Olympus Pen FT - Practicing Good Penmanship

<p>In 1966, Olympus introduced the Pen FT as a slight upgrade from Yoshihisa Maitani's original Pen F design. The Pen FT had a single stroke film advance and on-board TTL meter as key features. Both Pen models and a third, the SV,(same as an FT with no meter), all use the internal prorro prism design and a unique, titaninum rotary shutter that syncs flash at any speed.<br>

Billed at the time as the worlds smallest 35mm SLR, the Pen system was always a gadgeteer's delight. It's beautiful, sleek miniature styling made it easy to carry while it's fine system of lenses and accessories made it very versitile photo tool. And with advertising featuring W.Eugene Smith, well, soon every kid wanted one...but didn't get one. Until now that is.</p><div></div>

<p>I always viewed half-frame as a curiosity. By the time I could buy my own equipment, it seemed easy to make the choice of full frame 35mm over half-frame. I mean regular 35mm film size was pretty small as it was and the full frame 35mm cameras were a bit larger but not by much. Other than a Summer with a Canon Dial, I don't have much half frame experience. I came upon this camera by attempting to buy the lenses for use with another camera. This black FT body came with them but it was jammed. A trip to Clarence Gass and the camera was restored to working like new again. Once shooting with it, I could appreciate the finer qualities of the camera.</p><div></div>

<p>This camera has beautiful, sleek lines. It feels very compact in the hands. You can feel the fit and finish is very good...solid.. The rotary shutter is quiet and the camera gives off very little vibration when the shutter is fired. The finder is bright and easy to focus. The default portrait orientation of the finder intially feels different but after a few frames you don't notice it so much. In your hands it feels like the ultimate precision instrument. It's a very pleasurable shooting experience.<br>

The meter works well but is not coupled to the lens and the battery is the old 1.3v mercury type . It's faster to just judge exposures by eye or use a hand held meter.</p><div></div>

<p>I've never owned a Pen SLR. How is the viewfinder brightness compared to its "double frame" contemporaries?</p>

<p>Some say the OM series was just as small as the Pen series of cameras. Although the OM-2n body, which was introduced years later, is close in size, the smaller lens mount, lack of prism and overall sleeker lines of Pen makes it feel smaller in the hands.</p><div></div>

<p>While not the smallest lens in the kit, the lens I used most was the Olympus H. Zuiko Auto-S 42mm f/1.2. Like a lot of fast lenses it is a bit dreamy wide open but sharpens up well two stops down. It focuses closely and the bright maximum apeture makes it easier to focus and no focus shift noted when stopping down.</p><div></div>

<p>Olympus H. Zuiko Auto-S 42mm f/1.2 bokeh test.</p><div></div>

<p>The outfit I have has a range of lenses that include the E.Zuiko AUTO-T 150mm, Zuiko AUTOZOOM 50-90mm f/3.5, E.Zuiko AUTO-T 100mm f/3.5, F. Zuiko AUTO-T 70mm f/2, H. Zuiko AUTO-S 42mm f/1.2, G. Zuiko AUTO-S 40mm f/1.4, F. Zuiko 38mm f/1.8, and E. Zuiko 24mm. f/4.</p>

<p>Here are some other pictures made with various lenses, taken on Kodak Portra 400. Processing and scans by Walgreens. </p><div></div>

<p>A Bowl of Crayons<br>

42mm</p><div></div>

<p>Pink Buds</p>

<p>40mm. This lens is good but I liked the 42mm better.</p><div></div>

<p>Back Porch with a Tub</p>

<p>50-90mm zoom. A surprisingly sharp lens for an early zoom design.</p><div></div>

<p>Balzac</p>

<p>42mm</p><div></div>

<p>A Two-Fer<br>

70mm</p><div></div>

<p>Floral Display</p>

<p>150mm</p><div></div>

<p>Portrait of Wes. Last picture of him I took since he left to work for another company. A good guy.</p><div></div>

<p>Morning Mailboxes</p>

<p>38mm. This lens is uniquely pin sharp</p><div></div>

<p>Trees in a Storm</p>

<p>24mm</p><div></div>

<p>This close up was done with the 42mm @ f/11 at or near minimim focus distance (.35m)</p>

<p>Overall the Pen FT was beautiful camera to restore and a pleasant one to use. The shear number of frames available, 72 shots on a 36 exp roll, promotes a looser shooting style that I liked. Modern films look great with these sharp lenses. Assuming a good scan, picture quality with half frame is excellent for web use or smaller prints. With the cost of film and processing on the rise, perhaps half-frame cameras will also rise again. Thanks for looking.</p><div></div>

<p>What a beautiful, stylish camera. In your very capable hands it is certainly a great performer.</p>

<p>Louis - that was my first SLR back in the 1960s...a remarkably good camera, and really sharp lenses. You have what was my dream set back then...wow, I could only afford two lenses. Enjoy using it.</p>

<p>Quite a setup you've got there. I'm turning green with envy.</p>

<p>Kirk Tuck has written several blog pieces about the Pen FT and its lenses. He likes using the old lenses on Olympus' new "digital Pen" cameras. Size-wise, they fit onto the Micro Four Thirds cameras rather more comfortably than full-frame SLR lenses, due to their smaller diameter and shorter back focus distance.</p>

I had a Pen Dwhich was my walk around camera for years. For me, the end came when Kodak started returning Kodachrome in strips rather than in individual half frame mounts.

<p>Very nice, Louis...and a black body FT at that!</p>

<p>Interesting to see certain style notes echoed in the later 35 RC: the recessed film advance lever; placement of the self timer.</p>

<p>I was just a kid when the Pen system was still new. Can't recall whether it produced the same "full frame vs not-full frame" angst we see today.</p>

I had a Pen FT for a while. Like the earlier poster, I had one years after the fact. I found the camera nice and the lenses

good, but the smaller negative just didn't have the resolution for me to make consistent 8x10's, especially if anything had

to be cropped out. And since you could get a full frame camera like the Leica CL with nearly the same weight, the half

frame seemed unnecessary.

 

 

In a way, Micro 4/3rds is a kind of half frame for today.