera based on the Pen EES. It first went on sale in 1968. The name reflects its suitability as a convenient camera to take on trips. The TRIP 35 became very popular as a camera that combined ease of use, reliability and a low price with superb photographic performance. It remained a best-seller for many years, and over the next 20 years over 10 million were produced.
This is a fully automatic exposure 35mm film camera introduced in 1968. Olympus made over 10,000,000 of them through 1988. It was, and still is, an inexpensive, lightweight camera with few adjustments.
I bought this particular sample at a thrift shop for $5 on 7/7/7 with a dented filter ring. This one's date code says it was made in 1974.
The Olympus Trip 35 operates completely without batteries. Its light meter and programmed automatic exposure system is solar powered! This makes it one of the world's most advanced cameras which provides fully automatic exposure completely without batteries or external electrical power.
Viewfinder: Standard Albada, with parallax marks. Red indication for too little light. Trick peephole to see exposure and focus settings as set on lens. The ridged window to the right of the finder window is fake, mimicking a rangefinder.
Focus: Manual by scale, visible through viewfinder. Top scale, visible through finder, shows icons or headshot (1m/3'), twoshot (1.5m/5'), group shot (3m/10') and infinity. Bottom scale calibrated in meters and feet.
Lens: 40mm f/2.8 Olympus D. Zuiko, 4 elements, three groups. Appears to be a front-element focusing Tessar.
Close Focus: 2.9' (0.9m).
Diaphragm: two bladed, diamond-shaped, stopping down to about f/22.
Shutter: 1/40 or 1/200, automatically selected. No bulb setting.
Cable Release: Standard socket in shutter release button.
Meter: Selenium cell around lens. (automatically incorporates any filter factors.)
Exposure: Program automatic (A) and fixed-aperture for flash. Note: if you chose a large aperture for flash and work in bright light, it stops down accordingly but keeps the shutter speed at 1/40.
Exposure range: EV 8-1/3 (1/40 at f/2.8) to EV 17-1/6 (1/200 at f/27).
Film Speed: Third stops from ASA 25 - 400, except ASA 32.
Filter Size: 43.5mm screw in.
Low Light Warning: If exposure would go below 1/40 at f/2.8, the shutter locks and a red transparent flag rises from the bottom of the finder in A setting. (If this happens, use flash.)
Flash: Hot shoe and PC terminal.
Film Advance: Thumb wheel.
Rewind: via crank and bottom release button.
Back Opening: via catch along left bottom.
Film Loading: Put leader on tooth in slot.
Size: 4.912" W x 2.861" H x 2.269" D (124.77mm W x 72.67mm H x 57.62mm D)l, measured.
Weight: 13.77 oz. (390.5g), measured, naked: no film or strap.
