Olympus Pen FT, 1st Shots & Scanning

[lewis44]

Just received an Olympus Pen FT w/38mm f1.8 Lens in the mail.
I've always wanted to try one and I got this from one our members.

I took it out for a walk around my back yard just to fire off a quick roll of B&W film to see what the images were like and make sure it worked correctly.

I put in a roll of Arista Premium 100 (24) and off I went.

The camera focuses nicely and is quite easy to use. It being a half frame, it's going to take a little getting used to, being a vertical viewfinder, but 1st impressions were positive.

I was not sure how scanning the negatives would work using a Nikon LS-4000, it being a half frame and all, so:

I asked Ed Hamrick about adjustments using the SA-21 film strip adapter and he said it can be done.

However, taking the easiest route:

I started using the slide attachment with the film strip adapter. It matches up almost perfectly. Almost, meaning this:

You can scan 2 frames at a time and you loose just the slightest bit on one edge. No Big deal

The scanning went very quickly and did some quick processing in Photoshop and here are the results.

Arista Premium 100 Film, Developed in Rodinal 50:1 for 13 minutes, scanned @ 4000 DPI, minor corrections in Photoshop and kicked in a little sharpening.

All in All, I'm Happy with the little Pen. Should be a great walk around camera.

[astro8]

These look great to my eye.

I've also just bought a pen-ft with the 38/1.8. I shot a roll at night on tmax 3200 but haven't developed them yet. I'm expecting grain galore.

The little pen was so easy to focus in dim light and my eyes are certainly past their prime!

I'm so enjoying it that I have a 20/3.5 coming in the mail.

[lewis44]

A couple of shots fairly close up. The 38 f1.8 is a Nice lens.

[goamules]

Yep, I just got a PEN-FT and FV with a handful of lenses too. The 38/1.8 is a keeper. I sold the 40/1.4 right away. Too flarey for the tiny bit of speed increase. I also got the 25/4 and 38/2.8 I've been trying.

I too like the way the camera feels and works in the hand. The negatives are pretty tiny, but that's the attraction I guess.

[raytoei@gmail.com]

i have a love-hate relationship with my ft w 38/f1.8 lens.
the viewfinder is dim enough not to be used indoors. *sigh*

[goamules]

I concur it's a little harder to focus these after being used to rangefinders. But my FV and the 1.8 lens seems pretty easy to focus indoors, unless I'm trying it in a dark room with the shades drawn. That is hard.

[lewis44]

My biggest problem with focusing are my glasses. Hard to see the full viewfinder for framing. Also with progressive lenses, sometimes a problem finding the sweet spot.
As luck would have it, I just found a diopter for the Pen F eyepiece that should work for me.

[raid]

I use the FT with the 38/1.8 in addition to a zoom lens 50-90. I sometimes use Pentax M42 lenses on the FT via an adapter.

[dweekie]

I just got one of these too. I just need to replace the eyepiece before using it. Anyone have thoughts on the meter? I ordered one of those Weincell zinc-air batteries to play with. I'm hoping it does the trick, but I feel like I'll probably end up using it meterless.

[lewis44]

Anyone have thoughts on the meter?

I had a C.R.I.S Adapter and it worked fine, but a Wein Cell is just as good if the meter is working

[goamules]

Here is a shot from my first roll through a FV with the 1.8 (slight crop).

[j.scooter]

Thanks for posting, the results look promising.
The scans are really good, way better than anything I have been able to get out of my Epson V600. Just when I thought I was over my GAS....

[digitalintrigue]

Pens are fun, fun cameras. The 38 is a keeper for sure. For more money, the 60 and 70 are excellent also.

Nice photos!

[eurekaiv]

Nice to see some action in this forum... my Pen FT is my absolute favorite camera. I have 25/2.8, 38/1.8 and 50-90mm lenses along with Nikon and M42 adapters which I've yet to use.

Originally Posted by dweekie

I just got one of these too. I just need to replace the eyepiece before using it. Anyone have thoughts on the meter? I ordered one of those Weincell zinc-air batteries to play with. I'm hoping it does the trick, but I feel like I'll probably end up using it meterless.

I've had fine exposures with my Pen FT and a Wein cell. They don't last very long though, maybe 3-4 months at best and you want to keep your eye out for corrosion as those things seem to start leaking as soon as their dead.

[-Nash-]

With modern film the results from half frame are quite good!
These were taken with a Pen F (first image got hit with some light leak).

[lewis44]

With modern film the results from half frame are quite good!
These were taken with a Pen F (first image got hit with some light leak).

Looks Great. I'm going to try some Kodak BW400CN this weekend and see how it does.
I can get B&W Neg's and be able to get rid of the dust spots scanning, using ICE.
I used to shoot it with my Leica's and liked it a lot.
I remember Dante Stella saying that it was a very good film to use with the Pen's

[-Nash-]

BW400CN turns out pretty clean and not as grainy as XP2 - which I used for the two shots above.