Christopher J Osborne

This is a collection of Olympus Pen F literature I have found on the web over the years. These items no longer seem to be available elsewhere so I thought I would make them available here. You will also find details of my own Olympus Pen F series collection on this website.

Sales brochures

• Olympus Pen F brochure (early)

  This is a very early brochure for the original Olympus Pen F, probably published shortly after the camera was launched in 1963. The original line up of 4 lenses (25mm f/4, 38mm f/1.8, 100mm f/3.5 and 50-90mm f/3.5 zoom) is detailed.

• Olympus Pen F brochure

  This brochure features an expanded line up of 7 lenses, making it later than the brochure above, but still quite early in the development of the Pen F system. The 40mm f/1.4, 60mm f/1.5 and 70mm f/2 lenses have been added to the system.

• Olympus Pen F brochure (later)

  This brochure seems to be an updated version of the first brochure above. It features a system of 10 lenses: the budget priced 38mm f/2.8 (not the later 38mm f/2.8 pancake version), 150mm f/4 and the exotic 800mm mirror lens (apparently only 36 were ever made!) have been added to the system.

• Olympus Pen F Guide to Lenses brochure

  This brochure is specifically about the Pen F lens system. It lists 14 lenses, with the 42mm f/1.2, 20mm f/3.5, 250mm f/5, 400mm f/6.3 and 100-200mm f/5 zoom lenses having been added to the system since the brochure above was published. The budget priced 38mm f/2.8 lens has already been dropped.

• Olympus Pen FT brochure

  In 1966 the original Pen F camera was replace by the Pen FT. This brochure has details of 15 lenses, with the new high-end 25mm f/2.8 moderate wide angle listed alongside the earlier 25mm f/4 lens.

• Olympus Pen FV and FT brochure

  Shortly after it was launched in 1966, the Pen FT was joined by the Pen FV. This brochure features both cameras and the same 15 lens line-up as the previous brochure.

• Olympus Pen FT The Permanent Portable brochure

  This is a very late brochure for the Olympus Pen FT camera. The title of the brochure ("The Permanent Portable") is a little ironic given that the entire system would soon be discontinued to make way for Olympus' forth coming full-frame SLR cameras. The full range of 17 lenses is mentioned, including the two final additions to the lens line-up: the 38mm f/2.8 pancake lens and the 38mm f/3.5 macro lens.

Information for sales people

• Ponder & Best sales information for the complete range of Olympus cameras - May 1968

  Camera manufacturers and large camera retail chains often produced comprehensive sales information files designed for sales people. This one was produced by the US retailer Ponder & Best. It features the full range of Olympus cameras, which in 1968 consisted of the Olympus Quickmatic 126 cartridge film camera, the full-frame Olympus Trip camera and the Olympus Pen half-frame compact cameras. And, of course, at the top of the Olympus range was the Pen F system of SLRs, lenses and accessories. In my 1968 there were 15 lenses to choose from, which mean the 38mm pancake and 38mm macro lenses were still to be launched.

Test reports

• Nine Olympus Pen FT Lenses - Camera 35 magazine - Dec 69/Jan 70

  A test report from Camera 35 managzine of the following nine Olympus Pen FT lenses: 20mm f/3.5, 25mm f/2.8 (they really like this one, calling it "fabulous"!), 38mm f/2.8 pancake, 38mm f/3.5 macro, 40mm f/1.4, 60mm f/1.5, 70mm f/2 and 100mm f/3.5.

• Olympus Pen FT - Modern magazine - circa 1966

  A test from Modern magazine of the new Olympus Pen FT camera and a few Olympus Pen F lenses. The article isn't dated, but it is likely to have been published shortly after the Pen FT was introduced in 1966.

General articles

• History in the making: 35mm photography then… and now - The Olympus Pursuit - Vol. 19 No. 4 2000

  An article from The Olympus Pursuit magazine about the history of Olympus 35mm cameras in general, but of course the Olympus Pen F range features heavily!

• The Camera Collector by Jason Schneider - Modern Photography magazine - no date

  A column from Modern Photography magazine about collecting Olympus Pen F cameras.