Olympus Pen FT – Half yet double

If you don’t have time to read this review of the Olympus Pen FT, I can read this to you with the Photo Thinking Blogcast! You can find it on most podcast platforms or here.

Olympus Pen FT

To halve or not to halve is the question.  While, like many people, I enjoy using half frame cameras I do struggle with the inherit visible grain and reduced ability to enlarge.  Enter the Olympus Pen FT and its wonderful range of lenses.  It may not totally overcome the limitations of half frame 35mm exposures, but it does go a long way to it.  

As long as I have been collecting cameras, many people have told me the lenses on the Olympus Pen F series of cameras are something exceptional.  While I have never thought they were misrepresenting this, I did have some scepticism that they would stack up to what I normally expect from a camera.

I am happy to admit now that I fully understand what they meant.  It makes a lot of sense, if you stand back and think about it a little.  This camera literally shoots half a frame of a regular 35mm camera, so it must use other tricks to ensure the quality is substantial enough to produce good results.  The lens design for this series is the main driver of that quality.  All the recommendations I have received were not off target.

Then there is the “but you have to shoot 72 frames which take forever!” is the other comment I hear.  Not sure what anyone would complain about on this fact, it is great you get to shoot 72 frames!  Lots more shooting, and last time I checked, this was not a chore, it is a hobby that we all enjoy.  

Getting used to the native portrait format can take a bit, but as I also shoot 6×4.5cm medium format, this is not something that took too long for me.  The brain does start to work a little differently using a camera like this and I found I started to see things in portrait orientation a lot more.  Suddenly as a next step, there are scenes which scream out diptych and tryptic.  I do not actively seek them, but they come to me nonetheless.

The Pen FT is quite a small SLR, in fact it does not even look like one.  Due to a mechanism which is effectively on its side, and the use of long chain of mirrors, there is no pentaprism hump on top.  It is flat and looks more like a rangefinder camera.  To me it also handles like one, with one key advantage.  You see through the lens exactly what you are shooting.  It does have a drawback, as many people find the viewfinder a bit dim, though I can’t say it was anything that I particularly found a problem at all.

When using the Olympus Pen FT I find a sense of freedom.  With all those beautiful little frames, I can shoot freely with abandon, on a camera which is small and nimble.  An additional advantage is that the camera is equipped with a meter, allowing for efficient and swift operation.  Metering is not its strong point, but more on that later.

While I like some fixed lens half frame cameras I have used in the past, I actually did not think I would like the Pen FT.  Mainly as the others were easy to use, I felt having a full SLR may make things more complex.  Let’s just say for now that I may have been a bit too closed minded on this and I’ll explain more in the section where I describe the experience a bit later. After we cover a bit more about the camera itself.

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History

The Olympus Pen FT SLR camera was introduced by Olympus as part of its Pen F series. It was designed by Yoshihisa Maitani (who also designed the OM-1 and XA).  Maitani took quite a few inspirations when designing the camera, including that is should be like a fountain pen, so very compact and easy to carry.

He also wanted to reimage how an SLR should be designed and took inspiration from the Leica rangefinders.  This led to a design without a bulky pentaprism and by also implementing a rotary shutter, keeping the camera flat and compact.  Being a leader in modern industrial design, he took cues from that ethos ensuring that form follows function, keeping the camera clean and uncluttered.  It was also designed to be well build with quality materials and craftmanship, so he inserted himself to all manufacturing phases to oversee every aspect of the Pen F’s design.

The original Olympus Pen F was released in 1963 where it earned the honour of being the first ever half-frame SLR.  The F has no meter and the fastest speed of 1/1000^th second.  In 1966 the Olympus Pen FT (the camera in this article) was brought to market with an uncoupled Through the Lens (TTL) CdS meter and a lower fast speed of 1/500^th second.  A final model was released in 1967 called the Pen FV.  The meter was removed and a microprism was implemented for better focusing.

Since the original release of the Pen series of SLRs, they have established a cult following.  The Pen branding remained popular enough that in the 2000s Olympus once again used the name to brand the Micro Four-Thirds (MFT) digital cameras.  As the original Pen cameras are half frame film cameras it aligned nicely with the sensor on the digital cameras which are half the size of the full frame digitals.

Camera Specifics

The Olympus Pen FT is a half-frame mechanical 35mm SLR.  It produces frames which have dimensions of 18x24mm in a portrait format on regular 35mm film.  It is available in black, like this one, or more commonly in silver with black finishes.  The camera is fully mechanical and only requires a 1.35v, originally mercury, battery for the CdS cell meter, which is uncoupled.  It can now be operated with either Wein cell batteries or adapters which can regulate the voltage from a regular 1.5v cell battery (e.g. MR9 adapter) since mercury batteries are illegal for sale in most countries.

The Pen FT, and the Pen F SLR series in general, does not use a pentaprism for viewing through the lens.  To achieve a more compact design and by producing portrait format frames, this device employs a side-moving mirror mechanism instead of the traditional up-and-down movement. As you will be able to see in the attached video.

Maximum shutter speed is 1/500^th second with the longest 1 second and Bulb.  It is selected via a dial on the front of the camera which has the numbers printed so that you can view them from above.  Film speed is also set on the same dial, with options from ASA 25 through to 400.

The shutter is a rotary design, to further ensure the flatness of the camera.  This is significantly different from other cameras with a focal plane shutter and has the added benefit of flash sync at all speeds.  The way it works is that inside the camera is a large circular metal disc, this is the rotary shutter itself.  Part of the disc has a cut out section (like a slice of pizza) where the light can come through.

By pressing the shutter release it spins the disc at the appropriate speed to sweep the open segment (missing pizza slice) across the film gate.  As it is spinning at the right speed, it exposes the film with the appropriate amount of light and then covers the film gate again.  When you then advance the film, it cocks the shutter by moving the disc back over the film gate so that it is still covered and gets the spring back ready to trigger for the next exposure.

The top of the camera is a very minimalist affair.  On the right is the shutter release, which is a rectangle shape, has a remote cable screw fitting.  A shutter count window is on the right in front of a little window.  This little window allows light into viewfinder to see the exposure meter.  On the left is the film rewind.  Underneath the camera are the battery slot and rewind release tripod thread. 

The film advance is at the back of the camera on the right-hand side.  Only other item on the back is the viewfinder window.  A flash sync socket is on the left side of the camera, and it has strap lugs on both sides.  For delayed time shutter release, there is a timer lever on the left side of the camera on the front.

Lenses are mounted with a bayonet mount specifically for the Pen F range.  On top of the lenses there are two buttons, one to disengage the lock and unmount the lens and one to trigger a depth of preview stop down of the current aperture selection.

The lens options range from 20mm to 800mm and these Zuiko lenses are considered some of the sharpest ever lenses for a half frame camera.  Specifically for my copy, I have the 38mm f/1.8 and the 100mm f/3.5.  

Loading the film is straight forward for this camera, you insert the 35mm cartridge on the left side, run the film across the film gate and thread into the non-removable take up spool.  Bring the rewind crank back down, close the back door, and forward a few frames until you reach number one.  You are then up and running to create lovely little frames.

The viewfinder, as mentioned previously, is in portrait orientation.  It has a focus spot in the middle, which on this copy is a microprism.  There are no exposure details, only the meter reading on the left.  Metering is always on, so it is recommended you always keep the lens cap on when not in use.  The match needle meter is a bone of contention for many people as it does not have the usual reading of shutter speed, or even aperture, but numbers that range from 0 to 7.

The numbers equate to stops of exposure.  Native lenses released with the Pen FT would have the corresponding numbers on the lens, and you could even rotate these with the usual aperture numbers.  On my copy, that is not the case, so it requires some translation.  Zero equates to the lens wide open, so for the 38mm f/1.8, it would be the shutter speed you have selected at f/1.8.  If the match needle was pointing at 1, the correct exposure would be at f/2.8, if it is 2, this would equate to f/4 and so on.

Being a popular SLR, several accessories were available, both for the camera and the lenses.  I’ll cover the lens accessories a bit later with the lens section, but for my copy I was lucky to get the leather ever-ready case, which does split into a half case, making it functional.  

Lens Specifics

The lenses for the Zuiko Pen F series are well known as being some of the sharpest lenses ever made for not only half-frame but for any Olympus SLR.  As such, it is worth spending some time on them, specifically on the two that I have with my set.  

Obviously, there are many more lenses in this series from 20mm to 800mm, but until I use them, I could not talk to them.

Olympus F.Zuiko 38mm 1:1.8 Auto-S

The Olympus F.Zuiko 38mm 1:1.8 Auto-S lens is a standard view lens which equates to roughly 55mm on a full frame 35mm camera.  It has a 40^o angle of view horizontally. The “S” on the Auto-S labelling signifies it is a standard lens.  Auto means the lens has an automatic diaphragm, so will stop down automatically when you release the shutter.

It has six elements in five groups making it a double gauss type lens.  You can tell it has six elements by the letter “F” in front of Zuiko, as “F” is the sixth letter of the English alphabet.  As per all lenses for the Pen F series, it is manual focus.  Aperture selections are from f/1.8 through to f/16.  Note, f/1.8 from half-frame is equivalent to roughly f/2.6 in 35mm.

It is single coated.  Closest focusing distance is 35cm (13.8 in) and it has 5 blades.  It has a 43mm filter thread.  My copy came with the exquisite lens cap, which has the gothic symbol on it, original Olympus UV filter and original lens hood.

Olympus E.Zuiko 100mm 1:3.5 Auto-T

The Olympus E.Zuiko 100mm 1:3.5 Auto-T lens is a telephoto lens which equates to roughly 144mm in 35mm terms.  It has a 17.1^o angle of view. The “T” on the Auto-T labelling signifies it is a telephoto lens with auto meaning it is also an automatic diaphragm.

It has five elements, as per the letter “E”, in four groups making it a Ernostar type lens.  It is manual focus.  Aperture selections are from f/3.5 through to f/16.  Note, f/3.5 from half-frame is equivalent to roughly f/5 in 35mm.

It is single coated.  Closest focusing distance is 1.5m (roughly 5 ft) and it has 5 blades.  It has a 43mm filter thread.  My copy came with the gothic symbol lens cap, original Olympus UV filter and original screw on lens hood.

The Experience

The Olympus Pen FT came to me through an auction in New Zealand that I bid on various cameras in 2022.  This was an auction I have mentioned before, where I won many cameras.  The Pen FT was sold as a full set, including the 38mm, 100mm lenses, lens hoods, leather case and lens case for the 100mm.  As a bonus, at least in my view, it is the black version.

I have an interesting relationship with half-frame, especially as I tend to lean towards the larger formats.  As a co-host on the Camerosity Podcast, I come into contact with other podcast hosts, and my good friends at the I Dream of Cameras podcast have a very apt term for half-frame.  They call it “half a cookie”, because why would you want half a cookie if you can get a whole cookie?

So that is the internal tussle I faced when I decided it was time to use this camera heavily.  In the back of my mind, I was worried that I would spend all this time shooting with a camera and come out the other end without any images which would be of quality I’d be happy with.  Mostly related to the smaller size or in other terms, end up with an unsatisfying half a cookie.

With an open mind though, I started to use this camera.  Guess what?!  This is a very good camera, and the lenses, as per everyone’s advice, are excellent.  

First, the camera itself when I pulled it out of the packaging feels very solid.  It is a fully mechanical camera made from metal with very little plastic.  The controls feel nice and smooth.  When I focus with the lens, I appreciate the grip it gives me and it turns very nicely.

While I did feel hesitant the first time taking it out, I loaded it with Kodak Pro Image 100, popped it into my camera bag and travelled in the central business district, or CBD, of Sydney.  I really enjoy using the camera, it handles very nicely, it feels good in the hand and just allows me to shoot.  

Some people have complained that they find theirs a bit hard to focus because the viewfinder is a bit dimmer than the non-metered versions of the Pen F series.  I did not find that with mine.  While I would not exactly call the viewfinder bright, I found it was quite adequate.  

It was nice to shoot with abandon, knowing there are lots of exposures to be made on each roll of film.  Sometime later I finished the film and had it processed.  Receiving it back, I popped it on the light pad and was impressed with the exposures.  

For all transparency, my meter is out by one and half to two stops when I test it, even with the correct voltage.  I adjust the ISO to give me the correct exposure metering.  So, with that, I cannot really tell you how good the original metering would have been, and I do believe the meter is one of the weak points on this camera.  With that in mind, I have not bothered getting it repaired.

The real surprise came when I scanned the film in my Nikon Coolscan LS-4000.  These were razor sharp.  The definition was great with both lenses, the 38mm and 100mm.  No real fall off on sharpness, and in fact, very little vignetting.  These lenses are quite something special.

That has made me more excited to use the camera and since then I have put through more Pro Image and also a few Ferrania P30 and Kodak T-Max 100 from an expired bulk role I use often.  It has performed wonderfully, and I enjoy using it every time too.

There is a “but” though, and it is a pretty ugly but.  There is one thing that does drive me crazy on this camera.  It is the metering itself.  Let’s forget the issues with it being old and no longer as accurate, that happens to the best of them.  It is the way you need to understand the reading.  That numbering system Olympus introduced with the Pen FT is horrible.  

My lenses do not have the rotating number ring which you can use to equate to the aperture.  Mine have the regular aperture numbers, so each time I have to translate it to the correct aperture.  It just slows me down too much when I rely on it.  It annoys me to the point where I considered defacing my lenses with the numbering stuck on.  Luckily, I cannot bring myself to do that.

I can see why the Pen F and FV are so popular, as the metering in the way it has been implemented on the FT is something you can take or leave.  The added bonus is, that if you can at least have it working, when you need metering, it is there.  Otherwise, it is as well built as the other two, so just as much fun.

The only other thing to consider is that film speed options for the metering only go to 400 and there is no compensation option.  If you need to use a film faster than 400, which I would question on a half-frame, you need to use a handheld meter or your phone.

The Pen FT is a great little camera for street photography.  Usually, I prefer a rangefinder. As they are quiet and unobtrusive.  This camera is the first SLR I would consider comes close for that purpose.  While you do hear the rotary shutter a bit more than a higher end rangefinder, it is quite quiet.  And being so small, the camera does not stick out.  While not the lightest camera, due to its good construction, it is light enough to carry all day too.

As you may be able to tell, I really do like this camera.  It has shown me that half-frame does not mean that you are sacrificing quality.  If a camera is well built and has good quality glass attached to it, you are on a winner.

I can honestly say that if you are interested in half-frame photography, the Olympus Pen FT should be near the top of your list, as would any from the Pen F series.  It has a great selection of lenses, is solidly made, gives quality results and most importantly, is fun to use.

Related Links

Peggy Marsh at Camera Go Camera writes about her Olympus Pen FT, how she nearly sold it off due to the first shoot, but then eventually fell in love with it.  You can read it in Olympus Pen FT.

On Casual Photophile, Josh Solomon writes how he survived a bleak time in the world with Surviving 2020 with an Olympus Pen FT.

At lomography the staff have a short review with a quite a few photos in Staff Review: Olympus Pen FT.

At Imaging Pixel there is a good review in Olympus Pen FT 35mm Half Frame SLR Film Camera.