Olympus PEN-EES / EE3 Half-frame camera

Olympus cameras:

- Olympus PEN-EES (Serial No.: 274667) + case + flash bracket + 22.5 mm SL 39Ø3C UV filter (shutter works; no metering warranty)
- Olympus PEN-EE3 (Serial No.: 2319699) + wrist strap + case (shutter works; no metering warranty)

The photos and the description provide a good view of the outward condition of the equipment.

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If an item has not been tested or is offered only for parts/collection/repair, the risk is on the buyer. The items in this auction are sold AS-IS. That means that after purchase no claims are possible regarding operation and/or appearance of the items.
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The Pen series is a family of half-frame cameras produced by Olympus from 1959 to the early 1980s. They are fixed-lens cameras with a viewfinder. The original Pen was introduced in 1959. Designed by Maitani Yoshihisa, it was the first half-frame camera manufactured in Japan. It was one of the smallest cameras to use 35mm film in standard 135 cassettes. The name comes from the idea that the camera was as portable as a pen. The concept was quickly copied by many other Japanese manufacturers.

A series of derivative models followed, some more user-friendly thanks to the introduction of automatic exposure, such as the Pen EE.

In 1966, the arrival of the Rollei 35, a nearly equally compact camera that took standard 24×36 shots, marked the beginning of the end for the half-frame concept. Olympus continued to produce the simpler Pen-family models at least until 1983. A total of 17 million Pen half-frame cameras were sold.

The Pen E family is easy to recognize by the selenium light-meter window around the lens. The first model in the Pen E series was the Pen EE, introduced in 1961. This model targeted amateur photographers and featured fully automatic exposure and fixed focus. It is a true point-and-shoot camera with a 28mm f/3.5 lens. There were two sub-versions of the EE. The first version had a single shutter speed of 1/60 second, used for both flash and non-flash photography. Later versions of the EE (and all later derivatives) had two shutter speeds: 1/200 second and 1/40 second (in some secondary sources incorrectly listed as 1/250 and 1/30 seconds; manuals give the correct specifications). In flash mode, the shutter speed was fixed at the slower value, and in non-flash mode the shutter speed automatically shifted depending on light conditions. For both EE subversions, the aperture ranged from f/3.5 to f/22 and the ISO from 10 to 200. The Pen EE could use 22.5 mm or 43.5 mm filters. The main difference between the older EE and the newer subversion lay in the material covering the camera. The older model had a leather-like finish, while the newer model had a wicker-pattern finish (usually gray).

The Pen EE-S, launched in 1962, is the same model with a 30mm f/2.8 lens and a focus ring, necessary due to the larger aperture. Most specifications were similar to the EE with two shutter speeds.

In 1966, the two cameras were lightly updated and given the names Pen EE (EL) and Pen EE-S (EL), with an updated film-winding spool to facilitate loading. EL stands for Easy Loading. You can recognize them by a small label on the front that says EL, or you can open the camera and view the film-winding spool. The earlier, non-EL film spools are thick gray plastic cylinders.

The Pen EE-D, produced from 1967 to 1972, is a more expensive model with automatic exposure, a CdS meter, a focusable 32mm f/1.7 lens, and a flash shoe. Film speeds ranged from 12 to 500 ISO. The EE-D cameras had a wider lens than the typical EE cameras.

The Pen EE-2, produced from 1968 to 1977, is virtually identical to the Pen EE, with a non-removable hinged back, a flash shoe, and an automatic exposure meter. The film speed range was adjusted to modern emulsions and now ran from 25 to 400 ISO. The shutter speeds were the same as for the EE: 1/200 and 1/40 second. The EE-2 could only use larger filters (43.5 mm).

The Pen EES-2, produced from 1968 to 1971, is a modernized version of the EE-S, with a non-removable hinged back, a flash shoe, an automatic exposure meter, and an adjusted ISO range for newer films (25-400 ISO).

The Pen EE-3, produced from 1973 to 1983, looked exactly the same as the EE, but additionally featured the Flashmatic system. In combination with a matching GN14 flash, the user could obtain a corrected aperture value by manually setting the aperture ring to one of the approximate distances (1–4 m).

The Pen EF, launched in 1981, was the last Pen model. This camera is similar to the Pen EE-2 or Pen EE-3, but with a small built-in flash. It was only available in a black finish with white lettering. The shutter speeds were 1/40 and 1/200 second, and the film sensitivity ranged from 25 to 400 ISO.