olympus trip 35 film camera for sale

The Olympus Trip 35 – a perfect travel film camera

The Olympus Trip 35 is a compact, battery-free point-and-shoot 35mm film camera known for its ease of use and quality. When it was released in 1968, it was marketed as the perfect film camera to take on your travels.

NOTE: Travel is not recommended at this time. These posts are here to serve as inspiration when we can explore again. Hey there – this post likely contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This helps me earn a few dollars to run this website.

Imagine yourself as a traveller in the 1970s . Airlines were becoming more popular than ever, with more and more destinations opening up to international exploration. The Grand Tour of the 19th century had felt a resurgence for the everyday person. You only connected with those back at home by postcard and you took photos on film, waiting to share them once you returned.

With over 10 million units sold during its 16-year run, it would be likely that as a traveller in the 1970s, you would have had (or would have wanted) the Olympus Trip 35. How about today? With film photography becoming more popular again, is the Olympus Trip 35 a worthwhile film camera to take on your travels?

What is the Olympus Trip 35?

The Olympus Trip 35 is what is known as a point-and-shoot camera – one that does most of the work for you. The camera has a fixed 40mm f/2.8 lens. The camera uses just two shutter speeds and a selenium photocell as a light metre.

The Olympus Trip 35 was marketed as an easy-to-use, compact camera to take with you on your travels. They are super lightweight, take regular 35mm film and work with a click of a button.

How does the Olympus Trip 35 work

The Olympus Trip 35 doesn’t need a battery to operate, which is pretty darn cool if you ask me. It uses a solar-powered selenium photocell light metre to automatically set the aperture and select a shutter speed.

First up, the Olympus Trip 35 has an ISO range of 25 to 400, which makes it perfect for a film stock like Kodak Gold 200. You can use (the crème de la crème) Kodak Portra 400, but because that film stock is so expensive, I’d use the cheaper Kodak Gold 200 or Kodak Ultramax 400 in this point-and-shoot camera. You could even try a nice black and white film stock, although I haven’t done that yet myself.

The Olympus Trip 35 just has two shutter speeds – 1/40s or 1/200s, which the camera chooses automatically based on the available light. The camera’s aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/22, which it also chooses automatically when in “A” mode. You can take the camera into Aperture-priority mode by twisting the aperture ring on the lens, but there’s really no need to.

The camera has a hot shoe where you could sync with a flash, although I’ve not tried that yet.

Lastly, the only thing you really need to think about when using the Olympus Trip 35 is the focus setting. The camera has four focus zones marked by four symbols: portrait, two people, a group of people and landscape. It’s relatively easy to figure out what focus range you need, but if you need more specifications, the focus zones are 1 metre, 1.5 metres, 3 metres and infinity. For most travel photos, you’re going to stick to the landscape focus zone.

Is the Olympus Trip 35 easy to use?

Once you get the hang of it, yes, the Olympus Trip 35 is so easy to use! The first step is to choose your film stock. The ISO ranges from 25 to 400 so you’ll want to choose a film stock in that speed. (Kodak Gold 200 and Ultramax 400 are some of my favourites).

Next, you need to load the film. There’s a small release button on the left-hand side to pop open the back cover. The 35mm film loads in like most other 35mm film cameras. You need to pop the rewinder knob up, fit in the film and push the rewinder knob back in. Then thread the leader part of the film into the take-up spool making sure that the teeth are grabbing onto the perforated part of the film. Tighten the film by using the film advance wheel, making sure the rewinder knob is turning as you crank the film advance. Close the back of the camera and advance the film three times until the counter is at 0.

Make sure you’ve set your ISO to match your film stock. You can do so by twisting the outer ring of the lens.

Make sure the aperture is set on “A” so that the camera can decide what aperture to use. Once you do that, the camera will decide on either 1/40s or 1/200s for the shutter speed based on the available light.

Next, choose your focus zone. If you’re taking a portrait, use the portrait focus zone, if you’re taking a landscape, use the landscape focus zone. It’s pretty simple.

Then you look through the viewfinder you’ll notice that you can see the lens in the viewfinder. That’s because it’s a parallax viewfinder, rather than a mirror system like you see in most DSLR cameras. The viewfinder in the Olympus Trip 35 has parallax markings, which help you frame up an image when your subject is close to correct for this viewing error.

The second, very small window you see under this (which is called the Judas window – don’t ask me why) shows the aperture session and distance symbol that you’re using.

Once you look through the viewfinder, click the small shutter button on the top right to take the picture.

If a small red flag appears in the viewfinder, it just means that the camera has decided there’s not enough light and won’t take the photo.

Finding an Olympus Trip 35

I think what sold me on the Olympus Trip 35 was how easy it was to use. I had just started my journey back into film photography and I already had the 100% manual Canon AE-1. I wanted something light, enjoyable and fun to use, while still being vintage.

I think I stumbled across the camera while perusing YouTube and thought I’d look it up. I was surprised at the range of cost. Some were selling for over $300 CAD, while others were listed for only $60 CAD.

I learned that people were buying these cameras cheap, replacing the exterior with new leather and reselling them for a lot more, which is why you see Olympus Trip 35s in fun colours. I ended up looking at three Olympus Trip 35s that were for sale but weren’t functional before buying the one I found. There are two major things you need to look out for when searching for an Olympus Trip 35.

First, make sure the aperture blades aren’t stuck. Sticky aperture blades is pretty common in these vintage cameras. You can test to make sure the aperture works correctly by looking through the front of the lens as you change the apertures and pressing the shutter. The aperture blades should change accordingly, opening and closing with ease. If it doesn’t it’s not the end of the world. There are a couple of tutorials on how to fix this online.

Second, make sure the selenium photocell functions. This is key because if doesn’t work properly, the camera won’t metre light properly and your images won’t come out. To test this, you can place your hand in front of the photocell, covering it completely. Try to take a photo, if the red flag appears, it means that it works. If it takes a photo, then it means the selenium photocell isn’t working.

I looked at three different Olympus Trip 35s where the sellers didn’t know if it worked properly or not. I ended up passing on all three before finding one at a camera store in Collingwood that actually worked.

Then I put just one roll of (relatively) cheap film through it and found it worked perfectly.

The tip is to keep a lens cap on it or in a case while not using the camera. Use this handy guide for more tips when buying an Olympus Trip 35.

Why the Olympus Trip 35 is a great travel film camera?

The Trip name is a reference to its intended market—people who wanted a compact, functional camera for holidays.

For me, I think the joy of it is wrapped up in one image I took while on a camping trip in the summer. I was headed out on a kayak on Stormy Lake near Restoule Provincial Park. I wanted to bring my camera, but because I use my camera for my wedding photography business, there was no way in hell I was putting it in a kayak, even if it was protected by a dry bag. I just didn’t want to take that chance. So I put my phone and my Olympus Trip 35 in a dry bag and set off.

I had just brought my film camera out to take a photo when suddenly, a loon popped out of the lake in front of my kayak. I love the sounds of a loon and had heard them often, but I had never seen one so close. I snapped a quick photo of it with my Olympus Trip 35. I didn’t have to worry about aperture, shutter speed and I knew I already had it on landscape focus, so I just pointed the camera at the loon and snapped the photo.

By the time I put down my film camera and picked up my phone to take another photo, the loon had dove back into the depths and when it resurfaced again a few minutes later, it was too far away.

I had to wait another 3 weeks before I saw that photo, and it was even more magical once I saw the image developed.

So why is the Olympus Trip 35 such a great travel film camera?

Hopefully, by now I’ve convinced you that it is easy to use. The camera is lightweight and compact, plus it won’t accidentally take a photo if you’ve got it stashed in your bag. Plus, since it doesn’t need batteries, all you really need to worry about is making sure you have enough film!

Olympus Trip 35 sample photos

So far, I’ve put four rolls of film through this camera and I’ve loved how it turns out every single time. The camera is so light, it fits in my waist bag, and makes shooting a breeze. I can’t wait to take this on my next photography adventure! Here are some sample photos from the Olympus Trip 35.

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Olivia Rutt

Olivia Rutt is the travel writer and photographer behind My Wandering Voyage, a travel website helping working millennials find time to travel. She shares insight in trip planning, travel inspiration and photography tips. Olivia hails from southern Ontario, Canada where she works in the media industry between travels. Follow Olivia on Instagram where she shares her travel photos, or catch up with her on Facebook or Twitter.

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Olympus trip 35 35mm zone-focus film camera.

T alk about the essence of  'iconic' 35mm compact cameras of yesteryears, cameras that help bring photography to the masses, cameras that are as equally functional as it is easy to use, cameras that are automatic but do not require a battery to operate, cameras with super sharp f/2.8 lenses, and the Olympus Trip 35 is always the one camera that will come to mind.

The Olympus Trip 35 , a fully automatic viewfinder camera, is a point-and-shoot 35mm compact model manufactured by Olympus. It was introduced to the market in 1967 as a compact, functional camera for holidays, went on to become very popular among the masses, and sales ended in 1984 after a prolonged production run, with over ten million units sold.

The camera is fitted with a coated non-interchangeable 40mm f/2.8 D. Zuiko lens, acknowledged as being very sharp and capable of capturing high-quality images, and operates as a programmed automatic with only two shutter speeds, at 1/40th sec or 1/200th sec. at apertures of between f/2.8 to f/22.

SCL Photography Guide: The Olympus Trip 35 Film Camera A fresh look at an old classic, to get you shooting your old Trip 35 or perhaps to interest you in investing in this great little film camera. Includes guide to buying, checking, loading and shooting with the camera. Bonus flash guide at the end. Thanks, Rob.

A low-light lock, with a red flag indicator, prevents you from taking under-exposed shots or trying it with the lens cap on.

Production Models

The design of the camera is simplicity itself. Early production units of the Trip 35 are manufactured with a silver shutter release button, with a film ISO speed rating from 25 to 200. Later production units, manufactured after 1978, come with a black plastic shutter release and a higher film ISO speed rating of 25 to 400. The Trip 35 is also available in black, which is much sought after by collectors.

The lens and lens mount are located centrally on the front of the camera, with a viewfinder window on the right front of the top plate, and a flash sync socket on the lower left of the lens mount.

On the top plate are the rewind crank, housed in a nice recessed on the left of the top plate, the accessory shoe (located slightly off-center), the shutter release button, and on the right, the frame counter.

The Trip 35 comes with a plain film back, with only the viewfinder eyepiece and film forward wind at the back of the top plate. The hinge-type film back is opened by pulling down on a latch lever lock located on the film chamber side of the film box.

The bottom plate carries the tripod socket and the rewind release button.

The film box is Olympus easy-load type, with the film chamber, shutter frame window, film guide sprocket, and a multi-slot takeup spool laid sequentially from left to right. Film loading is the normal 2-blank shot to forward the film to frame 1.

Year of Production

If you are interested in knowing when your camera was produced, you need to open the film compartment, remove the pressure plate on the back of the door by sliding it free from its locating pins, and look for the 3-character manufacturer's code on the back of the pressure plate.

• The 1st character or letter (in later models) signifies the assembly plant.
• The 2nd number represents the last digit of the year of assembly, e.g. 6 = 1976, 0 = 1980
• The 3rd number or letter represents the month of assembly, 1-9 for Jan-Sep, X, Y, and Z for Oct-Dec.

For example: If the code reads N2Y, then the production was in November 1972

Viewfinder Readout

The viewfinder is an albada-type bright frame, with frame lines and parallax markings for closer focusing.

There is a second, very small window under this, nicknamed the "Judas window", which shows the current aperture setting and distance symbol which are on the lens barrel.

A small red flag will appear in the viewfinder if the auto-exposure mechanism decides there is not enough light and refuses to fire.

Film ISO Speed

The camera will accept films with an ISO speed, for later models, of 25–400. Earlier models, from the first few years of production, had a maximum ISO speed of 200. A hot shoe and a Prontor-Compur sync connector provide for flash photography.

Zone Focusing

The Olympus Trip 35 focuses manually with a simple four-position zone-focus system, with distance settings displayed on the top scale in graphic form, and a bottom scale calibrated in both meters and feet. Focusing distances are 1 meter, 1.5 meters, 3 meters, and infinity.

Shutter Speeds

In Auto Mode, the shutter speed is set to 1/200th sec, and exposure is automatically controlled by aperture opening, whilst in manual or flash sync mode, the shutter is set to 1/40th sec, and a range of aperture openings from f2.8 to f22 can be selected for the shot.

Battery Not Included

The Olympus Trip 35 is built with a solar-powered selenium light meter, and it does not need any battery for it to run and operate. It is ideal for both the new user just getting into photography or the seasoned operator who wants slightly better control over the aperture setting and zone focusing mode. An accessory shoe and flash sync connector provide for flash photography.

Using The Camera

As with a fully automatic point-and-shoot camera, be it a film or digital, the Olympus Trip 35 is easy and fun to use.

Aside from the need for a roll of film to be loaded into the camera, be sure to set the correct film speed (ASA) setting, by turning the ASA ring in front of the lens barrel so that the ASA speed is displayed in the small opening.

Set the aperture or F-stop ring to 'A' for Auto, and off you go.

For the zone-focusing part of the equation, give it a go at estimating the distance of your subject, or turn the focal ring graphic icons to match the subject of your composition, be a portrait or head-shoulder shot, a three-quarter height shot, a group shop or just a view of the land, sea or urbanscape.

Early Images

A friendly shop assistant showed off his antics.

Do remember to check the zone focus setting as you go on with your shooting assignment. On bright and clear days the 40mm f/2.8 lens can be very forgiving and will stay sharp most of the time, but when things get a little dark and the automatic aperture falls to below f/5.6 you will tend to get blurred images if the zone focusing distance is not just right.

Olympus Trip 35 Instructions: Click here to download from www.buktus.org

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4 comments:

She is nice in black, too, but I like the silver/black better ;-)

Others may not agree with you, but I do believe that the current film camera enthusiasts are more inclined toward the silver/blacks... thanks

Hey thanks for the article. You state that in Auto mode the shutter speed is set at 1/200 and with flash it's 1/40. In fact both shutter speeds are available in auto and it switches at a point around EV 12.5 from f11 1/40 to f5.6 1/200, depending on the available light. It'll shoot down to EV 8.5: 1/40 2.8 and almost up to EV 17: 1/200 f22 in auto mode. The available combinations are 1/40 f2.8-f11 and 1/200 f5.6-f22 and it looks to actually select third-stops across this range, or thereabouts. This can be seen by the needle trap mechanism - there is an armature to determine the shutter speed by how far the armature raises when the shutter is depressed; this engages at one of two different cutout heights with the meter needle (along with a corresponding stepped scale for aperture), depending how far the needle is deflected by the coil/selenium cell circuit. It's an ingeniously simple mechanism - and worth noting that even in the daylight, on a dull overcast day, your shutter speeds can easily be low enough to blur if you don't make an effort to steady the camera.

Thanks for the followup, great!

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Olympus TRIP 35

The Olympus TRIP 35 is a full-sized compact EE camera based on the Pen EES. It first went on sale in 1968. The name reflects its suitability as a convenient camera to take on trips. The TRIP 35 became very popular as a camera that combined ease of use, reliability and a low price with superb photographic performance. It remained a best-seller for over the next 20 years since its launch.

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Olympus Trip 35 Navy Point and Shoot 35mm Film Camera

About this item.

• Lens: 40mm f/2.8 Olympus D. Zuiko (4 elements, three groups).
• Focus: Manual by scale, visible through the viewfinder. Top scale, visible through the finder, shows icons or headshot (1m/3'), two-shot (1.5m/5'), group shot (3m/10') and infinity. The bottom scale is calibrated in meters and feet.
• Exposure: Program automatic (A) and fixed-aperture for flash. Note: if you chose a large aperture for flash and work in bright light, it stops down accordingly but keeps the shutter speed at 1/40.
• Low light warning: If exposure would go below 1/40 at f/2.8, the shutter locks and a red transparent flag rises from the bottom of the finder in A setting. (If this happens, use flash).
• Battery: None needed

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Legal disclaimer.

This item is vintage and used. May show signs of previous use. No Box or Instructions Included

Product Description

This vintage film camera is in excellent condition, fully serviced with brand new light seals and is ready to produce another lifetime of fantastic photos. Olympus introduced the Trip 35 in 1967 and discontinued, after a lengthy production run, in 1984. The Trip name is a reference to its intended market people who wanted a compact, functional camera for holidays.

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Olympus Trip 35 Collection

Shop our range of custom leather Olympus Trip 35 film cameras.

Built between 1967 and 1984, these classic 35mm cameras were made to last. They are made of metal and have a high-quality 40mm Zuiko f2.8 lens, lovely and sharp. Film Camera Store sources the best Trips and then makes them the best they can be, adding some personality and individuality.

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Olympus Trip 35 | 35mm Point and Shoot Film Camera

Olympus trip 35 | 35mm point and shoot film camera .

Step back in time and join the legacy of film photography with the Olympus Trip 35, a true icon born in 1967. This vintage gem is not just a camera; it's a portal to the golden era of point-and-shoot photography and an invitation to embark on a timeless journey.

Imagine holding a piece of history in your hands. The Olympus Trip 35, designed to effortlessly slip into purses and bags, remains an unrivaled classic. In 1969, it graced the world, and today, it stands as one of the most compact and versatile cameras ever crafted.

But this isn't just a trip down memory lane; it's a chance to own a piece of photographic heritage. Our expert team restores, tests, and cleans each Trip 35, ensuring that despite its age, your camera performs as flawlessly as it did during the summer of '69. It's not just a camera; it's a time machine that transports you to moments captured with soulmates, puppy dog eyes, and the sunsets marking the end of college days—straight out of the box.

Elevate your photography skills and make a statement with a timeless piece that transcends generations. The Olympus Trip 35 isn't just a camera; it's a timepiece, a collector's dream, and the perfect entry into the enchanting world of film photography. So, why settle for ordinary when you can make every shot extraordinary with the Olympus Trip Film Camera? Start your film photography journey or enhance your collection—either way, you're in for a fun-filled, vintage adventure!

When it comes to the Olympus Trip 35 film camera, you can’t go wrong. Don't forget to put on a camera strap before you walk out the door! ( PS we sell straps too! )

By the way, protect your camera for 1-2 years with our  protection plan . We cover all boo boos at no cost to you.

Features + Benefits:

• One of the best selling film cameras of all time
• Ability to choose your own ISO (it’s all manual, remember)
• Offers Shutter Priority mode
• A great starter camera for learning how to shoot film 
• Unique metal body
• 40mm F2.8 lens
• 35mm film ( check out our film selection )
• No batteries needed!
• Extremely portable and compact

Professionally restored, tested, and cleaned. 

Functions 100%, including the light meter.

We restore, test, and clean all of our cameras to ensure that despite its age, your Cute Camera works as well as it would have if purchased it in 1976. This means that you’ll be able to capture your soulmate’s smile, your puppy dog’s eyes, or the sunset of your last day at college – straight out of the box. 

A "very good" body will have minimal signs of wear and tear. Examples include slight impurities like  worn leather or metal, signs of age on the bottom plate, and dull marks. 

A “good” body will also look nice but have some additional potential cosmetic wear such as spots with discoloration,  worn down metal or small scratches somewhere on the body.

An “average” body will be a more severe case of cosmetic wear like more extreme discoloration or worn down metal, exterior or interior black specs, deeper scratches, or lines in the eye prism.

We want you to love everything about your new camera. From its vintage design to its perfect imperfections. But if you don't, we make returns as easy as possible.

If you are not feeling your Cute Camera,  just   send it back within 30 days  and we will take care of the rest.

All of our Cute Cameras come ready to use as soon as you take it out of the box. We include the lens and battery ** so you can start making nostalgic memories. Just add the film of your choosing and you are good to go.

Don't forget to pick up some film before you checkout! :)

**Non-USA Customers: Due to shipping restrictions we are unable to include the batteries for your Cute Camera. However, they can be easily picked up at most drug/grocery stores.

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Olympus trip 35 photo examples, customer reviews.

Camera is beautiful and in excellent condition as if it was never used almost brand new for being a vintage 1970s camera ! So excited to use it for my Disney trip!

Perfectly matched description. Great camera, works perfectly!

5 stars review from Ally

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The Olympus 35 SP – Ansel Adams’ Point and Shoot?

Cory miller.

• August 16, 2019

Come with me on a loosely-historically-accurate trip, dear readers. The year was 1969. Yoshihisa Maitani’s maverick team of designers and engineers were up to their old tricks of changing the camera game forever. In April, Olympus released their newest creation, the Olympus 35 SP . Coming down from the Summer of Love in ’67 and heading straight for Woodstock in August, the little Olympus was groovy, baby; it even had fluorescent painted guide numbers and focus distance so you could read your flash settings under the black light of said psychedelic venues.  

1969 wasn’t all about peace and love though; there were big things happening in the world (and on the moon). Neil and Buzz took the first steps on the lunar surface (Hasselblads in tow), Burt Reynolds was no doubt swooning over the newly-released Trans Am, The Beatles broke teeny boppers’ hearts the world over with their last public performance, both the Boeing 747 and Concorde jets made their first flights, and somewhere in the Sierras a sixty-seven-year-old Ansel Adams had an aching back…

What? Stay with me here, folks. The veritable O.G. of landscape photography was getting a little long in the tooth to be going on his vertical adventures up steep switchbacks with a full 8 x 10 kit in tow. By 1943 he’d  gone mobile, capturing grand vistas from atop the rooftop perch of his woody station wagon. But suppose he felt game for a little altitude? What camera would afford him the use of his famous Zone System in a compact and back-saving weight? May I present Ansel Adams’ point and shoot, the Olympus 35 SP.

The 35 SP was preceded by the lesser-known 35 LE (auto only) and 35 LC (manual only) released in 1965 and 1967, respectively. Produced from 1969 to ’72 the 35 SP is without question the crown jewel of the lineup. It retailed for an original price of 24,800 yen ($229.67) or 88,367 yen ($818.37) adjusted for inflation. It was followed by the 35 SPn in 1972 which added a battery check light and some cosmetic changes and finally the 35 UC in 1973 which had even more cosmetic changes. All of these cameras share the same fantastic lens: the G. Zuiko 42mm f/1.7, which consists of 7 elements in 5 groups in a double-Gauss design. It has virtually no distortion and is sharp at all apertures, even the very useable f/1.7 maximum speed.

The cameras that followed like the Olympus RC and Olympus RD , although much smaller in size, did not come close to the 35 SP in terms of lens quality or features.

So what makes the 35 SP so great? Opening the manual, Olympus congratulates us on owning “the finest rangefinder 35mm camera available today” and promises if we read the instruction manual thoroughly and carefully, our efforts “will be amply rewarded.” Marketing hype aside, the 35 SP was (and remains even fifty years later) the only 35mm rangefinder with the combination of spot-metering, center-weighted metering, and spot metering in automatic exposure mode.

My copy was recently overhauled, and using it is pure haptic bliss. Focus is achieved with a lever on the side of the lens that moves with perfect fluidity through its short throw allowing focus from a near 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) through infinity. The 0.7 magnification viewfinder is bright and contrasty with a well-defined rectangular rangefinder patch in the center. This patch also serves as a representation for the spot meter reading area. At the top of the viewfinder, the meter needle swings along an E.V. scale from 3-17. In automatic mode, the meter needle moves continuously in response to changing light unless the exposure is locked by half-pressing the shutter button.

Shutter and aperture are selected via a trapped-needle mechanism similar to the venerable Olympus Trip 35. All this results in a long, but smooth range of motion for the shutter button as the meter needle is trapped by a plate, which then actuates a cam that determines how much the aperture opens. The automatic mode favors stopping down the lens in bright light and open apertures in low light. The minimum manual aperture is f/16, but the camera will stop down to f/22 in automatic mode if the meter reads E.V. 17 or higher. There is a distinct “shoulder” at the bottom of the shutter pull that lets one know precisely when the shutter will fire. The Seiko leaf shutter is certainly quieter than an SLR. The film advance is another tactile pleasure: it extends 30 degrees away from the back in its stand-off position and then whips through it’s short 120 degree throw to ready the next frame.  

Cosmetically, the 35 SP is a very handsome camera. Its satin chrome finish, black leatherette, and minimalist design exemplifies the timeless look modern manufacturers still try to emulate today. The viewfinder window is framed a-la-M3 and the large front element of the lens, with its purple and brown hued coating, hints at the technical abilities that lie beneath. The top plate is a wonderfully simple affair with the film rewind crank, hot shoe, shutter release, and advance lever. The frame counter is easy to read and accented by a flash of orange from the familiar Olympus indicator arrow. The back of the camera contains only the eyepiece and spot meter button which conveniently falls below the right thumb. Finally in a welcome departure from Leica bottom loaders, the film back swings open and is actuated by a recessed tab on the bottom left corner of the camera.

Unfortunately, no camera is perfect including this child of the ’60s. The single greatest annoyance I experienced with this camera is the location of the strap lugs. The camera designers chose to place them at the top of the leatherette presumably to keep the chrome top cover uncluttered, but this results in a top-heavy center of gravity. The camera constantly tips backward, digging its top plate into my body. Because 95% of my shooting includes my dog on a leash, a wrist strap is not an option for me. I’m sure Ansel would have wanted his hands free when scaling granite monoliths too.  

Another design flaw is the lack of a power switch. Consequently, the meter is always on. The CDs cell consumes more power with increasing light so the camera must be stored in its case or a bag when not in use. I was fortunate to find an original case for cheap, but they regularly sell for $50 or more on popular auction sites.  

Another feature missing is a depth of field scale on the lens making this a less than ideal choice for street shooters. Although the focus throw is very short and focus is quick and easy, nothing is faster than zone focusing.  

While the inclusion of a spot meter is perhaps this camera’s greatest asset, I do wish its view were a bit narrower. The area encompassed by the rangefinder patch represents a field of view of six degrees. Dedicated spot meters have a one-degree spot, which allow the user to more accurately meter a specific part of a scene. Another criticism of the meter is that the CDs cell is in a window lateral to the viewfinder instead of through the lens or within the filter ring. This means that if using filters, one must adjust the ISO to account for the filter factor.  

[ Sample images shot on Kodak TMAX 400 and Portra 400 . TMAX shot at EI 400 and developed in XTOL 1+1. Portra also shot at EI 400. Scanned on a Pakon scanner with the exception of the included darkroom prints. ]

The big elephant in the room for cameras of this vintage is the battery issue: they were originally designed for the now banned PX625 mercury cell that seemed to last forever and emitted a steady 1.35 volts until it died. This creates problems for us today particularly when our aim is precision metering when practicing the Zone System. I recommend staying away from alkaline batteries as their voltage gradually and continually decline throughout their life. Silver Oxide cells maintain a much steadier 1.55 volts, but the resulting meter error is not linear; it increases with increasing light intensity. Wein Cells are zinc/air batteries that put out a correct 1.35 volts and are a good option, but tend to die more quickly than other battery types.

The cheapest option is to use 1.4 volt hearing aid batteries which are zinc/air and put out a steady voltage which is supposedly closer to 1.35 than 1.4, but they require a spacer of some type due to their smaller size. The MR-9 adaptor steps down the voltage of modern batteries to 1.35 volts and when combined with the steady output of silver oxide cells is perhaps the best, albeit most expensive option. As mentioned previously, my 35 SP had been overhauled and the meter tuned for modern batteries. When using standard silver oxide cells, the camera’s meter matches my Pentax Digital Spotmeter with surprising accuracy.  

Zone System Metering

At this point, you may be wondering why I’m seemingly obsessed with spot meters or why my fictionalized version of Ansel Adams would have chosen the 35 SP as his compact companion. Simply put, spot meters open up the vast universe that is Zone System Metering.  

And before your eyes simultaneously roll and glaze over, I promise the Zone System can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. A working knowledge of this metering method can help you do something as simple as have your winter shots turn out with white snow instead of gray all the way to knowing how to tweak your processing to reign in or increase contrast. If you are interested in learning how to master this metering technique, check out my multi-part series surrounding the Zone System here.  

We are incredibly fortunate to be living in what I consider to be the modern golden age of film photography. Whereas the casual photophile of yesteryear would have to shell out all his or her pennies to acquire a single camera, we are the beneficiaries of the magic of depreciation. The film geek of today is blessed with an enormous selection of professional level gear at rock bottom prices. We can buy multiple cameras to try with the confidence that we will not lose money on them when it comes time to sell.  

This is a blessing and a curse. I firmly believe that each photographer must try many different types of cameras in order to arrive at the features best suited to their personal style and technique. This is the reason the question, “what is the best camera” is impossible to answer for another person. The downside is that a lot of us, myself included, have likely found ourselves focusing more on the gear itself than the actual taking of photographs. When we find ourselves in this predicament, it’s important to take stock of what we actually need or gain pleasure from using and let the other stuff go to someone else. Who knows, we might even turn a profit!

Throughout my own journey, I have discovered I am much more partial to SLRs for my own style of shooting. I like to be able to see my composition exactly including the depth of field. I also like to be able to see the actual field of view of my lens whether normal, wide, or telephoto.  

I have never considered myself a rangefinder guy, but not for a lack of trying. I’ve owned three different Leica M bodies and sold them all. In addition to the reasons above, I’m a left-eye shooter so the whole focus with both eyes open and watch what is entering the frame thing never worked for me. I honestly never saw an advantage over a basic mechanical SLR for how I like to shoot.  

But the 35 SP has changed my opinion of rangefinders. The lens performs incredibly well with edge-to-edge sharpness and no distortion. I find 42mm to be a very comfortable and useful focal length for normal shooting. I love that I can shoot fast in automatic mode or take my time in manual. The fact that the spot meter works in automatic mode is a game-changer and allows lightning fast metering for the highlights or shadows. The camera accomplishes all of this in a compact and lightweight package, and it looks great doing it.  

While I still am prone to the binge and purge method of camera collecting, I think I’ll hang on to this one at least for a while. My Nikon’s still serve as everyday shooters and medium format is my choice for portraits and methodical landscapes, but the 35 SP fills a different niche. It’s an ideal choice for hiking or traveling when a balance of weight and performance is key.

The next time I’m in Yosemite, I’ll take it up the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada falls in a symbolic pilgrimage to old Ansel. I’ll stand on the Diving Board and look down at the valley floor some four thousand feet below my boots. I’ll slap on a red filter and shoot the Monolith like I’m sure thousands have in the interim between Ansel’s shutter squeeze and my own. Back on the ground, I’ll admire the real thing in the Ansel Adams Gallery and admire the little 35 SP, glad that it was much lighter than a glass plate camera. I bet my back will still hurt though.

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• film camera

Cory Miller is a hospital pharmacist and film evangelist. He lives in central Ohio with his wife and photo assistant/chocolate lab. Photography serves as a stress relief and creative outlet combining his love for science and art. His current obsessions are making silver prints in the darkroom and exploring the zone system.

21 comments

Love the article! One question, where did you get your 35SP tuned and revised? Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed the article, Emilio! I got it from the fine folks at Blue Moon Camera. They also repair cameras if you have one in need of service

Great article, great photographs. It is a lovely thing to find a camera that’s an unexpected pleasure to shoot.

Coming from the other end, the SLR has never really appealed to me. Yet, it would be foolish of me to ignore the advantages over a rangefinder in certain situations. Fortunately, I stumbled upon another one of Maitani’s gems, the OM-1, which has been an absolute joy to use. So, it turns out you and I (and Ansel) have something in common.

Just started shooting with my dream camera an OM 2. I love it!

Hey Alex, thanks for the kind words! The OM-1 is a winner for sure. All of us here at the CP are big fans of Maitani’s work

Great article, thanks. Having been a Minolta fanboy since the early eighties I just recently started looking for a rangefinder. After looking at the 7SII I was less than convinced that it was the best choice. A couple of reviews on the 35SP later and I took the plunge into what is a fantastic little camera. I’ve only put a couple of rolls of Ektar 100 through so far but the results are amazing. It’s a great camera and that lens delivers outstanding images. I think these are still a bit of a hidden gem.

Thank you for posting this. I found it a really interesting article and the photos are good from this camera. I completely get the dog walking thing whilst trying to take photos since my dog is with me most of the time 🐶🐾

Thanks Natalie! Having a dog is a great way to get some exercise and make photography a part of your daily routine!

I tried the SP for a few weeks, it didn’t really do it for me. I think the build quality isn’t that great, on mine the spot meter button fell out and the rangefinder misaligned very easily. It’s a consumer model after all, you can’t expect pro build quality. But there is no denying that it takes nice photos, that lens is great.

The whole SLR vs. RF thing is something I struggle with too. I like SLRs for their versatility and robustness, but focusing is so much harder compared to a rangefinder patch. I feel like I spend most of my time with SLRs trying to align the split prism and even with great effort, half my shots come back unfocused. What’s crazy is, I’ve had people tell me the exact opposite of my experience, they sold their Leica M7 in favor of a compact SLR because they can’t live without a split prism, something that both baffles and infuriates me.

The same happen to me, the button fall off. I was wondering is i should cover the whole with tape ?

Bah… Noisy film advance,the noisiest shutter among all leaf-shutter rangefinders I’ve used, faint patch on all three copies I’ve had (most important attribute in a RF camera for me), no DOF scale, battery drains constantly unless in a bag (bye-bye candid street shots), need to adjust exposure when using a filter, silly full-auto mode (shutter-priority with aperture info in the viewfinder makes much more sense) and rather on the big side. The lens is really great, but you can get it on the much less hyped 35LC which is a much more straightforward camera to use, esp. since all three of my copies have a bright, contrasty RF patch. A Canonet GIII is a much better user camera than the SP in every respect with an equally competent lens, the spot meter feature in a rangefinder feels more like a marketing gimmick to me, or just one of Maitani’s exercises in pushing camera technology a bit further.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Christos. My copy doesn’t suffer from the issues you mentioned probably because it’s been serviced, but I do agree with you about the battery drain issue and lack of focus scale on the lens. For me, the spot meter is the greatest attribute of this camera and like I said in the article, everyone has different wants or needs from a camera.

An absolutely brilliant review of the 35SP – Much better than the one I posted on the internet back in 2002.

Wow, it is rare to find someone who is even aware of whether a camera has a trapped needle exposure mechanism. It does increase the amount of travel on the shutter release, but one should slowly press the release on any camera to avoid camera shake. – This is a superb fixed-lens rangefinder camera that still has one foot firmly planted in the late nineteen fifties and another in the sixties. – * EV light meter is reminiscent of the LV system in use by the end of the 1950’ies. * For a compact 35mm RF it is on the large side, typical of post 1959 fixed-lens RF cameras. * Yeah, I miss the zone focusing scale, which was typical of post 1965 fixed-lens RF cameras. – With regards to the big elephant, an MR-9 adapter for a 675 Silver Oxide cell is the best do-it-yourself option for a battery to power the meter. – Yes, the power is always on except for when the camera is cased. – If you don’t have an original case, a LowePro Z-30 camera pouch will do the trick. Even in total darkness the camera draws about a 20 micro amp current from the battery, because there will be a small bit leakage from CdS photocell, which acts as a variable resistor in what is very simple circuit comprised of 3 resistors and an old school galvanometer. – Most fixed-lens 35mm rangefinder cameras will completely shut off the meter, when the aperture is selected manually. The 35SP is one of two fixed-lens 35mm cameras that I’ve used that allow the use of the meter in the manual mode. The other was an older Minolta 7, with no S. On the Minolta 7 sliding the ASA selector all the past ISO 25 – would shutter the meter aperture, hence turn off the camera. – I rambled on too long. It’s a not camera for every photographer, but the lens along is worth the purchase price.

Hi Andrew – The other fixed lens compact that allows metered manual is the Konica S3/Revue SE 400. By sliding one of those plastic or wooden ‘hotshoe filler uppers’ that you can buy online the camera goes into flash mode and allows you to set aperture with the flash guide ring on the lens, there’s even an extra needle that pops up in the VF.

Thanks Olivia – it sounds like you tricked the camera to do a manual mode.

It’s quite easy to add a DoF scale. I used a blue plastic sticky tab, the sort you use for tabbing textbooks. You just need to look up a DoF table online and use a ruler to mark out lines on the sticky tab, and it fits perfectly on the lens barrel between the focus and aperture ring. Works great for me, don’t think I’ve ever had a shot out of focus with my 35 SPN.

The Olympus LE and LC indeed have 42mm F1.7 lenses, but they are “F-Zuiko” with 6 elements and not eh 7-element “G-Zuiko” of the SP.

Correction: The Olympus 35 LC was most definitely fitted with 42mm f/1.7 G. Zuiko lens. G. Zuiko signifies 7 elements. Take a peek at this link – https://flic.kr/p/24uV4M9

You are quite correct Andrew. Here is a page from the instruction book that shows quite categorically the lens on the LC has 7 elements. I have paid Mike Buktus $5.00 as a thank you for the book. SPECIFICATION Lens : G Zuiko F 1.7 f=42mm (7 elements in 5 groups) Shutter : Copal 1 to 1/500sec. and Bulb; built-in self timer; X contact synchronization Viewfinder : Bright frame viewfinder (magnification, 0.6) with correct exposure indication and fully automatic parallax correction. Loading : EL System (easy loading procedure) Film advancing : Lever type single stroke advancing; preliminary lead angle, 30″; advancing stroke angle, 128″; self-cocking; double exposure prevention Film counter : Exposures counting type ; self-resetting Film rewinding : Crank system ; rewind button setting type Focusing : Superimposed double image system ; single-lens geared rangefinder; direct advancing helicoid system; distance scale, 0.85 (2.7ft)-infinity Exposure adjustment: (cadmium sulphide), CdS/light meter; zero method Sensing cell: CdS type with mercury battery (1.3V) for power source Measuring range: EV3-17 Film speed scale: ASA 800, 400, 200, 160, l00, 80, 64, 40, 32, 25, 16, l0. Rear cover operation: Hinge type; “Magic” locking Accessory shoe: Cordless flash contact Size, weight: 138 (width) x 80.8 (height) x 69.5(depth)mm: 660gr

http://www.butkus.us

Thank you for your article on the Olympus – 35 SP. It was very informative. I live in Northern Ireland and was visiting my daughter in Oxford, England. I decided to bring my Pentax P30T that had a 50mm f/1.7 lens. I had never been in Oxford so did a walking tour based on places associated with C. S. Lewis. The results from the Pentax were very satisfying but I found the SLR to be bulky and not as handy to carry. I’ve always enjoyed 35mm rangefinder cameras and the Olympus was the camera I so wanted to own but the prices on eBay were so high. I deal with a company near Inverness and had kept looking on their website for a nice rangefinder camera at a sensible price. It took a while but an Olympus – 35 SP complete with case was being advertised at £99.00. I traded my Pentax for it and have it loaded with a roll of Kodak Ektar 100. I’m looking forward to some decent weather to get out to use it. It’s a perfect companion for my Kodak Retinette 1B.

As some have said in the comments, the SP is not for all. However, I think the LC would suit far more users. The lens is identical, the meter is a push button that doesn’t drain without use, the CdS sensor is around the lens – filters are compensated for and fingers don’t bork exposure readings. I found one in great condition for very little money a few years ago and was very happy with the results: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickant44/albums/72157632652717685

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