Olympus Pen
Encyclopedia
The Pen series is a family of half-frame camera
Half-frame camera
A half-frame camera is a camera using a film format at half the intended exposure format. A common variety is the 18x24mm format on regular 135 film. It is the normal exposure format on 35mm movie cameras...
s made by Olympus
Olympus Corporation
is a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, while its USA operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania,...
from 1959 to the beginning of the 1980s, and from 2009. Aside from the Pen F
Olympus Pen F
The Olympus Pen F, Pen FT and Pen FV were very similar half-frame 35 mm single-lens reflex cameras with interchangeable lenses produced by Olympus of Japan between 1963-1966 , 1966-1972 and 1967-1970...
series of half-frame SLR
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
s, they are fixed-lens viewfinder cameras.
In 2009, Olympus introduced the PEN E-P1
Olympus PEN E-P1
The Olympus PEN E-P1 announced on 16 June 2009 is Olympus Corporation's first camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard. The first camera to use the Micro Four Thirds mount was the Panasonic's G-1 camera.-Features:...
, a Micro Four Thirds system
Micro Four Thirds system
The Micro Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008, for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development...
digital camera which the company touts as the next-generation Pen camera.
General context
The original Pen was introduced in 1959. It was designed by Yoshihisa MaitaniYoshihisa Maitani
Yoshihisa Maitani was a designer of cameras for Olympus after joining Olympus in 1956 he went on to work for them for a further 40 years. He was involved with the design of many of their most well known cameras including the Pen and Pen F half frame cameras, the OM System, the XA and later the...
, 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
Rollei 35
The Rollei 35 is a 35mm miniature viewfinder camera built by Rollei. The original Rollei 35, when introduced at Photokina in 1966, was the smallest existing 135 film camera. Still today, the Rollei 35 series remain the second smallest 35 mm camera after the Minox 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.
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 Pen and Pen S
The original Pen is a very compact half-frame cameraHalf-frame camera
A half-frame camera is a camera using a film format at half the intended exposure format. A common variety is the 18x24mm format on regular 135 film. It is the normal exposure format on 35mm movie cameras...
, 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. 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 f/3.5 lens.
The Pen D series
The Pen D was a more expensive model, launched in 1962. It has a 32mm f/1.9 lens, a shutter going to 1/500 and an uncoupled selenium meter.The Pen D2, launched in 1964, is the same model with an uncoupled CdS exposure meter replacing the selenium one.
The Pen D3, launched in 1965, is the same with a 32mm f/1.7 lens.
The Pen EE series
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.
The Pen EE.2, produced from 1968 to 1977, is nearly the same as the Pen EE with the addition of a hot shoe.
The Pen EE.3, produced from 1973 to 1983, seems to be exactly the same camera.
The Pen EE.S2, produced from 1968 to 1971, is the same as the Pen EE.S with the addition of a hot shoe. EES-2's User Manual in English
The Pen EE.D, produced from 1967 to 1972, is a more expensive automated-exposure model, with a CdS meter, a 32mm f/1.7 lens and a hot shoe.
The Pen EF, launched in 1981, was the last Pen model. It is like the Pen EE.2 or Pen EE.3, but with a small built-in flash, and was only sold in black finish with white letterings.
The Pen Wide
The Pen W or Pen Wide is a very rare variant of the Pen S model, with a wide-angle 25mm f/2.8 lens, equivalent to a 35mm in full format. It only exists in black finish, and has a cold flash shoe. It was only produced between 1964 and 1965, and today fetches high prices on the collectors' market.The Pen EM
The Pen EM, produced from 1965 to 1966, is a motorized Pen model. It has a 35mm f/2 lens, and a CdS exposure meter allowing automatic or manual exposure.The PEN F, PEN FT, PEN FV
The Olympus PEN FOlympus Pen F
The Olympus Pen F, Pen FT and Pen FV were very similar half-frame 35 mm single-lens reflex cameras with interchangeable lenses produced by Olympus of Japan between 1963-1966 , 1966-1972 and 1967-1970...
series of cameras were half-frame SLR
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
cameras produced between 1963 to 1970. The cameras were unique in using a rotary shutter
Rotary disc shutter
A rotary disc shutter is a type of shutter. It is notably used in motion picture cameras.Rotary discs are semicircular mirrors which rotate in front of the film gate, and thus expose the film. As the mirror spins it reflects the image onto the ground glass so that it can be viewed by the camera...
.
The Pen Rapid models
The Pen Rapid EE.S and Pen Rapid EE.D were variants of the Pen EE.S and Pen EE.D designed to accept the Agfa Rapid cassette instead of the regular 35mm cassette. They were both made from 1965 to 1966, and met very little success.Digital PEN
In June 2009, Olympus announced the PEN E-P1Olympus PEN E-P1
The Olympus PEN E-P1 announced on 16 June 2009 is Olympus Corporation's first camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard. The first camera to use the Micro Four Thirds mount was the Panasonic's G-1 camera.-Features:...
, an interchangeable lens Micro Four Thirds system
Micro Four Thirds system
The Micro Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008, for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development...
digital camera which carries on in the PEN tradition. Its external design is clearly inspired by the traditional PEN series.
In January 2010, Olympus followed up the release of the E-P1 with the E-P2
Olympus PEN E-P2
The Olympus PEN E-P2 announced on 5 November 2009 is Olympus Corporation's second camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard...
. For the most part, the E-P2 is identical to the E-P1 except it is available in all-black, and includes a high resolution electronic viewfinder. It also features two new art filters. The new port included for the electronic viewfinder can also be used for a microphone (not included). The suggested retail price at release was US$1099. The long awaited Olympus E-P3 was announced on June 30th, 2011, to positive reviews.
On February 3, 2010, Olympus Corporation announced a third camera, the Olympus PEN E-PL1
Olympus PEN E-PL1
The Olympus PEN E-PL1, announced on 3 February 2010 is Olympus Corporation's third camera that uses the Micro Four Thirds mount after the Olympus PEN E-P1 and Olympus PEN E-P2....
, L standing for Lite. The camera was a success, with the E-PL2
Olympus PEN E-PL2
The Olympus PEN E-PL2, was announced in early January 2011 at the CES. This is Olympus Corporation's fourth camera that uses the Micro Four Thirds mount after the Olympus PEN E-P1, Olympus PEN E-P2 and Olympus PEN E-PL1. At the time it was announced, it had a US dollar MSRP of $599.99...
following almost a year later, and an E-PL3
Olympus PEN E-PL3
The Olympus PEN E-PL3 announced on June 30, 2011 is Olympus Corporation's seventh camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard...
arriving in Fall 2011.
To compete with cameras such as the Panasonic GF3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 is the eighth camera in Panasonic's Lumix G-series, adhering to the Micro Four Thirds System design standard, and was announced in June, 2011. The model number implies that it is the successor to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2...
and the Sony NEX-C3, Olympus introduced along side the E-P3 and the E-PL3, the E-PM1, M standing for Mini. The camera features a hotshoe port, and comes in multiple colours. Price has yet to be announced. The three new features of the E-P3 include a flash, 1080i HD video
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
and touchscreen
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
capability. One of the main drawbacks of typical mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras is their use of contrast measurement autofocus
Autofocus
An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
which is fundamentally slower than phase-detect autofocus
Autofocus
An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
used in DSLRs. However, in the E-P3, focus speeds are said to have been improved greatly and an independent report states that manufacturer testing has shown that the EP-3 focuses faster than SLRs such as an unspecified Canon Digital Rebel and the Nikon D3100
Nikon D3100
The Nikon D3100 is a 14.2 megapixel DX format DSLR Nikon F-mount camera announced by Nikon on August 19, 2010. It replaces the D3000 as Nikon's entry level DSLR. It introduces Nikon's new EXPEED 2 image processor and is the first Nikon DSLR featuring full high definition video recording with full...
. However, it is difficult to verify this as it is unknown whether the tests were conducted under equal depth of field
Depth of field
In optics, particularly as it relates to film and photography, depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image...
on both systems. Depth of field of a scene is solely responsible for the accuracy of focus and as the sensors used in the Four Thirds system are smaller than the APS-C sensors used in the said DSLRs, lenses with the same f-number
F-number
In optics, the f-number of an optical system expresses the diameter of the entrance pupil in terms of the focal length of the lens; in simpler terms, the f-number is the focal length divided by the "effective" aperture diameter...
and field of view produce shallower depth of field on the larger sensor cameras. Shallow depth of field is desired in photography as it gives more control over subject isolation but it also makes focusing harder. Additionally, focus speeds of lenses are heavily reliant on the motors within the lenses than on the camera bodies themselves. Therefore it is difficult to say that the focus speeds of the EP-3 are comparable to any DSLR body. Therefore the speeds can only be compared with specific lenses. Olympus will also be bundling the optional flash rather than making it an extra cost.