Olympus Trip 35

This week's special friend is none other than the very classy compact camera, the Olympus Trip 35.

I paid $25 for this (apparently very dusty) guy, but immediately found another one for $10 somewhere else. So, look around! They are in abundance.

At first I was reluctant to buy one of these, since they're automatic and don't offer that much control. However, they do offer some, and what they lack in that regard they more than make up for in performance.

They were introduced in the 60s as an easy-to-use compact cam to take along when traveling. With that in mind, they are kind of the perfect compact. The Trip 35 has zone focusing, with little diagrams to indicate the general distance you want (landscape, full shot, medium shot, and so on). The shutter speed is entirely automatic, but I think it only has two settings: 1/200 and 1/40 of a second. The aperture can be selected manually or automatically. The best part: this little machine doesn't require a battery, because all that automatic stuff is powered by solar energy, hence the panel around the lens.

Another feature I really like is that there's a little window in the viewfinder so you can see what settings you've selected for your f stop and focus range. Awesome!

Furthermore, despite its simplicity, the camera is equipped with a hot shoe for a flash and screw threads for filters. It was produced well into the 80s, and I think that it has many reasons to have become a favourite for all types, from pros to lomophiles.

Ken Rockwell's review is worth checking out. He compares this compact's lens with some fancy pants Canon lenses and it holds up pretty well, for what it is.

And now for the photos! I believe I used some expired Kodak 400 somethingorather for the stuff at Kitsilano beach and some Fujichrome Superia 200 for the shot of my mama at the UBC botanical garden suspension bridge.