I just got a Olympus Pen D. I like that the meter is uncoupled. Still fully manual and no battery to go bad. Still working on my 1st roll so I don't know how well I'm doing on guessing focus. Really like the feel and size of the Pen D.
Thanks Joe. Great video. I have one of these cameras and have never used it.I also have the Epson v700 scanner so I will have to give this a try. cheers. Geoff
Glad it was helpful! It's a fun camera. Really different, but a fun one to pull out. And yea. I think the full-length scan is the easiest/best way to get the best diptychs out of the film reels.
I have a feeling these halfframe cameras are becoming quite popular. I also picked up a olympus pen ef which has an integrated flash. If you want to a sharper lens, you might want to try a olympus pen model of which the F, FT and FV are probably the best you can get. It fixes all your mentioned problems with focusing, more manual, sharpness...
Yea. If I do get a PEN, I'd love a F or FT. It would be a blast to have that much control over such a small image. But I do also love automation. So 🤷♂️
@@JTobiason By volume, the vast majority of the Pen F SLR camera models produced were FT with TTL metering. The problem was that all of the Pen F models use a mirror viewfinder rather than a prism - quite dim. Then the FT taps off a significant part of that light to run the internal meter, making it more dim. I was in love with this camera years ago and bought a whole kit of FT, lenses and such. After my first weekend photo trip only using the newly acquired FT, I sold off the whole mess - very disappointed. In retrospect, I wish I had kept the lenses, sold the FT body, and sought out a fairly rare FV, which was the FT stripped of its viewfinder killing meter.
Whoa! That's really awesome! I'd never heard of a half frame 120 camera before. That is a real gem of photography history there! If you need me in the next hour, I'll be deep in the wikipedia and ebay for this thing. ;)
@@JTobiason Really fun. Two film advance windows on the back. Put the number (i.e. 4) in the left window. Take a shot. Turn it slightly more (half a frame) to put the number in the right window. Take a shot. 24 frames on a roll of 120. Guess focusing. It's fun.
Weird half frame suggestion that I've been in love with the past few weeks, the b&h/canon dial 35 is a seriously nice little camera. One of the sharpest lenses I have for half frame along with the pen eed, plus no selenium meter, I'm always terrified of those dying eventually haha
Cool little camera 📷 I recently picked up an Olynpus Pen EE another 1960s half frame camera, it's absolutely mint, I paid just £15 for it, looking forward to putting some film through it.
@shogun4612 Yes prices are rising rapidly, I've seen them advertised well over £100. Probably thanks to the new half frame offering from Pentax at £500. I've since bought another Olympus Pen EE for £20, the seller had 2 but only one had a functioning selenium light meter, initially it had a sticky shutter but just exercising it over and over seems to have fixed it. Another bargain I'm really happy with, as this one is in even better condition than my 'mint' Pen EE. I've had the first roll of film I put through mine developed and the prints are really nice, very crisp focus and it seems to be metering correctly. No light leaks as I was a bit concerned there didn't seem to be any light seals on mine except a thin strip around the base plate on the removable back.
Sorry I'm so late to this conversation. I absolutely love the halfframe format. However, my experience is with an Olympus Pen S, which is all manual, no meter. Some people will absolutely hate that, but I love the process. I also have a new (to me) Konica Auto-Reflex half frame/full frame that is a game changer. It's a full size SLR that can switch between the two formats. Not without its limitations as well, but my golly, it's fun.
The half frame format is really fun. I would love to shoot with something that has more controls someday. This little thing is a blast because there is nothing to do except shoot. But wow, that Konica! I've never heard of a camera that flipped between half/full frame. That's wild! Like a percursor to APS films.
The economics of film photography have really shifted back to having to be as economic as possible. I'm just getting into it and priority number one was too make it as affordable as possible, which led me to half frame. Definitely going to have to keep an eye out for one of these.
Yea! That is a great way to get into it. These are fun, but super simple. If you want just a point and shoot, they're fun. But if you want to push yourself a little and probably get more out of the frame, spending a little more for a Olympus PEN or something might be a good choice. And then definitely can save a lot of money with self rolling cheaper films (I self roll and develop Kentmere 400 and that gets to be pretty reasonable per roll).
It seems surprising that half frame cameras have not become part of the film resurgence culture. IMO they are perfect for most uses today, by which I mean film images scanned for digital distribution, mostly in electronic imaging. I say this because the true film image requirements of digital displays is so low that the smaller film image size of half frame simply is not a disadvantage. Scan your film and do what? Post on line? Display on a computer screen? Step on it in Photoshop till it looks like a poster? None of that requires a film image the size of full 35mm. The idea that you need $,4,000 of Mamiya 7ii and a 6x7cm negative for such purposes is absolutely ridiculous. So why doesn't everyone rush to film half frame? Well, there is not much There there. Introduced in the early 1960s as the ultimate consumer casual use camera, most (like the Olympus Pen cameras) were lightly built with features and technology which were childish even by the standards of 1960. (Three element lenses, 2-speed shutters, selenium meters, auto-exposure only) They were cheap, simply, and not designed to be repaired when they failed, which was sooner than "normal" cameras. There were a few exceptions, but the vast majority went on holiday to the beach, got left in the car glove compartment, where dug out for the party, and then they died. In theory, a modern, electronically based half frame film camera of good quality, basic features, and a decent lens could be made today, adding auto focus, something like a downsized Contax T2 or Konica Mini, for $250-350. Would probably sell as fast as it could be made, but the traditional camera makers are no longer geared up for film camera production. It would probably take a company like Cosina to a plunge into the past to do that.
I generally do all my own development and scanning. I usually use the C-41 kits from Unicolor or CineStill to develop. And I made another detailed video about how I scan. th-cam.com/video/exBQyigqr2M/w-d-xo.html
Hope youll reply! So i have a older version of this camera and the ISO setting is maxed to 200 Do you recommend using 400 ISO filming and pulling it during developing? Im using BW film if that makes a difference! Thanks!
Honestly, I'd probably just shoot it at 200. I overexpose my film by a bit most of the time anyway. I usually shoot kentmere 400 and because I self roll, most of my canisters don't have codes for a point and shoot camera. So I usually just shoot that 400 film at 100. You will barely notice a difference. I definitely wouldn't bother pulling if you're paying to get it developed. If you're self-developing, it might be worth it. Enjoy!
Most labs will charge you more if you say the words half frame. Other wise they will process and scan the film normally and your 2 half frames will occupy the same single 24mm x 36mm space with a frame bar separating the two. Many people print these together as diptychs. Now if you are asking a lab for prints too that is a different story as the 24mm x 36mm will need to be masked to print the 18×24 mm half frame or they will need to use a 18×24 mm gate. Interestingly, Leica Focomat IC enlargers, and probably others too, had a range of different film gates you could purchase including the half frame 18×24 mm.
Nice video about this camera. However, no way you get depth of field from 1.5m to infinity at f/2.8, that isn't possible mathematically. With f/16 you can get this. The selenium meter looks easy to cover with the hands when composing. So I guess one need to take care when holding it.
Totally true that you won't get 1.5m to infinity at f2.8, but the camera has auto-aperture. So if it's sunny, it'll stop itself down. I've found that if the camera is being used in the daytime, it'll probably be OK, but anything in twilight will be an issue. You can also set the aperture on the settings, whether you want a specific setting or you're using flash.
If you want to buy one of these and live in the US, search for the same cameras under the Ansco brand, which was the same cameras with a different label attached. Build quality is Meh; optics are average, a cut below the Olympus Pen models. For a much better build and optics in half frame format, look at the several models made by Canon. Canon used optics on their models which were far better than anyone else. The marketing gimmick for which these Ricoh/Ansco models were known is the spring wind motor which "powers" the film advance/shutter cocking. The weak link to all of these cameras is that they are all auto-exposure (Ricoh, Oly, Canon, elc) with no manual override, and whether meter is selenium or Cds battery powered, many meters no longer work, leaving the camera a paperweight.
@@JTobiason Ricoh and Ansco had an odd relationship. One of the full sized Ricoh models sold by Ansco under its label was flipped upside down with a large handle added, then used by NASA on one of the early space flights. This was in the 1960s (?), when Agfa had separated from Ansco/GAF and had stopped selling a variety of its rather nice German models as rebadged Ansco units. Back then, being "selected" to provide modified cameras for NASA space flights was both and honor and a huge marketing tool. Ansco, Nikon, Hasselblad, and ??
Watching this made me realize i was using it wrong😐. I didnt know i have to wind it that much. I was winding it per shot and all I was thinking was "wow, this camera is so quiet" 😂
Oh no! Well, I'm glad to help. You don't necessarily need to wind it a ton. A few twists should be enough for a few shots, but if you wind it all the way, it should do about 1/2 of a roll of film. But, I often hit the winder release button on the bottom if I'm going to put the camera away so that it won't accidentally hit the shutter and waste photos.
This is the best camera review I've watched in a min. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and sample images!
Thank you. That's so kind. It's a fun little one and I hope other folks give it a shot.
I just got a Olympus Pen D. I like that the meter is uncoupled. Still fully manual and no battery to go bad. Still working on my 1st roll so I don't know how well I'm doing on guessing focus. Really like the feel and size of the Pen D.
Awesome! Enjoy! That is nice to have the meter option, but to have it work independently.
Enjoyed this, thanks for putting it together.
I'm glad! Thanks for watching!!
Really enjoyed watching this video! Thank you
Thanks for watching!!
Well, I’m sufficiently hyped.
🤣🤣
Thanks Joe. Great video. I have one of these cameras and have never used it.I also have the Epson v700 scanner so I will have to give this a try. cheers. Geoff
Glad it was helpful! It's a fun camera. Really different, but a fun one to pull out. And yea. I think the full-length scan is the easiest/best way to get the best diptychs out of the film reels.
I have a feeling these halfframe cameras are becoming quite popular. I also picked up a olympus pen ef which has an integrated flash. If you want to a sharper lens, you might want to try a olympus pen model of which the F, FT and FV are probably the best you can get. It fixes all your mentioned problems with focusing, more manual, sharpness...
Yea. If I do get a PEN, I'd love a F or FT. It would be a blast to have that much control over such a small image. But I do also love automation. So 🤷♂️
@@JTobiason By volume, the vast majority of the Pen F SLR camera models produced were FT with TTL metering. The problem was that all of the Pen F models use a mirror viewfinder rather than a prism - quite dim. Then the FT taps off a significant part of that light to run the internal meter, making it more dim. I was in love with this camera years ago and bought a whole kit of FT, lenses and such. After my first weekend photo trip only using the newly acquired FT, I sold off the whole mess - very disappointed. In retrospect, I wish I had kept the lenses, sold the FT body, and sought out a fairly rare FV, which was the FT stripped of its viewfinder killing meter.
Nice vid once again. I've got a Bencini Koroll 24 S half-frame 120 camera I love. Always gives me something different.
Whoa! That's really awesome! I'd never heard of a half frame 120 camera before. That is a real gem of photography history there!
If you need me in the next hour, I'll be deep in the wikipedia and ebay for this thing. ;)
@@JTobiason Really fun. Two film advance windows on the back. Put the number (i.e. 4) in the left window. Take a shot. Turn it slightly more (half a frame) to put the number in the right window. Take a shot. 24 frames on a roll of 120. Guess focusing. It's fun.
Weird half frame suggestion that I've been in love with the past few weeks, the b&h/canon dial 35 is a seriously nice little camera. One of the sharpest lenses I have for half frame along with the pen eed, plus no selenium meter, I'm always terrified of those dying eventually haha
Whoa! I'd never seen one of those before right now. That is a crazy looking little thing and now I TOTALLY want one. :)
Been wanting to get a half frame camera for ages and this one actually looks cool and produces decent quality images. Great video!
Yea. Me too. I liked this one but don't know if I'd recommend it. Going to try another one soon. Maybe an Olympus PEN.
Cool little camera 📷
I recently picked up an Olynpus Pen EE another 1960s half frame camera, it's absolutely mint, I paid just £15 for it, looking forward to putting some film through it.
That's a deal! Enjoy!!!
50£ min
@shogun4612 Yes prices are rising rapidly, I've seen them advertised well over £100.
Probably thanks to the new half frame offering from Pentax at £500.
I've since bought another Olympus Pen EE for £20, the seller had 2 but only one had a functioning selenium light meter, initially it had a sticky shutter but just exercising it over and over seems to have fixed it.
Another bargain I'm really happy with, as this one is in even better condition than my 'mint' Pen EE.
I've had the first roll of film I put through mine developed and the prints are really nice, very crisp focus and it seems to be metering correctly.
No light leaks as I was a bit concerned there didn't seem to be any light seals on mine except a thin strip around the base plate on the removable back.
Heyy, i just got the camera recently. But my wind button is too hard to turn, and i don't know how to release the stress inside 😢
Hmm. That's a strange one. Worst case, you can just go into a dark closet at night under a blanket and open the back and then manually rewind.
Sorry I'm so late to this conversation. I absolutely love the halfframe format. However, my experience is with an Olympus Pen S, which is all manual, no meter. Some people will absolutely hate that, but I love the process. I also have a new (to me) Konica Auto-Reflex half frame/full frame that is a game changer. It's a full size SLR that can switch between the two formats. Not without its limitations as well, but my golly, it's fun.
The half frame format is really fun. I would love to shoot with something that has more controls someday. This little thing is a blast because there is nothing to do except shoot. But wow, that Konica! I've never heard of a camera that flipped between half/full frame. That's wild! Like a percursor to APS films.
@@JTobiason I'm after another Pen right now. I'll DM you on Instagram
The economics of film photography have really shifted back to having to be as economic as possible. I'm just getting into it and priority number one was too make it as affordable as possible, which led me to half frame.
Definitely going to have to keep an eye out for one of these.
Yea! That is a great way to get into it. These are fun, but super simple. If you want just a point and shoot, they're fun. But if you want to push yourself a little and probably get more out of the frame, spending a little more for a Olympus PEN or something might be a good choice. And then definitely can save a lot of money with self rolling cheaper films (I self roll and develop Kentmere 400 and that gets to be pretty reasonable per roll).
It seems surprising that half frame cameras have not become part of the film resurgence culture. IMO they are perfect for most uses today, by which I mean film images scanned for digital distribution, mostly in electronic imaging. I say this because the true film image requirements of digital displays is so low that the smaller film image size of half frame simply is not a disadvantage. Scan your film and do what? Post on line? Display on a computer screen? Step on it in Photoshop till it looks like a poster? None of that requires a film image the size of full 35mm. The idea that you need $,4,000 of Mamiya 7ii and a 6x7cm negative for such purposes is absolutely ridiculous. So why doesn't everyone rush to film half frame? Well, there is not much There there. Introduced in the early 1960s as the ultimate consumer casual use camera, most (like the Olympus Pen cameras) were lightly built with features and technology which were childish even by the standards of 1960. (Three element lenses, 2-speed shutters, selenium meters, auto-exposure only) They were cheap, simply, and not designed to be repaired when they failed, which was sooner than "normal" cameras. There were a few exceptions, but the vast majority went on holiday to the beach, got left in the car glove compartment, where dug out for the party, and then they died. In theory, a modern, electronically based half frame film camera of good quality, basic features, and a decent lens could be made today, adding auto focus, something like a downsized Contax T2 or Konica Mini, for $250-350. Would probably sell as fast as it could be made, but the traditional camera makers are no longer geared up for film camera production. It would probably take a company like Cosina to a plunge into the past to do that.
Joe, do you scan your own colour photos too? Do you get them developed at the lab and then scan them yourself?
I generally do all my own development and scanning. I usually use the C-41 kits from Unicolor or CineStill to develop. And I made another detailed video about how I scan. th-cam.com/video/exBQyigqr2M/w-d-xo.html
Hope youll reply!
So i have a older version of this camera and the ISO setting is maxed to 200
Do you recommend using 400 ISO filming and pulling it during developing?
Im using BW film if that makes a difference! Thanks!
Honestly, I'd probably just shoot it at 200. I overexpose my film by a bit most of the time anyway. I usually shoot kentmere 400 and because I self roll, most of my canisters don't have codes for a point and shoot camera. So I usually just shoot that 400 film at 100. You will barely notice a difference. I definitely wouldn't bother pulling if you're paying to get it developed. If you're self-developing, it might be worth it. Enjoy!
@@JTobiason thanks so much!
Most labs will charge you more if you say the words half frame. Other wise they will process and scan the film normally and your 2 half frames will occupy the same single 24mm x 36mm space with a frame bar separating the two. Many people print these together as diptychs. Now if you are asking a lab for prints too that is a different story as the 24mm x 36mm will need to be masked to print the 18×24 mm half frame or they will need to use a 18×24 mm gate. Interestingly, Leica Focomat IC enlargers, and probably others too, had a range of different film gates you could purchase including the half frame 18×24 mm.
Good to know. I've never sent mine to a lab but always wondered.
Did you end up keeping this for your toddler or find a better option?
I've ended up keeping it. If I was buying one now, I'd probably buy that Kodak half frame that they released 6 months ago.
It's time for film! forget Pentax 17 lol
Haha. I haven't used on of those yet but I could buy 5 of these instead. 😂
Nice video about this camera. However, no way you get depth of field from 1.5m to infinity at f/2.8, that isn't possible mathematically. With f/16 you can get this. The selenium meter looks easy to cover with the hands when composing. So I guess one need to take care when holding it.
Totally true that you won't get 1.5m to infinity at f2.8, but the camera has auto-aperture. So if it's sunny, it'll stop itself down. I've found that if the camera is being used in the daytime, it'll probably be OK, but anything in twilight will be an issue. You can also set the aperture on the settings, whether you want a specific setting or you're using flash.
If you want to buy one of these and live in the US, search for the same cameras under the Ansco brand, which was the same cameras with a different label attached. Build quality is Meh; optics are average, a cut below the Olympus Pen models. For a much better build and optics in half frame format, look at the several models made by Canon. Canon used optics on their models which were far better than anyone else. The marketing gimmick for which these Ricoh/Ansco models were known is the spring wind motor which "powers" the film advance/shutter cocking. The weak link to all of these cameras is that they are all auto-exposure (Ricoh, Oly, Canon, elc) with no manual override, and whether meter is selenium or Cds battery powered, many meters no longer work, leaving the camera a paperweight.
Huh. That's facinating! There are so many cameras we've never tried. Just a blast!
@@JTobiason Ricoh and Ansco had an odd relationship. One of the full sized Ricoh models sold by Ansco under its label was flipped upside down with a large handle added, then used by NASA on one of the early space flights. This was in the 1960s (?), when Agfa had separated from Ansco/GAF and had stopped selling a variety of its rather nice German models as rebadged Ansco units. Back then, being "selected" to provide modified cameras for NASA space flights was both and honor and a huge marketing tool. Ansco, Nikon, Hasselblad, and ??
Watching this made me realize i was using it wrong😐. I didnt know i have to wind it that much. I was winding it per shot and all I was thinking was "wow, this camera is so quiet" 😂
Oh no! Well, I'm glad to help. You don't necessarily need to wind it a ton. A few twists should be enough for a few shots, but if you wind it all the way, it should do about 1/2 of a roll of film. But, I often hit the winder release button on the bottom if I'm going to put the camera away so that it won't accidentally hit the shutter and waste photos.
I should thumb you down because your pictures shows how dull are mine...🙄😒
aw shucks. ;)