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Cameras/Olympus Camers - vintage?

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Expert: - 7/11/2006


Question
Hi, David.

i have a camera, an Olympus Pen-EE, serial number 815786.
There is a little cursive red "S" in the front upper right. The
writing on the lens is f = 3 cm   Olympus   D.Zuiko   1 : 2.8.

I think my father in law (deceased0 had it for quite some time.

Is this a common camera?

Also, do you know about Voight cameras? I have one that he had
while in WW II.

Thank you for your yime.

Rick Green

Answer

Hello Rick,

You actually have a Pen EES, a compact "half frame" 35mm camera, made by Olympus of Japan from 1962 to 1968.  It is rather common, but truly excellent examples still sell for around $50 today.  Nobody makes "half frame" cameras anymore, so there are a lot of collectors and older photographers who like to acquire them as pocket and glove compartment cameras.

There's no such animal as a "Voight" camera.  There is a Voigt camera (cheap folding bellows snapshot camera made in American during the early 1940's), and there is a Voigtlander company (one of the oldest camera companies in the world, they made zillions of different cameras).  Go back to see exactly what you have, and then I can help you.

Best wishes,

David Silver  

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David Silver

Expertise

I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.

Experience

I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:

http://www.photographyhistory.com


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