The Olympus Pen EF is bit of an unusual camera. I originally saw this little guy covered in dust at a market last weekend. It stood out form the other cameras with its compact size, selenium light meter and flash. When i picked it up i noticed another interesting aspect. It’s a half frame camera. So i rescued it for $5.
As it turns out, the Pen EF is the last half frame camera released by Olympus. This is quite interesting, as it was the early 80’s at the time, and demand for the half frame format was essentially dead. Why Olympus chose to release a new model when the market was almost gone is a mystery, but im glad they did.
The Pen EF isnt exactly a “pretty” camera. It looks like bit of a Frankenstein with a mixture of two eras of camera technology crammed into a very compact body. The camera epitomizes simplicity. All you need to do is set the ASA (ranges from 25-400), wind the film on, then press the shutter. Thats pretty much it.
The flash is powered by a common AA battery (the camera still functions perfectly without a battery), and to activate the flash you pull a little latch down which engages it.
Besides the metering and flash, the Pen EF is lucky to benefit from a superb little 28mm D.Zuiko lens. Olympus had earnt a great reputation from their Zuiko glass for their half frame and full frame cameras, and the lens in the EF is no different. It still amazes me how manufacturers like Olympus could fit terrific little lenses in compact cameras (within a budget) that are still superior to many modern lenses that supposedly benefit from the latest and greatest technology.
Anyway, i shot a roll with this little beast the day after i got it, and it was alot of fun. It’s quite a strange experience having 72 shots on a roll of film. I hope to create some interesting Diptychs, and also see how large i can enlarge the half frames.
If you see a little Olympus Pen EF around, dont let it end up in the bin. It may not be the most attractive camera out there, but its certainly one of the most unique!

I got this little beast a while ago now, but have only got a chance to make a post about it today.
The Canon P (”Populaire”) was made between 1958 and 1961. It’s one of Canon’s last screw mount rangefinders and regarded by many as one of the best looking rangefinders ever produced. All i know is that it works and feels great to use.
They’re were originally made as a base/basic model, but in reality were one of the last truly “bulletproof” cameras produced by Canon, so many are still working as well today as they were over 50 years ago.
Theres not too much to the camera. No light meter, so theres no electrical issues. No fancy features that cause problems. Just a simple, clean looking camera, that works as good as it looks with a smooth film advance, and a satisfying shutter sound. The viewfinder is quite big and very bright with nice clear framelines (maybe mine has been CLA’s recently?).
Why use a camera with no light meter and no features that make life easier? Well, its fun.
Below is a photo of mine with a Jupiter 8 attached i had lying around. The 50mm framelines are particularly well placed in the VF, so i think a 50mm lens will live on the Canon now.
I got this camera for a steal of a price, but they regularly sell for around $100-$150, and at that price i still think they’re great value. If you want a super reliable camera, stripped back on fancy features that will take some of the greatest lenses ever created (Leica Thread Mount), then i cant think of any camera more suitable than the Canon “Populaire”.

Well, the other week i was made an offer i couldnt refuse. The offer was to buy another Olympus SP, but this time in Silver, for a very reasonable price. Actually, an extremely reasonable price. I wasnt in the market for another camera, let alone another SP, but somehow i convinced myself i should get another one. =/
The SP on offer came with its original case and manual, but the best bit was that it had just undergone a CLA, plus it had a modification that allows it to take modern voltage batteries without any stuffing around. These two things alone would of cost more than what i ended up buying the camera for, so i was pretty pleased. I was about to send my black SP in for a CLA anyway, so this saved me the hassle, plus i can now leave it at home and not worry about scratching the thing (well thats how i justified the purchase). The silver one is now my user, eventhough it is cosmetically and functionally flawless. (I would of been happy wich a scratched up user, but who am i to complain?)
So anyway, heres a quick picture of them together below :