Olympus Pen EE

Photos by Sylvain Halgand text by Sylvain Halgand. From the collection of Sylvain Halgand. Last update 2022-12-09 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in Japan from 1961 to 1963.
Index of rarity in France: Infrequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 1000

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Olympus

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Traduction de Sylvain Halgand.

PEN like pen to write, because the vocation of this best-seller of the 60's was to be used as block-note.
EE as Electric Eye because of its cell which surrounds its lens.

The camera is original as much outside than inside. As soon as it is opened, that jumps to the eyes, there is something of different. What differs is the size of the aperture opposite the film plan; it is small and vertical. That is explained by the fact that the film used if it is well one 135 (thus a priori of 24 X 26 mm) makes it possible to take 72 exposures on a 36 exposures film, each negative not making more that 18 X 24 mm. One more formats where miniaturization is thought, but not quality (by saying that I also think of the 110, 126, disc, APS etc…), except that in the case of the PEN, excellent optics mitigate the defects due to the size of the negative one. Then why this format did disappear? because at the end of the 60's appeared 24 X 36 cameras of the same size… and that 72 photographs for somebody who makes a film per year, it takes a long time to take.
At the end of the Seventies, when the PEN disappear, they are replaced by Olympus XA, one 24 X 36 lighter than the PEN, but also good.

This camera cost 359 francs in 1968 according to the catalog Grenier Natkin.