Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]My Neighbor brought over an beautiful black Olympus Pen FT. in a paper bag today with two lenses to ask my opinion on it before she brought it to an auction. I gave her an even 200 bucks for it. A minute after she was gone i saw the 625 battery in it was leaking and i thought i might have not come off as well. But I cleaned it out and put it an extra one I use for my Rollei 35 and it works perfectly. This camera is shaped like a Leica M but smaller. It is half frame 18x24 otherwise known as single frame if you are a purist. It is flat on top, no pentaprism. Sleak lines. It has cleaned up to be GORGEOUS! I'VE ALWAYS wanted to get into Olympus Pen and half frame!! A dark ground glass but I'm not bothered by it. Designed by Maitani in the 60's. Hawked by now less than W. Eugene Smith, see the htmls below. Will take more lenses than any other camera ever made because of its shortest *&^%$%# distance: Nikon, Pentax you name it including Leica M!!!!! A complete system that looks like Nikon or Canon spread out. The Zuiko Pen F lenses seem to be obtainable cheaply. So much for loyalty. I have two mistresses now it seems. But we'll see how this first roll of Delta 400 comes out. I love shooting with it so far I've made 22 shots a third of a roll. I need a half frame negative carrier for my D2. I have the 38 mm 1.8 F. Zuiko Auto-S and the 100mm Auto-T I feel like sending this to Stefan Daniel, Leica Product Director, at Leica to see what he thinks of it. I love the way when you hold the camera vertically you get a horizontal. And as the lens is way off center to the left the whole camera is hidden in my hand except for the lens and an inch worth of body on top of the lens when i have it held vertically (for a horizontal shot). With films as good as they are now and with Xtol I think halfframe is due for a relook. click click click 72 on a roll, turns my head around! I'm a new man! Truly an SLR alternative for a hard core Leica M guy such as myself. The 38 focuses a foot away. 4 feet to infinity at f16! I think it will make for a different level of photography for me. A 72 shots on a roll level of work. Loosen me up a little. mark rabiner http://members.aol.com/xkaes/penf.htm http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/pen.html http://www.cameraquest.com/olypenf.htm