Olympus S ?

[Max Power]

Hey all,
Today I was at my local photo shop stockpiling Rodinal when I noticed a sweet looking RF in the display case. It was a 35mm RF, chrome with a black lens. Engraved on the body, above the lens was simply 'OLYMPUS - S'.

I did a google search and even an eBay search to find out about this camera and came up with nothing.

I'm just trying to satisfy my curiosity and was just wondering if this means anything to anyone.

Cheers,
Kent

 

[bmattock]

Hey, Max!

I think you missed the Google stuff because it is really an "Olympus 35-S":

http://daniel.mitchell.name/cameras/oly35sii/oly35sii.html

I happen to have the Olympus 35-S II (as seen in the above link) and I quite like it. I find that the shutters tend to stick, but once cleaned up, a nice older camera with a very nice lens. It was the predessor to the famous smaller black-bodied Oly fixed-lens rangefinders, such as the RC, RD, and SP. It has the 'older look' to it, though, which I like very much.

They don't go for a lot on eBoy, but they are nice.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

PS - And I *still* have no idea why everyone is freaking out over the loss of Agfa's Rodinal when the forumula has been known and replicated by other companies for decades. It just doesn't come in the Agfa bottle. The sky is not falling. Now Agfa film, on the other hand, that's a real loss.

 

[FrankS]

Bill, that's an intimidating avatar you've got there. 🙂

 

[Max Power]

Bill,
Thanks for the response...But neither of the cameras in the pic at the top of the page matches what I saw 😕

There was also a focusing lever, much like that on a Canonet, which was black like the lens. The engraving was right above the lens, as one faces the camera, as opposed to being on the top of the body.

This just gets curiouser and curiouser.

PS as for the Rodinal, I knew that there were comparable products already on the market. FWIW I just bought the stuff because it's cheap, lasts a long time in a sealed bottle, and, most importantly, it puts off having to do film and developer tests all over again!

Cheers,
Kent

 

[jjthe2]

I wonder who will solve the mystery first? Here is my guess:
Olympus SP

This has the focusing lever, but is it a match?...

 

[Tarzak]

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif/camhistory/s_electro_s_cds.jpg

Did it look like this?

 

[Max Power]

Geez,
That's not it either. I'm starting to wish that I'd had a digicam, so that I might have taken a snap of it...

 

[Max Power]

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif/camhistory/s_electro_s_cds.jpg

Did it look like this?

It was closest to the one on the bottom, and it had the little 'eye' to the left (I assume for an integrated meter) but there was no plastic over the RF and VF windows.

 

[Tarzak]

http://www.biofos.com/coll/subcoll/_img35/35_28.gif

This one?

 

[Tarzak]

It was closest to the one on the bottom, and it had the little 'eye' to the left (I assume for an integrated meter) but there was no plastic over the RF and VF windows.

Ignore my previous post then.
1963 S (Cds)

42/1.8 Zuiko lens


Maybe the plastic cover is just missing?

 

[Tarzak]

Hee's the link to the page I found on Oly Rangefinders:

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif/camhistory/camhistory.htm

 

[bmattock]

Bill,
Thanks for the response...But neither of the cameras in the pic at the top of the page matches what I saw 😕

There was also a focusing lever, much like that on a Canonet, which was black like the lens. The engraving was right above the lens, as one faces the camera, as opposed to being on the top of the body.

This just gets curiouser and curiouser.

PS as for the Rodinal, I knew that there were comparable products already on the market. FWIW I just bought the stuff because it's cheap, lasts a long time in a sealed bottle, and, most importantly, it puts off having to do film and developer tests all over again!

Cheers,
Kent

Hmmm...

http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/kb/rf/olympus35s.jpg

???

I was also thinking of the Fujica Compact S, which is a little like you're describing. Are you sure it was Olympus?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[ChrisN]

Might be an Olympus SC:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6351

Mark could be right about the cover being missing from above the rangefinder and viewfinder windows.

 

[Max Power]

Might be an Olympus SC:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6351

Mark could be right about the cover being missing from above the rangefinder and viewfinder windows.

It might be the 1955 Olympus S described in the post.

It is certain that the cover is not missing, because the engraving is right where the plastic cover would be. It looks very much like the SC though.

Cheers,
Kent