I a n F l e m i n g C l a s s i c C a m e r a C o l l e c t i o n
Olympus
Olympus Corporation is a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Olympus enjoys a majority share of the world market in gastro-intestinal endescopes. It has a roughly 70% share of the global market whose estimated value is US$2.5 billion. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
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With the Olympus Pen EE, the emphasis was on efficiency. Features included fixed focus, a shutter speed of 1/60 sec., and automatic exposure adjustment. Anyone could take beautiful photographs simply by pushing the button. The camera was priced at ¥10,000 yen. Olympus eventually introduced eight models in the Olympus Pen EE series, which became a driving force for the popularity of the Pen cameras. |
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The Olympus Pen F was the world's first and only half-frame system single-lens reflex camera, released in 1963. The camera featured a porro-prism finder and was the first to have a rotary titanium shutter. It could be used with a highly versatile range of 20 exchangeable lenses. The Olympus Pen F was a revolutionary camera packed with innovative features. The rotary shutter, which combined speed with durability, was reportedly perfected only after long and hard effort by Olympus engineers. |
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Introduced in 1973, the OM-1 was the first product in the OM Series. It earned wide acclaim as the world's smallest and lightest 35mm single-lens reflex camera. at the time of its lanch in 1973 The ribbons in the cloth curtain shutter were replaced with strings, and the camera was equipped with an air damper to absorb the shock of mirror movement. The condenser was eliminated, and a pentaprism with a curved lower surface was used. Olympus employed a wide range of innovative ideas to reduce body size and the noise and shock caused by shutter operation. Shutter durability was also improved, resulting in a system capable of withstanding 100,000 operations. The finder screen could be replaced from the lens mount side. The OM-1 initially went on sale as the M-1. However, the product created such an impact that Leica asked Olympus to change the name. Olympus improved and developed a wide range of technology in preparation for the production of the OM-1, including rust prevention technology for the steel materials used to reduce weight, pentaprism processing technology, and heat treatment and surface processing technologies to maximize durability. |
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This camera went on sale in 1975. It features an automatic exposure (AE) system with an aperture-preferred shutter. The OM-2 also had the world's first TTL direct metering system, which measures light reflected off the surface of the film. This allowed exposure control during shooting, and automatic TTL strobe adjustment using a specially designed strobe. To develop the TTL direct metering technology, Olympus collected 35mm film from throughout the world and measured the reflection ratios for each roll. The results were used to determine the density of printing on the shutter curtain. |
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Launched in 1983, the OM-4 was the perfect OM-series camera. It had a light metering system based on up to eight multi-spots. The speed of the electronic shutter was increased to 1/2000 sec. The OM-4 also inherited direct metering technology, and its drip-proofing and durability were improved. An LCD bar-graph was used to display exposure readings in the finder. The result was a product that Olympus could describe with pride as a high-end single-lens reflex camera. The space needed to accommodate the spot-metering mechanism and circuitry was provided by lowering the bottom of the camera. This meant that the motor drive and other features of the OM-1 and OM-2 could also be retained in the OM-4. A later enhanced version, the OM-4Ti, featured a titanium body and enhanced functions. |
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Launched in 1979, the OM10 was an entry-level AE camera with TTL direct light metering. An affordably priced motor drive (winder), strobe flash unit and standard zoom lens were introduced at the same time as the body. Though the OM10 was an aperture-priority AE camera, an optional manual adapter allowed the shutter speed to be set between 1 and 1/1000 sec. (This manual system was built into the OM20.) To minimize the price, the OM10 was designed as a molded body, and the winder and shutter units were automatically assembled. |
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The first camera in the stylish μ[mju:] (Stylus) range went on sale in 1991. Ergonomically designed to fit perfectly into one hand, the ultra-compact body contained an extensive array of features to enhance photographic results, including 100-step AF and a wide range of flash modes. The μ[mju:] (Stylus) became a best-seller, and over 5 million were made. |
The Olympus Trip MD3 was a 35mm Point and shoot compact camera produced by Olympus. Launched in 1998, it was a camera intended for holidays, hence the "Trip" name. It featured a light meter that controlled the camera, automatically changing settings. Because of this, the Trip MD3 was easy to use.
