Pixiq

Hi! Damien has been kind enough to publish this guest post I’ve written. My name is Rob Nunn, I’m an amateur photographer, and you can read more of my articles over at robnunnphoto.com, or even listen to my podcast!

Sometimes we let our photography get too complicated. Sometimes we confuse better technology with better photography. Sometimes we need to clear our heads and remember why we love photography. Sometimes we need a Trip.

The Olympus Trip 35 is a compact film camera that was manufactured from the late 1960′s to the early 1980′s. It was incredibly popular, selling by the millions, and has a cult following today. I’m here to tell you why you should want one, and why you should get one and use it to get back in touch with the core foundations of photography – capturing the moment.

You don’t need any batteries to run an Olympus Trip. You don’t need a light-meter. All you have to do is wind the film on, look through the view-finder, turn the zone-focus dial, then take your photograph. Your Trip 35 could sit in a drawer for months with a half-used roll of film, and it would be ready to go in an instant.

The Olympus Trip 35 has a beautiful 40mm f/2.8 Zuiko Lens that is simple as it is sharp. A rival in image quality to many SLR lenses of its time, the reason why the Trip 35 is still so popular today is because of this great glass – it takes beautiful photographs.

I mentioned that this camera doesn’t need a battery to work. There is a Selenium Cell around the lens that powers that automatic exposure system. Just make sure that it as in “A” mode, then the camera will automatically choose the appropriate shutter speed and aperture. No worrying about anything else – just your subject, your composition, and the light. Perfect.

Some people get nervous at the idea of a zone-focus system. How can you possibly get sharp photographs from a camera where there is no auto-focus or even manual-focusing aids? Trust me, estimating subject distance isn’t that hard, and as you get the hang of it you’ll wonder why your dSLR needs 50 AF points, and still gets it wrong every now and again.

But I digress. Shooting with The Olympus Trip 35 isn’t about the technical details, it’s about forgetting them. The Trip 35 is an incredibly cheap film camera that can produce beautiful photographs and make you experience your photography in a new way, or help you re-discover that naiveté we all had when we first took up the hobby. I’ve never smiled so much as when practising photography as I do when I’m using my Trip 35.

The Trip 35 is the camera you’ll have with you down the beach, at a picnic, on a hike, or on a family day out. People aren’t as intimidated by the little Trip as they are by your big black dSLR. There’s no screen to chimp at, so you see a moment, capture it, and move on, enjoying the time with your family. There’s no frustrating changing of lenses as your kids get bored. There’s no “Let me just try another” to drive your spouse crazy because you got the horizon slightly off-kilter. You shoot and run, the camera being a boost to the fun you and your family and friends are having, rather than an obstacle. The Trip 35 never gets in the way.

I’m not saying that I would give up my SLR’s for my Trip, far from it, but I do know that if I want a simple camera with me, that’ll take great photos, is family friendly, and be a pleasure to use, the Olympus Trip fits the bill.

Why don’t you join me on this wonderful Trip?

Cheers, Rob.

Buying An Olympus Trip 35

Obviously these cameras are now very, very old, so there’s a few things to remember to look for when examining second-hand Trips.

First up is the most common problem Trips suffer from, and that is frozen or seized aperture blades. If these do stick, the whole auto-exposure system doesn’t work too, and being a fully automatic camera that renders the camera useless. (They can be repaired though.)

To test the blades and auto-exposure system, turn the aperture ring to “A” then cover the lens and Selenium Cell with your palm so no light gets in. Look through the view-finder, wind the thumb-dial on, and press the shutter release. You shouldn’t be able to take a photo, and a little red tongue should have popped up in the view-finder window. If all this happens, the Trip 35 is probably OK, it’s just telling you that there isn’t enough light to take a photo, so the camera is worth a few dollars. There may be a problem with light-leaks from around the hinges, but you won’t really know until you run a roll of film though it, then you can address that problem with replacements.

If you cover the cell, press the shutter button and the shutter fires, the aperture blades are probably stuck and it’s best to move on.

I’ve got five Trips now, all bought from car-boot sales and second hand shops, all for less than £10 each (US$15). There’s still plenty around, so get looking and you’ll have one in no time. Alternatively you could try eBay, or a quick Google search will show up companies that sell refurbished Trip 35′s.

Further Reading

Olympus Trip 35 Flickr Group

Olympus Trip 35 Night Photography Flickr Group

My Video Review of the Trip 35

The Olympus Trip 35 On Wikipedia

What Do You Think?

What’s your favourite compact camera, film or otherwise? Do you still shoot film, or are you a digital fan-boy? Why should people still shoot with these old cameras? Can a zone-focus system be anywhere near as good as a multi-point AF system? Please add your comments below!