You may have looked at my first post about my 1964 Olympus Pen EE – What's in the box. This post is all about what I captured using this point and shoot camera and my feelings about using it, etc. You can read more about this camera at My New Olympus Pen EE, 1964 – What’s in the Box?
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Camera Recap
This The Olympus Pen EE is a 35mm half-frame camera made by 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 Optical Co., Ltd. between the years of 1962 and 1966. As with all cameras from Olympus’s Pen (film) series, these are compact half-frame cameras that shoot 18x24mm images on normal 35mm film. The EE series incorporated an 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 meter and 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, making it one of the first true ‘point and shoot’ amateur cameras.
Thoughts and Feelings
This camera definitely feels like it is from the 1960s – in a good way. It is modernist, functional, small and lovely to use. It reminds me of a classic 1960s car. It took me a while to get used to the framing – with a half-frame camera you are in portrait mode and you need to turn the camera for landscape. But as I loaded a 36 exp film I had 72 shots to help me get used to it.

Not needing to focus or set the apertureThe aperture is basically a hole in the camera’s lens that lets light pass through it to the shutter and ultimately the film or censor. The aperture not only influences picture brightness but also regulates depth of focus. Most cameras are equipped with an iris aperture that can be freely adjusted or set according to pre-selected values. More on what feels like a manual camera is also quite strange but also quite easy to get used too. The only thing that you will need to look for is a red ‘flag' in the viewfinder that locks the 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 if it is likely that results would be over or underexposed.
It certainly felt like a film camera. I wanted to search out 1960s cars and building and maybe grow my hair a little. I can easily see why this camera sold so well and how similar it is to the modern range of 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 Pen Cameras.
The camera is surprisingly heavy due to its all-metal construction with the main body being cast from aluminium alloy I believe. Although heavy it is small enough to use entirely one-handed and therefore ideal for street photography. The 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 release and wind-on wheel are easy to find and use. The wrist strap helps too. Being a one-handed camera, turning the camera for landscape is easy. This is strictly a point and shoot camera so it's easy to take it out of your pocket or bag and get shooting.
Processing and Scanning
I decided to get the film processed and scanned with no prints as I expected that some post-editing would help. In particular, I thought that I would need to change the 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 on some shots. I used a guy advertising on Etsy that was happy to process a half-frame film. It all went quite well but there was some marks on some parts of the negative – not the same place on every frame. I was able to edit these out with Lightroom.
Album – Olympus Pen EE
I am pleased with the results – click on an image to change to Gallery mode.
What will I do with the Images?
Well, first things first, I did very much enjoy using the Pen EE and I am please with the results. So the first objective for buying the camera has been met. In addition to adding the photos to this website, I have also uploaded a digital copy to my Etsy Shop so Safe in the Forest and Poodle over Stream our both for sale as instant downloads. I also hope to publish more of them in a zine together with information about 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 Pen EE.
More about the zine featuring the Pen EE
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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 Pen EE Manual 1964 Camera Manual for Instant Digital Download - PDF. Instant Digital Download
Available
£0.95 GBP

PurmaTom Purvis, a renowned artist, and Alfred C. Mayo founded Purma Cameras Ltd. in 1935. David Brock of Brock Fireworks gave financial help to launch the company in London. Their office was at Brock House, Langham St, London W1. (Tom Purvis is perhaps better known as a commercial artist who was responsible for many of the great LNER Railway posters of the 1930s.) More Plus Camera Manual Download. Instructions in PDF for Instant Digital Download.
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Digital Download FedThe FED factory in Kharkov, Ukraine was founded as a children’s commune, for children orphaned or displaced by the combined upheavals of the First World War, the Revolution and the subsequent civil war. It was founded in 1926, immediately after the death of Felix E. Dzerzhinsky (founder of the Soviet secret police, the Cheka (ЧК, for чрезвыча́йная коми́ссия or ’emergency commission’) and named in his honour. Dzerzhinsky had used the power of the secret police to bring about government action to help children. More 4 Vintage Russian Camera Photograph, Vintage Effect, Fed4. Instant Digital Download Photo
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Vintage YashicaYashica was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, originally active from 1949 until 2005 when its then-owner, Kyocera, ceased production. More Camera Photograph. Vintage Effect. YashicaYashica was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, originally active from 1949 until 2005 when its then-owner, Kyocera, ceased production. More 35W RangefinderA rangefinder is a focus mechanism that allows the user to calculate the distance of a subject through the convergence of two images. Cameras that use this mechanism are usually referred to as ‘rangefinders’. Rangefinder cameras were very popular in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Single Lens Reflex (SLRs) and compact cameras largely replaced them in the 70s, 80s and 90s. What is not always appreciated is that rangefinders offer several tangible benefits over SLRs, not least in image quality. Indeed, many photographers would rate the Leica M Digital Rangefinder as one of the best cameras available today. More. Instant Digital Download
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Digital Download PurmaTom Purvis, a renowned artist, and Alfred C. Mayo founded Purma Cameras Ltd. in 1935. David Brock of Brock Fireworks gave financial help to launch the company in London. Their office was at Brock House, Langham St, London W1. (Tom Purvis is perhaps better known as a commercial artist who was responsible for many of the great LNER Railway posters of the 1930s.) More Camera Patent. Collection of Four Digital Photos to Download. 1938 Patent. Orange, Blue, Black and Monochrome
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Vintage Camera Photo. Vintage Effect photograph of an 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 Pen EE 1964. Instant Photo Digital Download. Instant Digital Download
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Zine. INTO THE FOREST - A Forest Adventure with Camera and Poodle. 24 Page Zine in A5 - 8.3 x 5.8 inches. Limited Edition. 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 Pen
Available
£9.45 GBP

YashicaYashica was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, originally active from 1949 until 2005 when its then-owner, Kyocera, ceased production. More 35mm SLRA single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system (hence "reflex" from the mirror's reflection) that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. With twin lens reflex and rangefinder cameras, the viewed image could be significantly different from the final image. When the shutter button is pressed on most SLRs, the mirror flips out of the light path, allowing light to pass through to the film. Other camera typoes include DSLR, Rangefinder and Compact. More TL Electro x. ITS Model. Working with Battery & Instruction Manual
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MinoltaMinolta has been known as a worldwide manufacturer of digital and film cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, laser printers, industrial radiometric instruments, planetarium projection equipment, some of the industry’s first 3D scanners, and other optical instruments and devices. More Vectis 200 APSAdvanced Photo System film is a discontinued film format first made in 1996. Kodak sold APS film under the brand name Advantix, FujiFilm under the name Nexia, Agfa under the name Futura and by Konica as Centuria. More film camera. Tested and complete with 2 APSAdvanced Photo System film is a discontinued film format first made in 1996. Kodak sold APS film under the brand name Advantix, FujiFilm under the name Nexia, Agfa under the name Futura and by Konica as Centuria. More films (expired) and an instruction manual
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PentaxPentax is a brand name used primarily by Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company Ricoh for 35mm cameras, sport optics, and CCTV optics. Not to be confused with Pentax 6×7 (1969 to 1990) and Pentax 67 (1990 to 1999) which were primarily used for the medium format 120 6x7cm cameras. The Pentax brand is also used by Hoya Corporation for medical products & services, TI Asahi for surveying instruments, and Seiko Optical Products for certain optical lenses. More Zoom 105-R 35mm film camera with batteries, case instruction manual and 35mm film
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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 AZ 330 Super Zoom with card and batteries for 35mm film photography
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Links
New Olympus Pen EE, 1964 – What’s in the Box?
INTO THE FOREST – A Forest Adventure with Camera and Poodle – printed copy available via Etsy
John's Cameras – Olympus PEN EE (half frame)
Find the camera you are looking for on eBay
Etsy is also a great place to find vintage cameras and lenses.....
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