Olympus 35sp

5 frames with the Olympus 35SP and Fomapan 200 (I have a lot to learn) – by Giacomo Zema

By / / 5 frames with... / 7 Comments

I have been looking for a compact rangefinder for almost a year, at the top of my list there initially was the Canonet QL17, but as time went by it got replaced in my wishlist by the Olympus 35 SP, not before a long and informative period of intense geeking about any other camera of this category. I guess the appeal of rangefinders is mostly due to their good looks, but also the stealthiness and the relative quickness of operation. Moreover, I was looking for a fixed lens compact rangefinder because I can’t afford a Leica and I don’t have the patience to fiddle with the various Russian clones; at this period in time at least. Also, the lenses on some of these bad boys are incredible and the reduced lens-to-film distance due to the compact design seems to result in even better sharpness (not that I care particularly about sharpness, but I am a nerd: it’s things like these that get me up in the morning).

Olympus 35 SP vs Olympus 35 RC Review – Twins – By Matt Parry

By / / Rangefinders (Fixed Lens) / 8 Comments

The 1980s Hollywood stars Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger are the unlikely match to play twin brothers in the aptly named 1988 film, Twins (stick with me on this one). As the story unfolds, (spoiler alert) it turns out that there is some form of genetic engineering going on, and Devito is the left overs after the Uber-mensch that is Arney is created. Anyway, the principle here is that the SP and the RC are (not so identical) twins like Schwarzenegger and Devito.

Olympus SP & DC Review – Two Olympus cameras, one family holiday – Guest post by Chris Pattison

By / / Rangefinders (Fixed Lens) / 17 Comments

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.― Benjamin Franklin

A clever chap was Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. He knew a thing or two about preparation. I, on the other hand, found myself to be a floundering father, when I decided soon before a family trip to New York to dispense with common sense and take two newly acquired and untested Olympus rangefinders with me.

The stakes were as high as the Chrysler Building, as I loaded an Olympus 35SP with Portra 400 and an Olympus 34DC with Superia 200. I figured a city like New York called for colour and I believe I got that much right.

Scroll to Top