Olympus µ

The OlympusOlympus introduced its first camera in 1936, the Semi-Olympus I, fitted with the first Zuiko-branded lens. The first innovative camera series from Olympus was the Pen, launched in 1959. The half-frame format, allowing 72 pictures of 18 × 24 mm format on a standard 36-exposure roll of film, made Pen cameras compact and portable for their time. Pixel More µ[mju:] (US: ∞ Stylus) was a fully automatic 35mm compact camera introduced by Olympus in 1991. The Stylus was the first model in the hugely successful Olympus mju/Stylus series, selling 5 million on its own^[1].

Evolved by camera designer Maitani Yoshihisa^[2] from his Olympus XA design, the µ[mju:] was very small and curvy, with an integrated lens cover. It is switched on by shifting the lens cover to one side. The original mju/Stylus was generally available in black, but a LIMITED edition model (50,000 examples) with a metallic silver finish was also released. 1992 saw the release of the OlympusOlympus introduced its first camera in 1936, the Semi-Olympus I, fitted with the first Zuiko-branded lens. The first innovative camera series from Olympus was the Pen, launched in 1959. The half-frame format, allowing 72 pictures of 18 × 24 mm format on a standard 36-exposure roll of film, made Pen cameras compact and portable for their time. Pixel More µ[mju:] PANORAMA. This utilized tiny magnets to move a mask in front of the film in the middle of the roll, while keeping the body and basic spec unchanged.

Some versions of the mju actually say µ[mju:]-1 on the front.^[3]

The technological specifications of this camera formed the basis of a retro-styled limited edition "concept" camera called the Ecru.

Specifications

Lens: 35mm, f/3.5 (3 elements in 3 groups).
Active multi-beam autofocus with 100-steps for a huge range of distances. Pre-focus lock enabled.
Film format: 35mm DX-coded film, ISOInternational Organization for Standardization represents the film’s (or sensors) sensitivity to the light. The higher the number, the more information will be captured. 400 ISO film is more sensitive to light than 200 ISO film by 1 stop. 50-3200.
Automatic exposureThe amount of light that reaches the film (or camera sensor). It determines how light or dark an image is. The exposure of an image is determined by the aperture, shutter speed, and film speed (ISO). During exposure, the sensors or chemicals on the film in analogue models, are subjected to the light outside the camera for a certain time. More with shutterEither mechanical and/or electronic shutters are possible. Mechanical systems can use a leaf (or iris) shutter or curtain shutter. In digital cameras a third alternative is also possible: the electronic shutter. This works by activating and then deactivating the CCD so that no further light can be recorded, regardless of whether light is hitting the CCD. The shutter controls the exposure time, which can range from thousandths of a second to several minutes or more. Fast shutter speeds freeze action, slow speeds are more suited to stationary subjects. A tripod is recommended for slow exposure shots to avoid camera shake. More speeds of 1/15-1/500s.
Self-timer.
Film advance: Autowind and rewind.
Integrated flash with four modes: Auto, red eye reduction, fill-in, disabled.
LCD with battery check and frame counter.
TripodStand to which the camera can be attached hold it steady, especially during slow exposure shots where camera shake must be avoided. Most tripods have three legs while professionals prefer the more compact but less stable one-legged (mono) versions. More Mount.
Power: 3V lithium CR123A.

Notes

↑ Sales claimed by Olympus. (archived)
↑ The name is given in the Japanese order, with family name followed by the given name.
↑ An example from Alf Sigaro on Flickr.