Who likes Olympus Pen F half frame SLRs?

[Timmyjoe]

One nice advantage of putting together a collection of Pen F lenses is that with an adapter, they work perfectly on the Nikon Zfc camera, as its sensor is almost exactly half-frame. Been having a lot of fun with them on the digital body.

Best,
-Tim

 

[MISH]

Give me the grain……… just loaded my F with Kodak 3200. The only problem I have is that it shoots so long that I don’t realize I am at the end of the roll and the advance has enough torque that it will rip the film ( never had any other camera do this)

 

[rhl-oregon]

I recently returned to Pen modality some years after selling my first FT kit, which included a 25 4.0, 40 1.4, and 50-90 3.5. I enjoyed composing diptychs, and have missed working with that way of seeing.

Here’s my FT with the 38 1.8, and the chimney finder I kept from the old kit. Still working on the first roll!

 

[agentlossing]

Lens has arrived and is waiting for me at home - a nice Christmas present for myself with its very fast DHL delivery to the US from Japan. Hopefully everything works out. I think my first roll will be Kentmere 400, for ease of development with Kodak TMAX developer.

 

[neal3k]

I recently shot this on an overcast day in Forsyth, Georgia. I was blown away. 38mm Zuiko f/8 lens and Foma 400 film.

Steel and Nature with the Olympus Pen by Neal Wellons, on Flickr

 

[agentlossing]

I recently shot this on an overcast day in Forsyth, Georgia. I was blown away. 38mm Zuiko f/8 lens and Foma 400 film.

Steel and Nature with the Olympus Pen by Neal Wellons, on Flickr

That looks fantastic! How was it developed?

 

[neal3k]

That looks fantastic! How was it developed?

Thanks; I used FPP's HC-110 formula, Dilution B for 7 minutes.

 

[rhl-oregon]

Here are examples from my first FT—diptych modality, often using Ektar then desaturating the left or right frame in the diptych.

 

[agentlossing]

I've been doing my best to get through a roll of Kentmere 400 in my Pen F. However, something I noticed at first, the mirror was getting stuck open with the lens that they had on it in the shop, a 38mm f1.8 with sticky aperture blades. I rarely found it to do this after purchasing and having around in the house, whether without a lens, or with the 38/1.8 that I bought for it. I figured it would be good to exercise the shutter/mirror quite a bit considering the age of the camera. Got through more than half a roll (so... 40 exposures or so!) without this happening. However, yesterday I took the camera for a walk in damp, 40-something degrees (f) weather, and the mirror stuck on me four or five times.

I am wondering if the colder weather exacerbated the issue, with old, dry lubricant or the like. I'll have to do a bit of research to find the best way to gently tackle the issue without doing anything major (my analogue repair endeavors have a spotty success rate, I'd rather save up and have someone work on it if the issue is serious).

 

[agentlossing]

I finally developed my first roll and began scanning yesterday. It will take another hour or two of scanning to get through all of it. I haven't brought any of the scans into Lightroom for editing yet, but I have noticed that the majority of my guesstimated exposures are fairly "on."

I do think cold weather makes the sticky mirror worse. I tested it again once I had emptied the camera of film by placing it on the balcony for a couple of hours in cold weather. Sure enough, every shot stuck, until the camera had warmed up again. I think this means there is dried-out lubricant which stiffens in the cold. I will try to find more information, but may try a small amount of lighter fluid in the gears under the bottom plate if I see any dried lubricant that could possibly be cleaned out.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

I finally developed my first roll and began scanning yesterday. It will take another hour or two of scanning to get through all of it. I haven't brought any of the scans into Lightroom for editing yet, but I have noticed that the majority of my guesstimated exposures are fairly "on."

I do think cold weather makes the sticky mirror worse. I tested it again once I had emptied the camera of film by placing it on the balcony for a couple of hours in cold weather. Sure enough, every shot stuck, until the camera had warmed up again. I think this means there is dried-out lubricant which stiffens in the cold. I will try to find more information, but may try a small amount of lighter fluid in the gears under the bottom plate if I see any dried lubricant that could possibly be cleaned out.

I have two Bronica S2 cameras; one has had a CLA, and the other hasn't. Guess which one never goes outside once the temperature gets below freezing? Vastly different cameras, but the same problem!

 

[agentlossing]

I have two Bronica S2 cameras; one has had a CLA, and the other hasn't. Guess which one never goes outside once the temperature gets below freezing? Vastly different cameras, but the same problem!

This Pen F is doing it above freezing, which is more of an issue; low-mid 40s F seems to do it.

 

[neal3k]

I've been doing my best to get through a roll of Kentmere 400 in my Pen F. However, something I noticed at first, the mirror was getting stuck open with the lens that they had on it in the shop, a 38mm f1.8 with sticky aperture blades. I rarely found it to do this after purchasing and having around in the house, whether without a lens, or with the 38/1.8 that I bought for it. I figured it would be good to exercise the shutter/mirror quite a bit considering the age of the camera. Got through more than half a roll (so... 40 exposures or so!) without this happening. However, yesterday I took the camera for a walk in damp, 40-something degrees (f) weather, and the mirror stuck on me four or five times.

I am wondering if the colder weather exacerbated the issue, with old, dry lubricant or the like. I'll have to do a bit of research to find the best way to gently tackle the issue without doing anything major (my analogue repair endeavors have a spotty success rate, I'd rather save up and have someone work on it if the issue is serious).

I don't know if it is related but if the 38mm f/1.8 lens on my Pen F is completely tight and locked, the mirror will jam. It works fine if I rotate (loosen) the lens about 3/8 to 1/2 an inch and doesn't affect focus at all (see reply #165 for the latest example.) I know it needs work but this has kept it going nicely for about 3 years now.

 

[Hibbs]

Ilford XP2 @ 200 is an excellent choice for half frame.

Another you could try is T-Max 100 @ 32 and pull development 1.5

 

[PRJ]

I think only shot one roll of film in my Pen last year. I haven't been going on walks as much since the pandemic is over. Such a great camera to walk around with and not worry about wasting film.

 

[PRJ]

Here is an accidental diptych I printed a while back. I don't really do the diptych thing but I saw this on the roll and was printing so I just chucked it in the enlarger. I messed around with double exposures in other cameras the last few years just to do something different. Maybe I should try the diptych thing for giggles.

 

[fdu]

16th Street, San Francisco by f_du, on Flickr, FT, 20 & 38 mm, Neopan 1600

 

[fdu]

San Jose by f_du, on Flickr

 

[Retro-Grouch]

16th Street, San Francisco by f_du, on Flickr, FT, 20 & 38 mm, Neopan 1600

This is a great diptych, and it would be a great pairing of images under any circumstances. But knowing these two frames are adjacent on a roll really ramps up the impact!

 

[rhl-oregon]

Eugene OR / Pen FT