Olympus Trip 35

Welcome to the latest instalment in my 35mm photographic blog. Today, I shall be bringing to your attention another of my 35mm cameras: the Olympus Trip 35.

It may be that you are starting to think I am somewhat obsessed with Olympus photographic equipment. The Trip 35 was actually the first piece of Olympus kit I bought and, therefore, it could be argued that this camera is to blame for my ever-expanding collection.

The Olympus Trip 35 is a compact, point-and-shoot 35mm camera that was introduced in 1967 and discontinued in 1984. The length of time this camera was in production (17 years) is testament to its fantastic capabilities and inherent simplicity to use. Its intended purpose was as a high quality, simple-to-use camera, designed specifically for use on trips (hence the name). It was hugely popular with families and, in fact, my mother used an Olympus Trip 35 to take the majority of our family photos (many of which were taken overseas) when myself and my brother were young children. This specific camera was fully operational for a good number of years, until it was the victim of an accident involving a very large wave in the Canary Islands. These cameras are hugely durable and feel very solid, but I do not advise submerging them in salt-water, as the results can be catastrophic.

With simplicity in mind, the designers of the Olympus Trip 35 really did not over-complicate matters. Through the use of a solar-powered light meter (the 'bubbly' ring surrounding the lens), the camera always automatically selects from one of two available shutter speeds: 1/200s or 1/40s. (1/40s may sound slow, but coupled with a 40mm focal-length lens, this is ideal for hand-held photography; provided you have a steady hand.) If you are shooting in relatively light conditions (outdoors during the daytime and most well-lit indoor situations), you will find that the Trip 35 works fantastically on the Automatic setting (found on the aperture ring behind the lens). If the shutter decides not to fire (due to insufficient light), a red flag pops up in the viewfinder alerting you to this. If this is the case, switching over to f/2.8 on the aperture selection ring overrides the automatic setting and the camera will always fire whatever the light conditions. (I will go over shooting with the Olympus Trip 35 in low light conditions in greater detail in a future post.) The only other things the user needs to do are set the ISO/ASA for the film in use (a ring on the front of the lens allows this to be changed between 25-400) and select an estimated focal distance for the subject being photographed. The focal ring is found on the lens and can be shifted between 1m, 1.5m, 3m and infinity. A handy 'mini' viewfinder window allows the user to see the aperture and focal settings they have selected on the rings on the lens, at the same time as composing their shot using the frame inside the viewfinder.

This camera really could not be more simple to operate. Loading the film is a breeze and the counter works perfectly. The shutter release always feels very 'sure' and solid, and the fantastically clear optics of the fixed 40mm Olympus Zuiko f/2.8 lens enable even the most amateur of photographers to capture stunning results. The solar-powered selenium light meter and fully-mechanical operation, mean that this camera does not require any batteries; it just keeps on shooting. My particular model cost just £15 on a popular online auction site and is in full-working order (despite being manufactured in 1981). Earlier models in pristine cosmetic condition will fetch a lot more than this, and there are also websites that specialise in customising these cameras with colourful, leather surrounds (these too sell for a little more). There are tons of these little cameras available and if you do not own one, and are even only slightly interested in trying 35mm film photography for the first time, I sincerely urge to you purchase one. The results can be fantastic.

 

I hope you have found this article of some use, and that it may have inspired you, too, to pick up an old camera and give it a try.

The following image was taken using this camera, in the parking structure at Heathrow Airport, London in December 2010. Due to low-light conditions, the automatic aperture selection setting was overridden and adjusted to f/2.8. The camera chose a shutter speed of 1/40s. The film is Fuji Superia 200, and the camera was hand-held.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tom Parkes
London, UK