Help identify this Olympus Pen

[kkdanamatt]

While on vacation in Japan, I purchased this Olympus Pen D2 in an Osaka camera shop a few months ago.

It was incorrectly labeled as a Pen D, even though it clearly says Pen D2 right on the front. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that this camera has the 32mm f/1.7 lens, which is only found on the Pen D3.

In fact, comparing my camera with a Pen D3, I can't find any difference, other than the name on my camera, which is marked Pen D2.

The front plastic finder housing, which says Pen D2, appears to be original, not added or exchanged or cobbled on. The 32mm f/1.7 lens also appears to be original.

Can anyone explain this strange Olympus Pen D2/D3 camera?

 

[dugwerks]

last of the d2 bodies being used up/assembled with no remaining stock of the 3.2cm lens so you get a hybrid/oddball.

 

[kkdanamatt]

That's the logical explanation that I came up with.
Similarly, Leica created M4-2 "Pandas" by assembling remaining black and silver chrome parts.

By the way, both the Pen D2 and Pen D3 have 32mm lenses. The difference is f/1.9 vs. f/1.7.

 

[DNG]

The Pen D was a more expensive model, launched in 1962. It has a 32mm f/1.9 lens, a shutter going to 1/500 and an uncoupled selenium meter.

The Pen D2, launched in 1964, is the same model with an uncoupled CdS exposure meter replacing the selenium one.

The Pen D3, launched in 1965, is the same with a 32mm f/1.7 lens (instead of the 32mm f/1.9 of the D2)

Wikipidia


You have mislabeled Pen D3

main changes from D2 to D3
D2 has:

1. 32mm f/1.9

D3 has:

1. 32mm f/1.7
2. EL loading system.

Manuals
D2: http://www.cameramanuals.org/olympus_pdf/olympus_pen_d2.pdf


D3: http://www.cameramanuals.org/olympus_pdf/olympus_pen_d3.pdf


🙂

 

[kkdanamatt]

I agree with your conclusion: my D3 is mislabeled as a D2.
I wonder how many others were mislabeled.

 

[DNG]

D3 seems to go for double the D2 used price on eBay...not many listed...

Wander is a mislabeled D3 is worth more to a collector?

I had a D2 when I was 16.... great little camera.

 

[Rodchenko]

Not all D3s were EL. According to the excellent Claus Marin, the D3 was introduced 1965, and the EL version in 1966.

http://oly-e.de/pdf/olympus_classic_35mm_cameras.pdf

Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy your quirky D3 as much as I do my D (sadly at the moment requiring repair). I was surprised how good it was to handle, and how accurate the meter was.

 

[zuiko85]

I have an experimental Pen D without meter and the projected frame VF and top from a Pen S.

Oh wait, I remember, I put that together myself.
Never mind.