Olympus PEN-EE / EE2 Half-frame camera

Olympus camera's:

Olympus PEN-EE (Serial number: 808989) + case + strap + lens cap + flash bracket (shutter works, no guarantee on light meter, seal hardened)
Olympus PEN-EE2 (Serial number: 3007787) + case (aperture and shutter do not work; suitable for parts or collection)

The photos and the description give a good view of the external 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 with the buyer. The items in this auction are sold AS-IS. This means that after purchase, no claim is 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 produced in Japan. It was one of the smallest cameras to use 35mm film in standard 135 cassettes. The name came 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 as compact camera that produced normal 24×36 images, signaled the beginning of the end for the half-frame concept. Olympus, however, continued to produce the simpler models of the Pen family 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 was aimed at 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 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 wrongly listed as 1/250 and 1/30 seconds; manuals state the correct specifications). In flash mode the shutter speed was fixed at the slower value, and in non-flash mode the shutter speed automatically adjusted depending on lighting conditions. 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 use filters of 22.5 mm or 43.5 mm. The main difference between the older EE and the newer subversion lay in the material the camera was covered with. 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 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 received the names Pen EE (EL) and Pen EE-S (EL), with a redesigned film spool to facilitate loading. EL stands for Easy Loading. You can recognize them only by a small label on the front with the text 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 more expensive model with automatic exposure, a CdS meter, an adjustable 32mm f/1.7 lens and a flash shoe. Film sensitivities 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 hot 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 hot shoe, an automatic exposure meter and an adjusted ISO range for modern 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 aperture value with the Flashmatic system by manually turning the aperture 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 version with white lettering. Shutter speeds were 1/40 and 1/200 seconds and film sensitivity ranged from 25 to 400 ISO.