Olympus Pen

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	The original Olympus Pen was released in 1959. This was a memorable year for the world of cameras. 1959 saw the release of both the Nikon F and the Olympus Pen appealing to both ends of the photographic market. The Nikon F was a new high specification camera designed with the professional user in mind, while the Olympus Pen was a small and economical camera designed to appeal to the masses. (1959 was also the year I was born - but no-one wants to hear about me!)
	-Specification-
	Release date:October 1959
	Lens: D Zuiko 28mm f3.5 - 22, 4 elements in 3 groups. Manual focusing, single helicoid. 0.6m - infinity.
	Shutter: Copal 000B speeded 1/25 - 1/200 second BARIO type with PC sync connection and cold flash shoe.
	Finder: reverse Galileo, bright finder, magnification x 0.5.
	Meter: no meter fitted to the original Pen.
	Film advance: thumb wheel winding with self-cocking shutter.
	Size: 108mm x 68mm x 39mm.　Weight: 350g.
	Price: 6000 yen, with case 6800 yen.
	Mr Yoshihisa Maitani who, at the time, was the youngest design engineer employed by the Olympus Optical Company designed the Olympus Pen. His plans and rough sketches for his new camera were completed in 1958, only two years after joining the company. His design was in response to the company's request for a 'cheap' camera to sell at 6000 yen. At that time the company's cheapest camera was priced at 27000 yen. With a budget so small, this called for some radical thinking from Mr Maitani. His first decision was that of the half-frame format, as this offered compactness and cost saving. Many other ideas were embodied in the Olympus Pen, such as the rear thumb wheel-winding knob, designed to cut the cost of many gear wheels and springs, as well as being ideally placed for winding with the camera held vertically. The rectangular shutter release button, fitted flush with the top plate surface, also offered a convenient way of taking photographs with the camera held horizontally or vertically. Most of the cost of the camera was taken up by the high quality lens, on which Mr Maitani would not compromise. Following the initial stage an outside industrial designer was assigned to complete the exterior design of the Pen. But the design was not to Mr Maitani's liking as the camera looked like a toy, reflecting the price of 6000 yen. He rejected it, as it did not accord with his own quality image of the camera. Finally, Mr Maitani completed the exterior design. At that time the Olympus Pen was the cheapest camera in the world, but it had the fundamental parts that ensure a good photograph. A high quality lens, and adjustable focus, aperture and shutter speeds. Olympus commissioned "Kimura Ko-ki" to assemble the Pen. Kimura Ko-Ki established new company to assemble Pen, "Sankou Shouji" accordingly. "Sankou" means the location of the company near Shinjuku in Tokyo."Shouji" means trading. Olympus supplied lenses and dicast of body for Sankou Shouji. After the introduction of this camera Japan was swept by a wave of enthusiasm for the half-frame format. Many other Japanese camera makers offered all types of half-frame designs, but the Pen topped all the opposition in terms of market share, price, performance and popularity. In 1960 the original Pen was improved and a new model, the Pen S 2.8 was introduced.
	Lens detail: D. Zuiko 28mm f=3.5. This lens was jointly designed by Mr Hayamizu and Mr Maitani and based on a Zeiss-Tessar triplet type lens. The 28mm focal length was selected as it offered the compactness Mr Maitani required for his new camera. It was his policy that the new camera should be compact and lightweight for carrying and handling. The resolving power of this lens is excellent.
	Mr Maitani insists that he did not economise on the cost of the lens and finder, rather, that his savings were made on other camera parts. The finder is of the reverse Galileo type being bright and clear. The original Pen had a plastic lens fitted to the finder, to save cost, but at the time plastic was not a popular optical material and had doubtful performance. After a few months the plastic was replaced by more traditional glass.
	The rectangular shutter button was set flush with the top plate for clean design lines as well as for ease of use with the camera held in the vertical position. The film exposure counter counts down to zero, so it is important that the user sets the pointer correctly when loading a fresh film.
	The film rewind crank is also set deep into the top plate to ensure smooth design lines. The recessed handle has a knurled knob fitted for ease of use.
	A film advance wheel replaces the conventional lever. This coin-like wheel was developed to save the cost of gear wheels and springs, traditionally very expensive parts to manufacture. Not only does this design save cost, it also saves space.
	On the bottom plate there is a high quality locking mechanism to avoid light leakage. The whole back door of the Pen is attached to the bottom plate, again to save cost and space. With such a design it is very difficult to avoid light leakage into the film chamber. This locking mechanism was designed to avoid such an occurrence. According to Mr Maitani 'in the development of the Pen, leakage of light occurred many times. I set a small bulb in the camera and I searched for evidence of light leakage in the dark room.' To open the back cover the lever is lifted and turned through 180 degrees, then the back door and bottom plate slides down and off the camera.

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