Olympus Pen FT

[Ricoh]

Yes I find the winder a bit on the rough side compared to the silky feel of my M6. I’ll treat it gently now I know, Doug.

One thing I’ve found already is that it’s easy to tear the film sprockets if and when the film is fully used up and under tension in the cassette. The difference in resistance felt on the winder is minimal and unaware you can bugger the film. Any tips / advice?
Thanks
Steve

 

[Ricoh]

Purchased a Wein MRB625 air battery for the Pen FT, and surprise-surprise the meter works, and not far out either compared to my Sekonic 758.

Is it safe to leave the battery in the camera? The instructions with the battery state a powder precipitate may appear on the battery under certain environmental conditions. Don't want any powder stuff migrating.
I suppose it would be sensible to remove any battery if unused for a length of time, weeks maybe not, but months definitely wise.

 

[zuiko85]

Yes I find the winder a bit on the rough side compared to the silky feel of my M6. I’ll treat it gently now I know, Doug.

One thing I’ve found already is that it’s easy to tear the film sprockets if and when the film is fully used up and under tension in the cassette. The difference in resistance felt on the winder is minimal and unaware you can bugger the film. Any tips / advice?
Thanks
Steve

So it's not just my older Pen F then. I've had the same experience, get to the end of the roll and ripped out the sprockets. Had to wait until I got home and in the dark unload the film and then straight away into the developing tank. Now I watch that counter like a hawk.

 

[Doug]

Yes I find the winder a bit on the rough side compared to the silky feel of my M6. I’ll treat it gently now I know, Doug.

One thing I’ve found already is that it’s easy to tear the film sprockets if and when the film is fully used up and under tension in the cassette. The difference in resistance felt on the winder is minimal and unaware you can bugger the film. Any tips / advice?
Thanks
Steve

These may well be related issues. With the wind-on rough and having some friction, that could make it harder to detect the additional resistance at the end of the roll. When you know the end of the roll is coming soon, you can then be extra aware of that end-of-the-roll feel!

 

[Ricoh]

These may well be related issues. With the wind-on rough and having some friction, that could make it harder to detect the additional resistance at the end of the roll. When you know the end of the roll is coming soon, you can then be extra aware of that end-of-the-roll feel!

I suspect you're right, the rough-ish sensation sort of masks the feel of the film's progress, or lack of as we're discussing.
With my first film (today) I came to frame 71 and as Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry said, 'well do you feel lucky...' Gingerly I wound on successfully to 72 but I was watching the rewind crank like a hawk. I suppose it all depends how much leader and film is wound on before closing up. I made sure the take-up sprockets were engaged and closed the hatch and made sure all was good by tensioning the rewind and watching it during the next few blanks before 1 appeared.

 

[largedrink]

Here's a couple of defocused photos I took with my Pen FT and 60mm 1.5 on a night walk in Auckland a few years ago. Interesting distortion effects...

 

[lxmike]

A black Pen FT stunning.

 

[Pál_K]

I bought an Olympus Pen FT simply because I liked the sound of its rotary shutter. My camera repair friend was showing me an FT, which I always thought were nice looking, but I didn’t think I’d like using half-frame. I enjoyed playing around with it and hearing the shutter. I bought it. The next week while planning just to make a couple photos with it, I was totally amazed at seeing my familiar neighborhood scenes in a totally new perspective through the half-frame vertical viewfinder, I spent the next two hours making 48 photos and the results were spectacular.

 

[Rayt]

I have an FV with a set of lenses but haven’t used them in years. With the price of film these days I am glad I kept them.

 

[largedrink]

I'm planning to use my Pen FT soon, I have a couple of new lenses to try out. I have had mixed results in the past. I love the aesthetic of these cameras, that was the original reason I purchased one. Now I have a bit of a collection of Pen cameras including the compacts.

 

[largedrink]

The 20mm f3.5 is a great lens, probably my favourite for the Pen FT.


Paekakariki railway line by Hugh B

Olympus Pen FT, Olympus G. Zuiko 20mm f3.5 lens, Ilford FP4125 film