Olympus Pen EES / EE2 Half-frame camera

Olympus camera's:

- Olympus PEN-EES (Serial No.: 770895) + case + strap (diaphragm does not work, name worn off; suitable for parts or collection)
- Olympus PEN-EE2 (Serial No.: 2381370) + case (shutter works; no guarantee on light metering)

The photos and the description give a good overview of the item's external condition.

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If an item has not been tested or is offered solely for parts/collection/repair, the risk is with the buyer. The items in this auction are sold AS-IS. This means that after purchase no claim can be made regarding operation and/or the 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 range 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, an almost equally compact camera that made normal 24×36 exposures, marked the beginning of the end for the half-frame concept. Olympus, however, continued to produce the simpler Pen family models at least until 1983. 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 offered fully automatic exposure and fixed focus. It is a true point-and-shoot camera with a 28mm f/3.5 lens. There were two subversions 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 erroneously listed as 1/250 and 1/30 second; manuals give the correct specs). In flash mode the shutter speed was fixed at the slowest value, and in non-flash mode the shutter speed automatically shifted depending on ambient light. For both subversions of the EE, the aperture ranged from f/3.5 to f/22 and the ISO from 10 to 200. The Pen EE could take filters of 22.5 mm or 43.5 mm. 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 material, while the newer model had a weave pattern (usually gray).

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

In 1966 the two cameras were updated and received the names Pen EE (EL) and Pen EE-S (EL), with a redesigned 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 look at the film spool. The earlier, non-EL film spools are thick gray plastic cylinders.

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

The Pen EE-2, produced from 1968 to 1977, is almost identical to the Pen EE, with a non-removable hinged back, a hot shoe, and an automatic exposure meter. Film speed range was adjusted to newer emulsions and now ran from ISO 25 to 400. 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 hot shoe, an automatic exposure meter, and a adjusted ISO range for newer films (25-400 ISO).

The Pen EE-3, produced from 1973 to 1983, appeared to be exactly the same camera, but was also equipped with the Flashmatic system. In combination with a matching GN14 flash, the user could obtain a corrected diaphragm value with the Flashmatic system by manually setting the diaphragm ring to one of the estimated 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. Shutter speeds were 1/40 and 1/200 second and the film speed ranged from ISO 25 to 400.