Olympus Film Cameras: A Timeline Through Innovation and Iconic Design

Olympus, founded in 1919, began as a maker of precision optical instruments. This deep expertise in optics, especially lens manufacturing, was the bedrock for its entry into photography.

Their first camera, the Semi-Olympus I (1936), started their photographic journey. However, it was the arrival of legendary designer Yoshihisa Maitani in 1956 that truly defined Olympus's camera identity.

Maitani championed compactness, high quality, and affordability. His vision led to groundbreaking products: 

• The Pen series (1959) popularized the half-frame format, fitting more shots into smaller, portable cameras.

• The Pen F SLR system (1963) miniaturized the SLR concept into a compact half-frame design.

• Maitani's enduring legacy is the OM System (1972), which revolutionized professional 35mm SLRs by making them significantly smaller, lighter, and quieter than competitors.

• This design ethos also produced the innovative XA series compact rangefinders (1979) and the highly successful weatherproof mju/Stylus series compact cameras of the 1990s.

Throughout its film camera era, Olympus consistently prioritized optical excellence (Zuiko lenses), compact form factors, and user-friendly design, establishing itself as an influential brand in photographic history.

A Century of Vision: Tracing Olympus's Influence on Film Photography

1930s

• 1936: Semi-Olympus I

  • Medium Format: Olympus's first camera, a 4.5x6cm folding camera using 120 film.

1940s

• 1940: Olympus Six (Various models)

  • Medium Format: A series of horizontal folding cameras, supporting 6x6cm and 4.5x6cm formats on 120 film.

• 1948: Olympus 35 Series (I/II/III/IV/V)

  • Rangefinder: Early 35mm rangefinder cameras.

1950s

• 1952: Olympus Flex I / A3.5 / B

  • Medium Format: Olympus's first Twin-Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras for 6x6cm format on 120 film.

• 1955: Olympus 35-S series (S-I, S-II, S-K)

  • Rangefinder: Further development of the 35mm rangefinder line.

• 1955: Olympus Wide series

  • Rangefinder: Fixed wide-angle lens 35mm cameras.

• 1958: Olympus Auto / Auto Eye series

  • Rangefinder: Early 35mm cameras with automatic exposure.

• 1958: Olympus Ace / Ace-E

  • Rangefinder: A 35mm rangefinder system featuring interchangeable lenses.

• 1959: Olympus Pen

  • Compact Camera: The revolutionary original half-frame compact camera.

1960s

• 1960: Olympus Pen S

  • Compact Camera: Improved version of the Pen half-frame.

• 1961: Olympus Pen EE/EES/EF/EM

  • Compact Camera: Various automatic half-frame models, often with selenium meters.

• 1963: Olympus Pen F

  • SLR: A unique half-frame SLR with interchangeable lenses and a distinctive rotary shutter.

• 1964: Olympus Pen W

  • Compact Camera: Wide-angle lens variant of the Pen half-frame.

• 1966: Olympus Pen FT

  • SLR: Improved Pen F with through-the-lens (TTL) metering.

• 1966: Olympus 35 LE/LC series

  • Rangefinder: Compact 35mm rangefinders featuring built-in light meters.

• 1967: Olympus Pen FV

  • SLR: Simplified Pen FT without the meter.

• 1967: Olympus Trip 35 (Chrome Shutter Button)*

  • Compact Camera: Iconic, highly popular automatic 35mm fixed-lens camera with zone focusing and selenium-powered exposure.

• 1969: Olympus 35 SP

  • Rangefinder: Highly regarded for its spot and center-weighted metering options.

1970s

• 1970: Olympus 35 RC

  • Rangefinder: Very compact 35mm rangefinder, offering full manual and shutter-priority control.

• 1971: Olympus FTL

  • SLR: Olympus's initial full-frame 35mm SLR, notable for its M42 screw mount.

• 1971: Olympus 35 DC

  • Rangefinder: Compact, fully automatic (program exposure) 35mm rangefinder.

• 1972: Olympus OM-1 (originally M-1)

  • SLR: The groundbreaking first model of the compact and modular OM system.

• 1975: Olympus 35 RD

  • Rangefinder: Compact 35mm rangefinder with a fast lens and manual control.

• 1975: Olympus OM-2

  • SLR: Introduced aperture-priority auto exposure to the OM system.

• 1978: Olympus Trip 35 (Black Shutter Button)

  • Compact Camera: Cosmetic change to the Trip 35, indicating later production.

• 1979: Olympus OM-10

  • SLR: A popular, user-friendly entry-level OM camera.

• 1979: Olympus XA

  • Rangefinder: Innovative, ultra-compact 35mm rangefinder with a unique clamshell design.

1980s

• 1980: Olympus XA2

  • Rangefinder: Simpler, zone-focus version of the XA.

• 1982: Olympus XA1

  • Rangefinder: Fixed-focus, even simpler version of the XA.

• 1983: Olympus OM-20 (OM-G)

  • SLR: Mid-range OM model.

• 1983: Olympus OM-30 (OM-PC)

  • SLR: OM model featuring a "program" mode.

• 1983: Olympus OM-4

  • SLR: Advanced professional OM model with multi-spot metering.

• 1983: Olympus OM-3

  • SLR: Professional, fully mechanical OM camera (contemporary to OM-4).

• 1985: Olympus OM-40 Program (OM-PC Program)

  • SLR: OM SLR with program auto-exposure.

• 1985: Olympus XA3

  • Rangefinder: XA2 with added DX coding.

• 1985: Olympus XA4 Macro

  • Rangefinder: Wide-angle zone focus XA with close focusing capabilities.

• 1986: Olympus AF-1 / Infinity

  • Compact Camera: Olympus's pioneering weatherproof autofocus compact camera.

• 1986: Olympus OM-77AF (OM-707)

  • SLR: Olympus's first true autofocus SLR.

• 1986: Olympus OM-4Ti / OM-4T

  • SLR: Titanium-clad, enhanced versions of the OM-4.

• 1987: Olympus Trip MD

  • Compact Camera: A later, fully automatic point-and-shoot with motor drive, distinct from the Trip 35.

• 1987: Olympus AF-10 / Infinity Junior / Picasso Mini

  • Compact Camera: A popular, compact entry in the AF series.

• 1988: Olympus O-product

  • Concept: A distinctive, limited-edition 35mm compact with an aluminum body and unique design, often considered a design statement or "concept" camera due to its rarity and specific aesthetic focus.

• 1988: Olympus OM-88 (OM-101 Power Focus)

  • SLR: OM SLR featuring a unique power focus system.

1990s

• 1990: Olympus IS-1000 / L-1000

  • Compact Camera: An early and popular "bridge" camera with an SLR-like body and fixed zoom lens.

• 1991: Olympus mju-I / Stylus

  • Compact Camera: The original model of the highly successful, ultra-compact mju/Stylus series.

• 1995: Olympus OM-3Ti

  • SLR: Titanium-clad version of the OM-3.

• 1997: Olympus mju-II / Stylus Epic

  • Compact Camera: A legendary camera known for its super-sharp 35mm f/2.8 lens and weather-sealed body.

• 1997: Olympus OM-2000

  • SLR: A later, simpler mechanical OM-mount SLR (manufactured by Cosina).

*The Olympus Trip 35 which sold over 10 million units worldwide, remains the best selling Olympus camera of all time.