Olympus Pen 35mm Half-Frame Film Cameras, Classic Collectibles

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Half-Frame Cameras

A half-frame camera is a film format camera that uses only half the frame size of a standard exposure film for each shot. For example, where the normal frame size of a 35mm film is 24x36mm, images recorded in half-frame is 18x24mm. With these half-frame camera, one can fit twice as many pictures onto a standard roll of film. For example, 72 exposures on a 36-exposure roll, 48 on a 24-exposure one, and so on.

Among the collectibles of half-frame cameras are the Olympus Pen series which was introduced in 1959 with the first Olympus Pen model. This was followed by other models and variations and over the course of it's production cycle, over 17,000,000 were made and sold, culminating with the most advanced half-frame camera that was designed as such from the start, the Olympus Pen F single lens reflex system cameras.

Most Pens were rather simple point-and-shoot cameras, just like the digital compacts that we have in abundance today. All though are of solid metal construction, later model are equipped by the 'electronic eye' for exposure control, no batteries required. Good collectibles are normally fully functioning and in good working order, best are the ones in mint or near-mint condition.

Olympus History - The Pen Series
The Olympus Pen Series

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The strong points of the half-frame cameras are: having a relatively large film size, using standard 35mm film, smallish size camera bodies, and getting twice as many pictures on a roll of film as regular format 35mm cameras. Since these cameras have been manufactured up to the present time, there are many half-frame cameras with very modern features, such as autoexposure, motor drives, built-in flash, interchangeable lenses, zoom lenses, and even autofocusing. And because these cameras use standard 35mm film, they are just as easy to use today as when they were made. And with today's fine grain films, the results can be absolutely astounding, even with significant enlargement of the film.

While most half-frame cameras have a format size of 18mm x 24mm, there are variants such as 17mm x 24mm and 18mm x 23mm. You might be surprised to find that the 18x24mm format is the normal exposure format on 35mm movie cameras.

For some specific needs, there were cameras originally designed for full-frame pictures that were produced in very small series as half-frame models, for example some Leica, Nikon or Robot rangefinders, and some Alpa SLRs. These are mainly interesting as collectibles.

Resource Links

Half-frame - Camerapedia.org: What is called the half-frame format is usually the 18x24mm format on regular 35mm film. It is the normal exposure format on 35mm movie cameras. For still cameras using 35mm film, the usual format is 24x36mm, so still cameras taking 18x24mm exposures are called half-frame cameras...
Half-frame camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: A half-frame camera is a camera using a film format at half the intended exposure format. A common variety is the 18x24mm format on regular 135 film. It is the normal exposure format on 35mm movie cameras. For still cameras using the 35mm film, the usual format is 24x36mm,..
Half Format 18x24 cameras (1): Half Format 18x24 cameras (1)Half Format CAMERAS 135, from 1914 to ours daysonly 18x24 cameras, not 24x24 or others.
Olympus Pen D2 Half Frame: For all practical purposes half frame cameras were re-invented by Olympus with the 1959 Olympus Pen. Many more models followed over the course of over 2,000,000 Olympus Pen cameras -- and this not counting the Olympus Pen F/FT SLRs...

Olympus History - The Pen Series

By using the half-frame format, Olympus was able to reduce both the weight and size of the Olympus Pen. The cameras featured a simple rear-winding mechanism, D-Zuiko lenses which are established for their image quality, attractive design and extremely easy to use. The Pen was a compact mix of innovative ideas that triggered the half-frame camera boom of the 1960s and 1970s. Cumulative sales of Pen Series cameras exceeded 17 million units. The highly original concepts embodied in the Pen Series would eventually lead to the creation of the legendary Pen F Series half-frame single-lens system.

From a seminar presented at the JCII Camera Museum on Saturday, October 29, 2005: The Olympus Story - From the Semi-Olympus I to the Pen and Pen F Series by Yoshihisa Maitani, Advisor, Olympus Corporation:

The Olympus Pen Series

Prototype
Olympus Pen, Pen S, Pen W
Olympus Pen EE, EE-2, EE-3
Olympus Pen EES, EES-2
Olympus Pen D, D2, D3
Olympus Pen EM
Olympus Pen EED
Olympus Pen F
Olympus Pen FT
Other Half-Frame Cameras
Online Videos on the Olympus Pen

Prototype

Olympus 18 (1959)
The Olympus 18 was the first prototype for the Olympus Pen. The name was derived from its 18x24mm format. Though some details, notably the markings around the lens and the top cover design, differentiate the Olympus 18 from mass-produced models, the basic style had already been perfected.

Olympus Pen, Pen S, Pen W

Olympus Pen (1959)
The first-generation Olympus Pen camera appeared in 1959. The design process began with the concept of creating a camera that could be sold for ¥6,000 yen. The Pen combined the superb photographic performance of the D-Zuiko lens with excellent portability, and it was also used by professional photographers as a secondary camera.

Olympus Pen S (1960)
The Olympus Pen had an F3.5 lens. Many users wanted a brighter lens, and Olympus responded by using a D Zuiko 30mm F2.8 lens in the Pen S.

Olympus Pen W (1964)
This Pen Series camera was designed specifically for wide-angle photography. The lens was changed to a wide-angle E Zuiko 25mm F2.8.