Saturday, December 10, 2011

Olympus Pen D

Or you could say ancient arrival. I got my Olympus Pen D half frame camera in the mail today. If you are unsure of what half frame is, here is a picture from the internet to give you an idea.



You get two exposures in the same space you would normally take one picture. I like the possibilities of juxtaposition that this presents.

I was prepared for a slightly beat up camera with more defects than the listing stated. However, I was very surprised by what I got. The camera is in beautiful condition. No mold, the lens is crystal clear, and overall the body looks great.

Olympus Pen D

The only thing that might not work is the EV meter but I expected that more than anything else. The selenium sensor degrades over time and 1962 was a while ago. I can just learn with the camera and this part is not necessary. I'll chart the various EV settings, light conditions, shutter speed and aperture to create a rough outline for settings in different conditions.

There is no battery to this camera so I don't have to worry about that. It's full manual. In fact I read that these 'D' models are some of the best made in the Pen series. The lenses and shooting options stand out according to many things. I found some unopened film in a closet at my home and loaded the camera up. I'll look forward to seeing the first shots from this camera. Time to experiment. It should be fun.

I hope I haven't found a new addiction to old cameras....

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