Half-frame SLR · 1963–1972

Olympus Pen F mount cameras

The Pen F of 1963, the Pen FT of 1966 and the Pen FV of 1967 share this bayonet on one of the smallest SLR systems ever made. Designer Yoshihisa Maitani gave them an 18 × 24 mm vertical frame, so a 36-exposure roll yields 72 pictures, and a rotating metal-disc shutter that syncs flash at every speed up to 1/500. The FT added a single-stroke advance and a built-in TTL meter. Olympus made about 190,000 Pen F, 275,000 Pen FT and 45,000 Pen FV bodies.

The original Pen F has no meter. The FT's meter isn't coupled to the shutter, so you transfer the reading to the controls yourself.

1 camera we cover.