Half frame camera

[Alan W]

I'm ready for a half frame camera!Does anyone out there own and use one on a regular basis?If so which model do you recommend?What should I look for as regards reliability,usability etc.Right now the camera that I carry everywhere is an olympus OM2,I love the camera but I'm looking for something more compact and less obtrusive mainly for "street" type shots.Thanks for any suggestions.Al.

[Ian Grant]

I had a Canon Demi it was superb but I lent it and it was dropped, the meter broke. Now I have a Pen EE2 (think it's the 2) but I stopped using it about 10 years ago.

Ideally I'd like a Pen F - but funds won't stretch to one at the moment.

Ian

[ludoo]

I bought a Pen EES-2 last week and it has been riding in my pocket since. It's a pretty nice and very compact fully auto camera, if you have ever seen a (later) Trip35 the Pen EES is almost the same camera and lens at 2/3 the size.

I also have a square format Zeiss Ikon Taxona, which is heavier but even smaller than the Pen EES, but it's a fully manual camera with no meter. Both cost very little money, if you look around a bit you could try a few, then keep what you like and sell the rest.

[Anton Lukoszevieze]

I have a a grey Olympus EE2, it is marvellous, auto metering works faultlessly, the zuiko lens is very sharp and the asa settings are great, from 400, 320, 250, 200, 160, 125, 100, 80, 64, 50, 40 to 25. I highly recommend one.

[archphoto]

The Olympus Pen EE is plenty around, I got the EES-2 and an other one.
They are lovely little camera's , if you get a hold of one without a CLA prepare your self for new (and easy) light seals.

Canon and Fuji made some half frames aswell.
Most of them have zone focussing.

The Pen F is a SLR on half frame, and will cost you a lot more, still on my wishlist.....

Peter

[jnanian]

i use a pen ft every day!

it is a great camera

[Ektagraphic]

The Canon Dial seems like a really fun camera.

[nsurit]

The Olympus Pen F is smaller and less obtrusive, however if going half frame and small and unobtrusive are you goals, why not one of the other fixed lens Pen series. You could also stay with a full frame with the Olympus XA, with its clam shell design a real dandy of a 35mm camera. If looking at the XA series, stick with the original XA as oppose to the 2,3 or 4. Bill Barber

[nsurit]

i use a pen ft every day!

it is a great camera

Yes, you do and you use it well. I always enjoying seeing the latest of your Pen FT images. Bill Barber

[IloveTLRs]

If you're coming from an OM-2 you may want to look at Olympus Pens. They have very nice lenses, are mechanically simple and are abundant in numbers. The EE (Electric Eye) series (with selenium meters) are the most plentiful and the cheapest. They have zone focus or in the case of the EE-3, fixed focus. They are very easy to use.
The earlier original Pen and Pen S are nice but slightly harder to find. They have zone focus and f3.5 or f2.8 lenses but no meters.
The Pen F and FT are seen as the Holy Grail of Pens and therefore pretty expensive ($400 and up, here in Japan.) Some people prefer the F because it has a brighter viewfinder, some prefer the FT because it has a meter (though it uses the old mercury batteries.)
Personally I use a Pen D and a Pen EED.