Olympus-Pen EES-2

Manufactured by Olympus Optical Company Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Model: c.1971 (produced between 1968-71)

(all Pen EE series produced between 1961-83, EE means Electric Eye)

35mm film Viewfinder camera, Half Frame

Engraving on the top plate: EES-2

Lens: Olympus D.Zuiko, 30mm f/2.8,

four elements in 3 groups (D means 4), filter thread 43.5mm

Aperture: f/2.8-f/22, setting: automatic in auto-mode, manual only for flash exposures,

mode ring and dial on the back of the lens

Focusing: manual Zone focusing,

ring on the lens with four zone ikons: portrait, half-portrait, group and landscape

Focus range: 1-3m +inf.

Shutter: Olympus Shutter, programmed EE system, speeds: two, 1/40 and 1/200

setting : fully automatic

Shutter release: on the top plate w/ cable release socket

Cocking lever: also winds the film, a thumb wheel on the back of the top plate

Frame counter: auto-reset, advance type, displays 72 frames, window on the top plate

Viewfinder: Brightframe finder, parallax correction frame, w/ pop-up under exposure warning red signal flag

Eye-piece rectangle is verticaly positioned due to the half frame feature: for landscape taking the camera must be in vertical position, for portrait in the horizontal position

Exposure meter: Selenium cell electric eye meter, bubble meter window around the lens

w/ automatic shutter locking system

Film speed range: ASA 25-400 setting: by the ring and window, on front of the lens

Metering range: EV 8-17

Exposure setting: fully automatic

Re-wind lever: folding crank type, turns when winding

Re-wind release: button on the bottom plate

Flash PC socket: on fron of the camera, X-synch. auto 1/40

Hot-shoe

Self-timer: none

Back cover: Hinged, opens by a latch on the left lower side of the camera

Engraving on the bottom plate: Made in Japan and serial no.3160284

Tripod socket: 1/4''

Strap lugs

Body: metal, Weight: 370g

Battery: none, meter and shutter-aperture system work by solar energy

 

Focal lengths indicated on the lens do not give the same angle of view as for full-frame cameras. 30mm on the Pen is roughly equivalent to 45mm on a full-frame lens.

Launched in 1962, the Olympus Pen EES was the world's first camera with a programmable EE shutter. The shutter speed changed automatically according to light level, thus increasing the appropriate exposure range.

The original Pen was introduced in 1959. It was designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, and was the first half-frame camera produced in Japan. It was one of the smallest cameras to use 35mm film in regular 135 cassettes. It was thought to be as portable as a pen, thus the name. The idea was to be much copied by other Japanese makers.

 

 

Done