Who likes Olympus Pen F half frame SLRs?

[zuiko85]

That screw on the shutter release plunger is supposed to adjust the release point of the shutter button. On my Pen F and FV it won’t turn so I guess I’ll need to remove the top to loosen it up a bit. Ideally you’ve got about 1mm of free play then another 1/2mm travel with the ball of your finger to release the shutter.

 

[chrism]

You're a lot braver than I am. I wonder if the repairman in Québec City has even opened my box yet. This morning I must find out how my first roll of Kentmere 400 turned out, and then start on some of my precious Neopan 400.

 

[R_a_feldman]

Previously I measured the increased brightness at two stops, but that was referencing an FT mirror that was fairly deteriorated. It's probably more like 1 stop if the FT mirror is still in good condition.

Do you need some self timer parts? I may have some. Although it looks like you've removed a bunch of the internals.

I've attached a picture of the old mirror. As you can see, there are a number of spots were the silvering is bad.

I removed the self timer entirely. There was nothing wrong with it, other than the lever tended to snag on my camera strap.

Now that there is more space under the top plate for bolts to protrude, I'm thinking of adding a flash hot shoe to the top plate.

 

[chrism]

First roll of bulk Kentmere 400 in the Pen F:

 

[Ricoh]

First roll of bulk Kentmere 400 in the Pen F:

Nice grain and border. Is it a print or scan, and if a scan how did you manage the uneven border?

 

[Ricoh]

I've attached a picture of the old mirror. As you can see, there are a number of spots were the silvering is bad.

I removed the self timer entirely. There was nothing wrong with it, other than the lever tended to snag on my camera strap.

Now that there is more space under the top plate for bolts to protrude, I'm thinking of adding a flash hot shoe to the top plate.

Yeah the lollipop self timer lever is a pain. In the neutral non-activated position mine feels wobbly, and as you say it’s prone to catching things.

 

[chrism]

Nice grain and border. Is it a print or scan, and if a scan how did you manage the uneven border?

Don't tell anyone at APUG, but Silver Efex Pro provided the border and increased the grain! The film actually comes out pretty smooth at 640 in Diafine. I'll post a more normal example tomorrow.

 

[chrism]

Here's a smoother example of Kentmere 400 in the Pen F. This thick stem of honeysuckle has been growing at our house in NS for 35 years. It came from a cutting that my mother had grown elsewhere in NS, and also at several homes in the UK. Curiously, it was an illicit cutting stolen at a garden party at Buckingham Palace in the 1930's when one of my forebears had done something civic-minded and was rewarded with an invitation. It still flowers each year and we will be sure to take cuttings to the new house.

 

[splitimageview]

I've attached a picture of the old mirror. As you can see, there are a number of spots were the silvering is bad.

I removed the self timer entirely. There was nothing wrong with it, other than the lever tended to snag on my camera strap.

Now that there is more space under the top plate for bolts to protrude, I'm thinking of adding a flash hot shoe to the top plate.

Yes, that mirror looks like several that I replaced, quite deteriorated.

 

[PRJ]

I'm curious if anyone knows the split for the mirror in the FT. i replaced mine with a 50/50 but it still isn't that bright. I was also curious if anyone knows if the screen can be replaced. It looked to me like major surgery to do so if it can even be done.

 

[chrism]

I found a barely intelligible post on a Flickr discussion.

In the meantime my other cameras are beginning to feel neglected:

 

[splitimageview]

major surgery...

 

[R_a_feldman]

I'm curious if anyone knows the split for the mirror in the FT. i replaced mine with a 50/50 but it still isn't that bright. I was also curious if anyone knows if the screen can be replaced. It looked to me like major surgery to do so if it can even be done.

I read somewhere on-line that the mirror is 90:10. Whatever you get, unless it is an original mirror, you will probably need to adjust the meter by changing the resistors on the board over the photocell.

As far as replacing the focusing screen, that will require disassembling the camera to get the mirror box and shutter assembly out. Getting everything back together correctly is not that simple.

It seems that for the FT, the screen is separate from the prism, but for the F, they are attached together.

There is this post from 2013. It has a very bad auto-translation from Chinese, but some useful images: https://www.flickr.com/groups/99509929@N00/discuss/72157633416758574/

This shop in Japan lists that they will replace the focusing screen in an FT with a split image screen for 7,000 yen on top of a general CLA (fee not stated): http://www.kantocamera.com/english/repair/olympus/index.html

 

[chrism]

Fuji Neopan 400 in half-frame:

 

[chrism]

Further to an entry above, an Olympus cold shoe arrived today. They have a reputation for cracking if a heavy flash is carried on them, but that won't be a problem for me. The only thing that matters to me is that it slides around the viewfinder. Here is the basic, unaltered device:


And here is a Walter Eyepiece made for a Leica, that corrects for myopia and astigmatism by rotating freely so that the axis of cylindrical correction is always correctly placed, epoxied to it:



Finally, it sits perfectly in place on an Olympus Pen-FV. It is easily transferred to any other member of that small herd of cameras I own, and does not interfere with the back opening to change films.



Pity Walter didn't see fit to be pleased his eyepiece wasn't going to waste when I moved on from Leicas. Maybe he'll be selling them for other cameras soon!

 

[chrism]

Talking of Pen-Fs, I seem to have one that works, one that works but its rewind is so stiff that I know the film take-up spool needs lubricating (a CLA should fix that) and a third one that's just for parts. One FT that's gone as a donor to make an FV work properly, and a second FV that seems to work OK, but the back is slighltly wobbly so may have a light leak. Current film should tell me.. Let's not talk about lenses, as they seem to multiply without me trying...

 

[Godfrey]

Talking of Pen-Fs, I seem to have one that works, one that works but its rewind is so stiff that I know the film take-up spool needs lubricating (a CLA should fix that) and a third one that's just for parts. One FT that's gone as a donor to make an FV work properly, and a second FV that seems to work OK, but the back is slighltly wobbly so may have a light leak. Current film should tell me.. Let's not talk about lenses, as they seem to multiply without me trying...

Sounds like my recently acquired Kodak Retina RF "collection"... LOL!

G

 

[chrism]

A gourd. Kentmere 400 @640 in Diafine, Pen-F.

 

[chrism]

This is the look I get when I'm pushing my luck with too many photos. Kentmere 400 in a Pen-F.

 

[chrism]

Christmas Cactus. f1.2 and 1/30, so not the sharpest cactus in the desert!