Ask for help in our forum if you can't find a price for your camera.

Don't forget to update your personal camera inventory , Google [Bot].

  • Categories:
  • Most watched

Find a camera by name:   

Olympus :  Trip 35 (chrome)

1967-1984. 35mm film, point-and-shoot viewfinder camera. Solar-powered selenium light meter. Very common, more than 10 million cameras were sold.

Camera manual

Olympus: Trip 35 (chrome) camera

Camera is in these wishlists: sarkioja

by Markv86 » Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:09 am

by diser » Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:34 pm

by diser » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:13 am

Home | Library | Forum | Advanced search | --> Most watched listings | About | Disclamer | Contact us © Copyright 2007-2023: CollectiBlend®

The Olympus Trip 35 Review: Everything You Need To Know

I’ve worked with many Olympus Trip 35s over the years and I’ve discovered the pros and cons of this brilliant little rangefinder camera!

The Olympus Trip 35 is so popular because it’s very easy to use, it has a great lens and it’s ideal for the novice photographer. Also, the Olympus Trip 35 is one of the only 35mm cameras powered by the sun, making it really handy to take on holiday with you. Since 1967 10 million units have been sold, which is a tremendous amount even today.  

If you want to know how this camera compares to others, how much you should be paying, some of its common issues and much, much more then read on!

I’ve worked with a hell of a lot of Trip 35s over the last few years and I like them because they’re really simple. If there’s something wrong with a Trip 35 I usually know it pretty much instantly because they aren’t especially complicated.

I’ve sussed out all the common issues, what can be fixed easily and what spells the end for an individual Trip 35. Usually, it’s lens fungus or an unreactive aperture that means doom for this little camera.

After years of working with them, I took one to the south coast of England to do a full review and I was actually pleasantly surprised by it. As you’ll see throughout the article, there are actually some good pictures that came from this ancient camera.

Some shots were let down by the very real limitations of this camera but on the flipside, due to the brilliant 40mm Zuiko lens, when the exposure is correct, its shots are great.

There are a lot of pros and cons to this camera so it’s well worth reading up on it to figure out if it’s the right fit for you. I enjoyed shooting it more than I expected but it wouldn’t be a camera that I’d rely on regularly.

Olympus Trip 35 Specs

Format – 35mm

ISO – 25 – 400

Battery – Solar Powered Selenium Battery

Exposure – Automatic

Shutter Speeds – 40 – 200

Flash – Hot Shoe

A Brief History Of The Olympus Trip 35

Introduced in 1967 and rolling on until 1984, the Olympus Trip 35 was completely ahead of its time. Sporting a solar-powered light meter in the late 60’s was pretty special.

Of course, Olympus’ market audience was pretty obvious, being named ‘Trip’, it’s kind of spelt out for you. Strong, reliable, doesn’t need any batteries, anyone could use it, that pretty much ticks all the boxes when it comes to a holiday camera.

Incredibly, over 10 million Trips were sold (Up for debate) and of course, they’re still being bought and sold to this day.

How Does The Olympus Trip 35 Battery Work?

The Olympus Trip 35 is powered by the sun using a selenium light meter which is the ring around the lens. This powers the light meter and allows the camera to choose the shutter speed and aperture (depending on which settings you have on). This would have been very unusual in its time but the fact that it’s still reliable today is brilliant.

Is The Trip 35 Lens Good?

Yeah, the Olympus Trip 35 has a pretty good lens but I’ve got to say, there are quite a few drawbacks. The lens itself is a beautiful 40mm 2.8 Zuiko lens, it’s pretty high quality for a camera that feels like a point-and-shoot.

I’d say the main drawback is that the focus is zonal and you only have 4 options. You should be able to see above, there’s a picture of one person, then two, then a group and then a landscape symbol. These are your focus options and it’s basically, 1.5m, 2m 3m and 6m and beyond.

This does limit the camera quite a lot but you’ve got to forgive a 50-odd-year-old camera sometimes.

The focal length is interesting, 40mm is pretty unusual but it’s still just wide enough to take the kind of pictures you’d usually take when you go on your holidays. It’d probably be preferable to have a 35mm lens but beggars can’t be choosers.

The Olympus Trip 35 Compared To The Olympus OM10

It’s worth comparing the Olympus Trip 35 with the Olympus OM10 as they’re currently at similar prices.

The Olympus Trip 35 isn’t that similar to the Olympus OM10, the Olympus Trip 35 is a small point-and-shoot rangefinder and the OM10 is an SLR however, it’s good to see what the Olympus Trip 35 is like in comparison to another well-known camera.

The Olympus OM10 would provide much better shots as it has better quality lenses and more control however, the Olympus Trip is more convenient, more compact and easier to use.

How Much Is The Olympus Trip 35 Worth?

Currently, the Olympus Trip 35 is worth around $100-125 or £70-100. You can of course get the Trip 35 for less if you try bidding for it on eBay or search thrift stores and flea markets but it’s worth trying to make sure that your Trip 35 is all working correctly.

What Kind Of Photography Is The Olympus Trip 35 Best For?

The Olympus Trip 35 is unsurprisingly best for travel-type photography. This camera was made with travel in mind as it’s small, compact, strong, easy to use and doesn’t require any batteries. Otherwise, this is also a good camera for day-to-day use. Photographers like David Bailey championed the Olympus Trip 35 believing that it was an incredibly high-quality camera. 

Although the Olympus trip 35 has a great lens it’s not necessarily overly accurate and it’s not easy to focus correctly so despite the fact that it has a 2.8 lens it doesn’t mean it’s very likely that you’ll be able to focus correctly close range and get the most out of that lens. 

This is not necessarily ideal for more professional types of photography and is definitely better to be used in day-to-day life and travel photography. 

Is The Olympus Trip 35 Fully Manual?

The Olympus Trip 35 has two settings, one is an automatic setting that chooses your aperture and shutter speed for you, it decides between a shutter speed of 40 and 200 and between apertures of 2.8 and 22.

Alternatively, you can decide the aperture and the shutter speed will be decided by the camera. All focusing is manual and all ISO needs to be changed manually.

How To Use The Olympus Trip 35

Olympus Trip 35 is a very simple camera to use once you get the hang of it, until then understanding its limitations can be slightly hard. 

If your camera seems not to be working properly try to leave it in the sun for some time to effectively charge its battery.

To open the back of the camera there is a small lever on the bottom of the side of the camera which just needs to be pulled down until the back pops open. 

To change the aperture just rotate the ring at the base of the lens, this ring will show numbers from 2.8 two 22. If you want to shoot in automatically then turn it all the way around until the red ‘A’.

To change the ISO you just need to rotate the ring on the outer edge of the lens until you are to the correct ISO.

In order to focus you need to rotate the black ring on the lens. The closest focus mode is portrait mode, then there is middle-range portrait row mode, next, there are people standing further away from you and finally, there is a full landscape mode.

To attach a flash you simply have to slide it into the hot shoe located on the top middle of the prism. 

To shoot and wind on you just have to press the shooting button on the top of the camera and then wind the black winder on the back of the camera until you can’t wind it any further.

To rewind the film you must first press the black button on the bottom of the camera to release the film and then wind the silver winder on the top left of the camera all the way back until it feels loose. 

Common Faults Of The Olympus Trip 35

As the Olympus Trip 35 is a very old camera it has a number of common faults, hopefully, I can shed some light on these and help you avoid them or potentially fix them.

Commonly the red flag of the Olympus trip 35 will stop working, the red flag usually shows you when the scene would be too under-exposed. The red flag would appear at the bottom of the viewfinder when you are looking through it and would usually stop you from taking a picture if it’s too dark.  

Sometimes the lens won’t react correctly to light, this is a great thing to check because if this is happening then it’s not really something that you can stop and it will ruin your photos. If this is happening the only advice I can give is to put it in the sun for a bit to see if this charges your selenium battery.

It’s likely that the light seals have worn away unless you bought your camera from a reputable dealer. You will probably have to replace a small number of light seals just to ensure that you do not get light leaks, this is fairly easy and if you want to find out how to do it then go to this link .

Lastly, the lens may have fungus and if the fungus is internal and it’s not something that would be easy to fix it would be much simpler just to get another one.

Final Word On The Olympus Trip 35

This is a great camera for travel and is certainly a camera to consider using. Personally, it’s not my kind of camera, I prefer more control and this just doesn’t cut it for me!

For a camera of its age, it truly is fantastic, a solar-powered vintage wonder that can still produce some beautiful shots!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Hey! I've been shooting film for a very long time and throughout all of my 20's it's been my main format. In 2019 I started to buy and sell film cameras and I became a top rated seller on Etsy and eBay. I've built up a wealth of knowledge about different kinds of film cameras and their common issues.

Since I started photography I've produced a number of zines/prints and more recently made a book called 'So Far So Good'.

I started this website in late 2021 with hopes of helping out people who had been looking for similar information to me and so far, I'm really enjoying it.

Similar Posts

The 12 best budget 35mm film cameras in 2023.

After working with film cameras for years, I’ve got first-hand knowledge about what’s good and what’s not in the camera market. There are so many film cameras out there, it’s tough to know what you should go for! So I’ve put together this guide of some of the best budget film cameras to make your…

Olympus Superzoom 70g/76g/80g/100g/105g Review – Are They Good?

Date written – 28/08/2023 I’ve been shooting film for 7 years now and over that time I’ve had a lot of experience with Olympus Superzooms. The Olympus Superzoom G series is comprised of zoom point-and-shoot cameras with 38mm to 70-105mm F 3.7 to F 9.5 lenses. They’re reliable, compact and easy to use, making them…

Olympus OM1 VS OM2 – What’s The Difference?

Over the years I’ve come across a lot of OM1s and OM2s and I’ve discovered the pros and cons of these classic cameras. The Olympus OM1 is a small, fully manual SLR camera with shutter speeds from 1s-1/1000s and the Olympus OM2 is a super compact, auto/manual SLR camera that has an electronic shutter. There…

The Pentax ME Super Review: Everything You Need To Know

I’ve shot and tested a hell of a lot of Pentax ME Supers over time I’ve got to grips with this fantastic SLR, this has provided me with great insight on this compact king. The Pentax ME Super is one of the best 35mm Aperture Priority cameras ever made. Many people agree that the Pentax…

The Lomography Apparat Review – Everything You Want To Know

I took the Lomo Apparat out for a spin so I can show you how to use it and get the best shots with it and find out if it’s worth the price! The Lomo Apparat is a film camera that Lomography released in 2022, it comes with a massive range of accessories and attributes…

Kodak Portra 160 VS Kodak Ektar 100 – What’s The Difference?

I’ve been shooting film for over 7 years and over that time I’ve shot a lot of Ektar 100 and Portra 160 and found the small differences between the two. Kodak Portra 160 has fine grain, pastel colour saturation, perfect skin tones and brilliant dynamic range, making it perfect for a number of different types…

Browse Over 250+ Film Cameras Shop Now

Trusted By Over 30,000 Customers On Their Photography Journey Early Access

Free Worldwide Shipping on Orders Over £200 Learn more

  • Russia (GBP £)

Film Camera Store

Returns & Exchanges

Hassle Free Returns Policy

Free Tracked UK Delivery

Tracked & Next Day Delivery

30 Days Guarantee

Market Leading Assurance

Free Worldwide Shipping

On All Camera Orders

Why the Olympus Trip 35 is a Classic Camera Worth Owning

Why the Olympus Trip 35 is a Classic Camera Worth Owning

David Johnson | April 14, 2023

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

History of the Olympus Trip 35

Design and build quality.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Zone Focusing

Light metering, easy to use.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Affordable Price

Shooting experience.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Film Availability

Repairs and maintenance.

  • Tweet on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Pin on Pinterest

Previous Next

Your cart is empty

Subtotal: £0.00 GBP

Free Delivery Service

UK & Worldwide Delivery

Reliable Delivery

Hassle Free Returns

Choose options

Casual Photophile

  • 35mm Lenses
  • Camera Reviews
  • Point and Shoot

Olympus Trip 35 – Camera Review

Josh solomon.

  • October 3, 2016

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

As enthralling as photography can be, long days, months, and years spent shooting can wear you out. In the worst case, it can lead to a photographic malaise that can dismantle even the most well-built minds from the inside out. It can render the best shooters incapable of even the simple task of pressing a shutter button. It’s shooter’s block, our equivalent to writer’s block, and it hit me hard over the summer.

I jumped out of bed one morning full of energy, ready to take on the world with my trusty Nikon F and Leica M2. But instead of plunging into a world filled with beauty, intrigue, and possibility, I found my surroundings cold, ugly, and indifferent. The images I tried to form seemed trite and overplayed, and I soon lost confidence in my ability to make a decent picture. Even the storied reputations of my F and M2 failed to inspire me. Every time I peered through their viewfinders I saw nothing but dust in the pentaprism and emptiness between the framelines.

Sufficiently depressed, I decided to stay home and put my cameras on the shelf. And it was while I was lying face down on a pillow listening to the opening lines of Chicago’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” that I realized I did, in fact, need a little time away. But I didn’t need a full-on vacation from the hobby itself – no, that would be too drastic. I just needed a change from the manual cameras that sat on my shelf. I needed an easier camera, and I had a feeling one camera in particular could fit the bill – the Olympus Trip 35.

Olympus Trip 35 003

The Olympus Trip 35 is a camera I’d heard a lot about but had never tried myself. Its reputation for ease of use and high quality seemed the perfect cure for my shooter’s block. And if the Trip 35 was the prescription, the Pasadena Camera Show was the pharmacy. There I found a beautiful Trip 35 for an absurdly low price, bought it, and quickly threw it in my bag.

One would think the Olympus Trip 35 would seem out of place next to legendary cameras like the aforementioned Nikon and Leica, but it actually fits right in. This camera, although not as capable as the other two, holds an equally lofty place in photographic history. Just as the F and the M defined the SLR and rangefinder genres respectively, the Trip 35 defined the point-and-shoot game. More impressive still, the Trip 35 actually outsold the Nikon F and the Leica M2 by millions. Take that, fanboys.

Olympus achieved these massive numbers by appealing to the casual shooter rather than pro photographers, specifically focusing on the new generation of moneyed vacationers. Racing from landmark to landmark and airport to airport, these sightseers simply lacked the time and interest needed to learn the boring particulars of photography required to operate a camera. Instead, they required a camera that was simple to use, but sophisticated enough to beautifully capture their memories.

Good design marries aesthetics to functionality, and the the camera gods couldn’t have picked a better company to bring the Trip 35 to life. Olympus’ design house, fresh off the ingenious half-frame Pen F, struck gold again with the Trip. The design is classic Olympus; clean-cut lines and an impossibly small form factor, the Trip wastes no time and gets straight to the point. It’s as well designed as any machine of its day, more impactful when we recall that the Trip came of age in an era where cameras were still fully mechanical, save for the occasional battery powered light meter. Automation seemed a distant (and expensive) fantasy, so when Olympus created a genuine auto-exposure camera out of primitive nuts and bolts, the world took notice. This was in no uncertain terms an engineering miracle.

The Trip 35 accomplishes this sorcery by determining the amount of light that enters a Selenium photo cell surrounding the lens, and choosing a correct aperture based on this reading. The camera then chooses a shutter speed of either a 1/200th or 1/40th of a second and we get a perfect exposure. When the camera’s incapable of making an acceptable exposure, a little red flag shows up in the viewfinder and the shutter locks out. The magic of this system is that it takes all exposure-related worry out of our minds. We don’t have to agonize about aperture, shutter speed, or even battery life, a godsend for vacationers and anxious photo geeks.

But before we experience it, it’s quite easy to question the Trip 35’s simplicity. After all, how accurate could a camera this old and primitive be? And could the lens be good enough for our 21st century eyes? As I drove home from the camera show, my new Trip in the passenger seat next to me, these questions rolled through my mind. I really needed this camera to be decent, if I was to pull out of my photographic death spiral.

Just then, I received a text message from my sister. Can you pick up some pork buns in chinatown? thx. With this, I had my mission; buy some pork buns, shoot the Trip, and see if this ancient camera could walk the walk.

The first thing I noticed was its build quality. Comprised of metal and plastic, the Trip 35 is solid, but never heavy; lightweight, but never flimsy. The only disappointing aspect of the camera’s feel is its film advance wheel. A dinky plastic affair reminiscent of disposable cameras, this lackluster cog is forgivable when we remember that the Trip was built to be a consumer-level camera.

Peering through the viewfinder showed bright frame-lines with tick marks both for up-close shots and for landscape shots. These are helpful in view of the Trip’s lack of automatic parallax correction. Having used fancy Leica , Nikon , and Contax rangefinders renowned for brightness and clarity, the Trip’s viewfinder beats most of them. Its relative simplicity is a nice change from the cluttered and overly complex viewfinders of other machines. The Trip 35 also features a small window in the bottom right of the VF (affectionately dubbed the “Judas Window” by Trip 35 disciples) which shows both the chosen aperture and exposure setting on the camera.

Olympus Trip 35 009

So far, so good. But how was I to determine focus? I quickly realized that the Trip’s a scale-focus camera, which is not ideal for accuracy. But before I started feeling like Olympus left me all alone and helpless, I realized that they were kind enough to provide some handy distance-measuring tools. Settings along the lens barrel show a picture of one person for portraits, two people for pictures of two people, three people for group pictures, and a mountain symbol for everything in the distance, including mountains. I stopped hyperventilating, and realized that, for a point-and-shoot camera, this is more than enough. And for all you nitpickers, Olympus also included precise distance measurements in both meters and feet on the underside of the lens. Phew.

Once shooting the Trip started to shine, and I was easily able to focus on exactly what matters most in photography – composition. From the first frame I found myself joyfully snapping away at whatever tickled my fancy, even though I didn’t know what aperture values and shutter speeds the Trip 35 was choosing. Frankly, I didn’t give a damn. All that mattered to me was finding different angles, new ways to play with light, and how to capture Chinatown’s unique charm. It felt like with each and every frame, the Trip was dissolving my shooter’s block more and more, and I wanted to just keep shooting.

So the little Olympus and I danced through Chinatown’s colorful landscape, happily snapping away. In no uncertain terms, it was the most fun I’d ever had with a camera. Even though the heat of the afternoon beat on my shoulders and the sweat sizzled on my brow, the Trip 35 and I ran through the city without a care in the world. The streets led us to the door of a steamy Chinese restaurant, then a pile of steaming pork buns, then back to the equally steamy interior of my car. I didn’t care how long the journey took or how much fluid I lost in that heatwave. It seemed like I sweated out my shooter’s block, and I eagerly raced home to deliver the buns, and develop the film.

But something was nagging me about the camera the entire way home; the focus issue. Had I gotten the focus correct for every shot? How was I to trust those markings? How could I possibly live without a focusing aid? Anxiety began to rear its head again and I had to stop myself from speeding over to a one-hour photo lab to assuage my fears. I gripped the steering wheel tight and told myself to trust the Trip. Besides, I still had a job to do. These pork buns weren’t going to deliver themselves.

After delivering and munching on said pork buns with my contented sibling, I decided to get the roll developed and scanned. My fears were partially founded. Some of the shots, especially photos of close subjects or darker scenes, came back fuzzy due to a combination of my poor distance estimation and the nature of the Trip’s exposure and focus systems. While the Trip automatically helps achieve sharp focus by selecting a smaller aperture for greater depth-of-field, this is only possible in bright light. As things get dark, the ability to shoot at a smaller aperture quickly disappears. In these situations it can be really difficult to nail correct focus. One minor consequence of this is that shooters with an affinity for portraiture and those sweet bokeh balls will probably be disappointed by this camera.

Olympus Trip 35 004

But expecting creamy bokeh and close range performance from the Trip 35 (or most point-and-shoots for that matter) is like expecting a ‘93 Honda Civic to outpace a Tesla Model S. It just won’t happen, and trying will lead to frustration. But just like that Honda, if you regard the Trip 35 as a reliable machine good for an occasional joyride, it will never disappoint. The Trip 35 is capable of a great many things , but we must be careful to recognize and respect its own limits.

When we get the focus right, the Trip’s fantastic 40mm F/2.8 Zuiko lens delivers in spades. The lens is a front-focusing Tessar type lens, which means that it’s very simple and very sharp, and it retains this sharpness edge to edge without chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, or any kind of distortion due to its simple optical formula and Olympus’s masterful execution. The lens’ quality even overcame the limitations of expired film, and ended up giving me some great results.

For whom is this camera best suited? First and foremost, the Trip 35 might just be the perfect camera for the casual photophile. Olympus built this camera to document the daily adventures of the everyman, and the Trip does this beautifully. And for experienced shooters, the Trip 35 can be a great way to break free of shooter’s block, or inject our shooting with something fun and carefree. It emphasizes the art of composition rather than the cold calculations of exposure, but even more importantly, it reminds us to relax, have a pork bun, and not take ourselves too seriously.

Want to try the Trip 35 for yourself?

Buy it on ebay, buy it on amazon, shop b&h photo’s vintage gear, follow casual photophile on facebook and instagram.

[ Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo , Amazon , and eBay . By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support. ]

Share this post!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Camera Review
  • film camera
  • olympus Trip

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Josh Solomon is a freelance writer and touring bassist living in Los Angeles. He has an affinity for all things analog. When not onstage, you can find him roaming around Southern California shooting film and humming a tune.

29 comments

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Very nicely done.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Great review of the Trip! This is the camera that lured me away from Lomography and the whole low-fi aesthetic. While the metering system is somewhat primitive and the zone focusing can be imprecise, especially in low light, it’s obvious that all the money and work went into the lens. In the right circumstances it’s absolutely tack sharp. Once I started getting sharp images from my Trip, the Lomo LC-A+ and the Holga started looking a lot less appealing.

The Trip definitely has some big limitations but on its own terms it’s a great camera.

Here’s my Trip album on Flickr to get an idea.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21156896@N07/sets/72157645739914959

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Thanks for adding your Flickr album. It’s great for people to be able to see what these cameras can do in varied situations.

Thanks so much! Those images are fantastic; they really showcase what that lens can do. Funny you mention the LC-A+… ?

Thanks! The LC-A+ was the camera that got me back into using film after an extended dalliance with digital photography. I used it really heavily for about 2 years before becoming curious about other cameras. The fact that the Lomo is also a zone focuser made it very easy for me to switch to the Trip and the XA2.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Great write up Josh, and really nice album Neilson! I had to do a double take on some of those shots, especially the close up portraits, realizing that you had used a Trip.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

I agree, what a great review and some fine shots on that flickr gallery. I’ve just bought my 50th Olympus Trip 35 and am steadily rebuilding them from head to toe. I’ve posted some reviews and other helpful reviews on my site https://trip35.co/

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Great pictures from the Trip. You got to love these little cameras!

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

The Trip 35 was *made* for landscapes and group photos in good light outside. It’s really dang good for those things. For everything else, not so much! But like you, on a day when I’m just out and about shooting stuff, I find the Trip 35 to be big fun.

My last outing with my Trip 35: https://blog.jimgrey.net/2015/04/20/olympus-trip-35-revisited/

If I ever get on an airplane again I think I’ll be bringing this camera… We’ll see. Josh and your post have helped convince me. Thanks for sharing.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Great review of one of my favourite cameras and one of the best free cameras I’ve ever been given. The quality you can get from this little package has always astounded me, this is an example taken with just bog standard Poundland special film (Agfa Vista 200) https://the6millionpman.wordpress.com/2016/09/30/cardiff-bay-sunset-3/

And yet again I confess to being an Olympus fanboy.

Beautiful colors and range on that.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Great article Josh, and thanks for publishing it James. There wasn’t a link, but I started the Olympus Trip 35 users group on Facebook, here is the link. P.S. A few famous photogrpaphers in the group.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/OlympusTrip35

Hey my friend! Thanks for commenting. We did include a link there, it’s in the third to last paragraph where it says the Trip is “capable…” etc.

And for anyone down here in the comments, do check out the FB group. Amazing talent there shooting with all kinds of Trips.

The Trip Flickr group is worth checking out too. Lots of good stuff there.

https://flic.kr/g/5jsssh

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Great write-up! I have three of these and, while I’m by no means a great photographer, I do love the pick-up-and-go nature of the Trip 35. For those who are interested, I spent an entire day refocusing the lens on one of mine;

https://teeritz.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/re-focusing-lens-on-olympus-trip.html

Almost drove me nuts!

That post is scary. You’re a brave man.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Bought a Trip after reading a recommendation by Ken Rockwell. At the time I thought I only ever needed one camera – an FE – and I had one. However, the Trip is great for other things. As you say, the pictures are so sharp. And its so easy to use.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

I love my Trip 35. Fantastically sharp lens and incredibly easy to use! The zone focusing took a bit getting used to and I do still occasionally misfocus, but when that happens I embrace my inner William Klein. Also, my copy came with a lens cap and zipped up in a bag so the selenium is not at all worn out and the AE is spot-on. I actually trust shooting slide film in this camera more than any of my all-manual cameras!

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Hi! Thank you so much. I am seriously considering to buy a Trip. I want to go traveling and bring a good camera. Do you think this one will do? And some people say it’s not really for taking photo’s in the dark/on parties. Are they right?

Thanks again 🙂

Hey Nikki! The Trip is the perfect camera for travel and casual outdoor shooting IMO, but it does suffer in low light without a flash. A little compact flash will help, and it does have a manual aperture override for accurate flash exposures.

If you’re going to be spending lots of time indoors I would suggest either picking up a cheap P&S with a built in flash, or upgrading entirely to a compact SLR/fixed-lens rangefinder with a fast (f/2 and under) lens for low-light shooting without a flash. Hope this helps!

Hello Nikki, I am the Admin of the Olympus Trips 35 Users Group, I recommend you join to get advice, and there are trustworthy sellers in the group.

See the website link below my comment

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

I’ve recently picked up aTrip 35 and have been very pleasantly surprised by the ease of use and picture quality. I even tried some low light close shots and had better results than I expected. Tip #1: use 400 speed film to increase versatility. You get more depth of field in any situation and therefore more focussing accuracy. You will also hold off the “red flag” for a stop or two. Tip #2: learn how to guesstimate the zone distances as accurately as possible. If you’re shooting close-up in lower light try to nail the actual distance e.g. set the lens on 1 meter and try to be 1 meter away. Use a tape measure at first so you can see what the distances look like. As the light falls or distances get closer then more accuracy is required from the photographer. Tip #3: remember that you can press the shutter button half way down to lock the exposure. Meter off a mid-tone then recompose and shoot. This will help with back lighting and other tricky light. Tip #4: try to shoot within the limits of the design and you will get good results. The Trip 35 was meant for family holidays and a whimsical approach to photography. If you require critical focussing or metering the Trip was never really designed for that. Enjoy!

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Hi, Josh. Great writing. I enjoyed reading your review and laughed so much at the pork bun adventure! Thanks!

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Thirty-seven years of shooting film and the Trip 35 was a camera I’d always ignored for being ‘too simple’. I spotted one in a local charity shop last week that was cased, boxed and in lovely condition and I got it for next to nothing. I ran half a roll of FT-12 ASA50 cinema film through and the results were far better than I expected. I started out on Olympus all those years ago (still use them) but I’m a bit ashamed of myself for ignoring this little gem. My 8 year old is just starting to take an interest in photography and this is going to be ideal for her.

Thanks for a great review and for pointing out a couple of little features I hadn’t spotted.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Quick pedantic note: In virtually everything I’ve seen online about the Trip 35, there’s one thing that nobody ever seems to say:

The Trip 35 is essentially the full-frame version of the earlier half-frame Pen EES and EES-2.

I had an EES-2 and it was a great shooter for an inexpensive camera. It worked exactly the same way as the Trip: the selenium meter around the lens chose one of two shutter speeds or raised a red flag if there wasn’t sufficient light; it had a four-icon zone focus lens; there was one manual speed for flash along with adjustable f-stops when not in Auto. Of course, the Trip had a different focal length lens to produce a full-frame image, but I suspect it’s of a very similar design to the EES-2’s. And note that the Trip 35’s top plate includes the EES-2’s hot shoe, along with the back cover/rewind knob from the Pen series (and frame counter from the Pen F series), and the viewfinder is essentially the same as the EES-2’s.

My point is: the Trip 35’s super-successful design wasn’t actually new, the camera was scaled up from the already successful Pen EES series.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Thank you… Now I’m on my way for fun an Mindfulness 🙂 A very brilliant text who give me interests and energy. Thank you 🙂

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Just bought one, trying it out tomorrow. I would suggest to buy a tripod and a self-release cord, set it to A and just set for the distance. I used to carry a 110 film camera back in 1977 and was taught photography back in 1981 from a WW2 vet. Warhol used a Pentax 35afm because he could set a high iso without flash.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

New york city and the half-frame 35mm olympus pen d, the cinematic point and shoot – minolta p’s (freedom vista) review, olympus xa2 – point and shoot 35mm film camera review.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Olympus Trip 35 Film Camera Review

A cult classic, an engineering marvel, and an excellent value for a modern film photographer.

Olympus Trip 35 (black paint) and a few trip necessities.

Olympus Trip 35 is one of the most popular 35mm film cameras ever produced. It’s affordable, it’s easy to use, the lens is sharp, it needs no batteries, and it’s compact.

Trip 35 uses a scale focus system, which may seem daunting at first — but it’s not difficult, and the camera has unique aides to help you get the right distance — I’ll explain below.

I’ll also cover all the basics of operation (including the auto and manual modes), lens performance, and build quality of this excellent entry-level Olympus film camera .

A Cult-Classic, Engineering Marvel, an Excellent Value for a Modern Photog

Why is Olympus Trip 35 a favourite of so many photographers?

Olympus Trip 35 is not an expensive camera. It has decent specs, but it’s not the sharpest, fastest, or most compact camera. Yet, it’s loved by many photographers of all levels today.

Back when it was introduced — over 55 years ago — it was a huge hit. The camera was in production for 15 years, having sold between five and ten million units .

Trip 35 sold for $59.95 at launch in 1968, or $530 in today’s money. But you may still find a working copy for $50 in 2024!

Olympus Trip 35 wtih Kodak ColorPlus.

But it’s not just the price that makes this camera good. Trip 35s are built very well with lots of metal components and an excellent glass lens. They are a pleasure to hold and use. They’re nearly pocketable and don’t require any advanced photographic know-how or a manual to get started: if you know how to load film , you can use this camera.

🤓 Trip 35’s automatic exposure system that chooses an aperture and shutter speed by converting light energy into mechanical force is of particular interest to film nerds like me. Though many fancy cameras from the era used selenium light meters for aperture or shutter-priority modes, Trip 35 combined both functions in a relatively simple and remarkably reliable design .

Olympus Trip 35 wtih Kodak ColorPlus.

Olympus Trip 35 specs and features.

Trip 35 is a successor to Olympus PEN (namely, EES and EES-2) cameras’ excellent mechanical/optical design and portability.

My black paint brass Olympus Trip 35 version weighs 413g/14½oz , though some copies of this camera may weigh up to 20g lighter. The camera is nearly pocketable at 12×7×6cm (4 ½ ×2¾×2¼”), though it’s not the smallest .

Olympus Trip 35’s remarkably small (for the time) dimensions and ease of use are undoubtedly at the core of this camera’s name and ethos: a camera that’s easy to throw in a small bag or a pocket for a trip.

 ☝︎ Further reading: “ How to Travel With Film Through Airport Security .”

The leaf shutter on Olympus Trip 35 has two speeds: 1/40s and 1/200s. It can switch between the two automatically via the mechanical trap-needle system. In manual mode, Olympus Trip 35 only uses the 1/40s shutter speed. There are no Bulb and no self-timer modes.

The lens is a non-interchangeable Olympus D. Zuiko 40mm 𝒇2.8-22 (four elements in three groups). The closest focus distance is 1m/3ft. The lens uses an odd 43.5mm screw-in lens filter thread that can be adapted to the more common 40 or 46mm threads .

Fully automatic exposure (A) is controlled mechanically by converting ambient light energy via selenium cells (bubbles around the lens) into mechanical movements that modify the aperture and shutter speeds. The camera can be operated manually via the aperture ring around the lens, which will always trigger the shutter at 1/40s if not set to A. The exposure meter is operational between EV8 and EV17 ; it accepts films with ISO 25 — ISO 400 (which needs to be dialled in manually before shooting). No batteries needed.

Small image.

The viewfinder features a mechanical “red flag” warning system for scenes with insufficient lighting (the camera will also prevent exposures in those conditions). It shows bright lines with parallax markings inside a small but bright window with 0.55x magnification. The eye relief isn’t great, but if you aren’t wearing glasses, you’ll notice a “ Judas window ” that overviews the camera’s shooting mode and distance settings.

Film advance is done with a thumb wheel; rewinding via the rewind knob is unlocked with a rewind button; the film cover opens with a small latch a the bottom-left when looking at the camera’s back.

Hot shoe and a PC socket are available for flash sync. Learn how to use flash with cameras like Trip 35 here .

Free Olympus Trip 35 manual download.

I’ve recently scanned the manual that my camera came with and converted it to a convenient PDF file that you can download for free here:

➜  Free Download :   Olympus Trip 35 Instructions Manual  (PDF)

Small image.

This manual took some cropping and assembly as its pages aren’t standard (it’s folded like a map). I hope that this little bit of extra effort makes it easier to read on your screen. However, I’m not sure how well it will look in print.

You’ll be asked to sign up for a free account with Analog.Cafe. It comes with access to more downloadable guides, additional website features, and a monthly community newsletter.

Taking the first photo with Olympus Trip 35: loading film & setting focus.

Trip 35 is easy to load — the only tricky part is finding the latch to open the film door. ( If you’ve never loaded film in these types of cameras, check out this guide .)

Given that you’ve loaded your Trip 35 with film rated between ISO 25 and 400, you’ll need to set the ASA/ISO dial to match your film speed . In general, ISO 100-400 films do best with this camera (a higher-ISO film works best in subdued light, and lower-iso film provides finer grain).

For automatic exposures, the ring around the lens closest to the camera body should be set to “A.” But manual exposures are possible at the constant 1/40s shutter speed (can be metered as 1/30s) with the apertures selected via the same ring (i.e., any number other than the “A”). Learn how to shoot film cameras in manual mode here .

A view through the Olympus Trip 35 viewfinder window.

I appreciate the bright frame lines with parallax markings in the viewfinder . They make framing feel a little easier than on cameras with masks . Though I would prefer the self-illuminating kind.

The viewfinder window is fairly small. It’s usable with the glasses on; however, I had to use contacts to take advantage of the “Judas window” — a small secondary view below the main finder frame lines that shows the set distance icon and camera shooting mode/aperture.

Pointing the camera at things that are insufficiently lit for the film ISO/ASA set on the camera would raise a small translucent red plastic flag and block the shutter button. This would not happen when the camera is in manual mode (i.e. when an aperture value is selected instead of the “A”).

Olympus Trip 35’s shutter button provides medium-high resistance, it has a long travel distance, and it’s very well-balanced with the rest of the body for shake-free hand-held exposures . The leaf shutter is also shake-free (though it feels a little loud for what it is ).

Trip 35 uses a zone-focusing system. For a casual photographer, it works by turning the focus ring around the lens until it clicks to either a single-person icon 👤 for portraits, a two-person icon 👥 for group portraits, a red “group-snap” icon ⍒.⍒ , or the mountains icon 🏔️ for landscape photos.

Below the lens barrel, there are more precise focus markings in feet and metres. Learn how to zone-focus quickly and accurately here .

Olympus Trip 35 wtih Kodak ColorPlus.

Olympus D. Zuiko 40mm 𝒇2.8 lens.

One of the most celebrated components of this camera is its lens. It’s very sharp in the middle , especially at 𝒇5.6-8 , with only minor swirl and softening in the corners.

Olympus Trip 35 wtih Kodak ColorPlus. No sharpening applied.

The lens renders a medium-low amount of contrast on my copy, but the coating appears to work well, as I noticed no overwhelming or unexpected flaring in any of my photos.

Overall, I found D. Zuiko 𝒇2.8 well-corrected, suitable for reproducing fine detail on high-resolution films.

The 40mm focal length is common and well-suited for a non-interchangeable camera system. It translates to ~57° diagonal angle of view — very close to the 60° in our central vision . Essentially, this means easy framing for most situations.

The 40mm D. Zuiko may not be appropriate for interior/architecture photography, close-ups, telephoto, or certain landscape images.

Olympus Trip 35 wtih Kodak ColorPlus.

Olympus Trip 35 portability and ease-of-use (ergonomics).

Even though Trip 35 isn’t the smallest or the lightest 35mm film camera , it’s reasonably portable for the type of lens it uses and a full metal body. All of its controls are perfectly positioned for quick, intuitive action. With a little practice, you can use this camera one-handedly.

I kept mine in wool jacket pockets and hoodies with no issues. Despite fitting will in hand, Trip 35 is noticeably hefty; my Peak Design wrist strap solved any danger of dropping this camera.

Olympus Trip 35 build quality & variations.

Trip 35 was a remarkably successful design; understandably, Olympus didn’t want to change it much while it continued to make record sales. All of the Olympus Trip 35s look nearly identical, with some known changes introduced in the 1970s that had little effect on appearance and no effect on performance (i.e. a plastic shutter button instead of the metal one).

The only significant divergence from the standard design was the black paint brass Trip 35 , which remained in production for just two years. This variation is much rarer than the silver aluminum bodies, but in Olympus’ world, this means that there are less than a hundred options available at any time, and they cost $50 extra.

If you plan to keep this camera for a while and are willing to spend a little more, the black version may be worth it (if you like the look of brassing). It has excellent build quality and an impressive appearance; every part fits perfectly, in line with what you’d expect from the much more expensive Olympus PEN half-frame SLRs .

Olympus Trip 35 wtih Kodak ColorPlus. The Auto mode added about 1-2 stops of over-exposure.

But despite their clever design and quality assembly, Trip 35s can be prone to deterioration.

In my copy, the light meter over-exposes every brightly lit frame by 1-2 stops. It’s difficult to say if it’s the time taking a toll on the intricate cells or if it’s the imprecise nature of the selenium metering that’s preventing me from taking perfectly exposed images.

A clever photographer can always compensate by setting the film ASA/ISO higher in full sun or shooting Trip 35 manually. But if you’re looking to get a copy, you should verify that the camera is sold as fully functional . An online listing would say that in the title or the description.

Trip 35 mods, hacks, and repairs.

Repairing Trip 35s may cost as much or more than the value of the camera. The good news is that simple fixes (like cleaning oil of the shutter and aperture blades) aren’t difficult if you’ve got the right tools and know-how.

Another common issue with cameras this old is the light seals. The soft, spongy material tends to crumble over time, which in turn can create light leaks . I have a guide on fixing that quickly and cheaply here .

Being a mechanical camera with manual controls, Trip 35s can survive past the span of the selenium cells that power its fully automatic shooting mode. Some photographers may prefer to use the camera in the manual mode for more precise control over exposure. You may even modify yours to shoot with the faster 1/200s shutter speed for improved action snaps and reduced motion blur.

How much does Trip 35 cost, and where to find one.

Olympus Trip 35 film camera is a fantastic value in terms of fun, image quality, and build quality. Most copies of these cameras can be bought between $20-120 — depending on the condition. And a few bucks more can get you the rare-ish black paint version .

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Olympus Trip 35 purchase using this link so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!

About this article :

It can take five hours of work (or more) to write and proof a quality five-minute read with high-res illustrations. Below are the people who made this one possible. All content is reviewed, styled, and edited by Dmitri .

Olympus Trip 35

The Olympus Trip 35 is a fully-automatic 35mm compact camera , manufactured by Olympus from 1967 [1] to 1984, during which time over ten million units were sold, [1] though this oft-quoted figure is likely to have included later plastic-bodied Olympus cameras with Trip branding, as the original Trip 35 had serial numbers going up to around 5,400,000. [2] The auto-exposure mechanism is effectively solar-powered by a selenium cell surrounding the lens, and consequently the camera runs without batteries. Until June 1978, the shutter button was silver-coloured metal. After that date, all Trips had a black plastic button.

  • 1 Auto-exposure mechanism
  • 3 Viewfinder

Auto-exposure mechanism

With the aperture ring set to "A", the camera operates as a program automatic with a working EV range of 8.32-17.4 at ASA 100. [3] Half-pressing the shutter-release button locks the exposure with both the aperture and shutter speed (of which there are only two, 1/40 and 1/200s) fixed by a delicate but accurate mechanism. As explained by one repair page ,

The combination of aperture and shutter speed that the exposure mechanism chooses depends on the amount of light available. The precise amount of light that triggers a change of the shutter speed is not documented in the user manual, but it is believed to be around EV 13. When brightness of EV 13 or more is detected, the Trip 35 will increase the shutter speed to 1/200 sec in preference to using a smaller aperture, and use a narrower aperture as light levels increase from there, presumably to avoid the diffraction effects that affect all 35mm cameras below f/11. [4] Below EV 13, it will use the 1/40 sec speed and widen the aperture for lower light levels. The camera will refuse to fire if there is not enough light, with a red plastic flag appearing simultaneously in the viewfinder. This mechanism makes it impossible to make the error of shooting with the lens cap in place.

When the aperture is set manually (primarily for flash photography), the shutter speed is set to 1/40th of a second. However, the meter is still active even in this "manual" mode. Setting the aperture manually merely sets the widest permissible aperture, and the auto-exposure mechanism may still choose to set a smaller aperture than this if it sees fit. [4]

Other than this, the camera offers no controls for setting exposure manually, though one can easily set exposure compensation by changing the film ASA dial to a higher or lower value.

The Trip 35 has a 40mm f/2.8 Zuiko non-interchangeable lens, with four elements in three groups. Ken Rockwell suspects this to be a front-element focusing Tessar . [5] This lens has a reputation for being extremely sharp, even in the corners; in Rockwell's tests, Costco-scanned Fuji ISO 400 print film loaded into this camera out-performed a Canon 17-40 f/4 L lens in the corners. [5]

The lens provides simple zone-focusing with 4 cute distance symbols marked on the top-left of the lens. These correspond to the real distance markings on the underside of the lens: 1 meter, 1.5 meters, 3 meters, and infinity. Filter ring is 43.5mm.

The viewfinder is an albada-type, with parallax markings for closer focusing. There is a second, very small window under this, nicknamed the "Judas window", which shows the current aperture setting and distance symbol which are on the lens barrel.

A small red flag will appear in the viewfinder if the auto-exposure mechanism decides there is not enough light and refuses to fire.

This camera's aperture blades (there are two blades) tend to be become sticky over time. Before purchasing an old Olympus Trip 35, ask the seller if the aperture is properly opening and closing at all values (f/2.8-f/22). This can be done by manually selecting each aperture value and half-pressing the shutter button. Otherwise, the lens unit would have to be disassembled and cleaned.

  • ↑ 1.0 1.1 Olympus' history of EE-equipped cameras (archived)
  • ↑ Serial numbers collected by the Olympus Trip Flickr group
  • ↑ Specifications in the user-manual.
  • ↑ 4.0 4.1 See the Trip 35 program graph , and the explanation in this thread .
  • ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.kenrockwell.com/olympus/trip-35.htm
  • Manual available from UCL
  • Olympus Trip 35 group on Flickr
  • A modification that allows a 1/200 shutter speed with manual aperture control
  • Illustrated instructions for repairing a Trip 35
  • Trip 35 in the Olympus Global History (archived)
  • This is a trip at Classic Cameras by RaúlM.
  • Lionel's Olympus Trip 35 page in French at 35mm-compact.com
  • Olympus Trip 35 on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand (in French)
  • Flickr image
  • Image by rick soloway
  • Japanese 35mm viewfinder
  • Image by Michele M. F.
  • Image by Hans Jan Dürr
  • Image by vincentnip
  • Image by Ênio Resende

Navigation menu

Personal tools.

  • View source
  • View history
  • List of Companies
  • Community portal
  • Recent changes
  • Random page
  • What links here
  • Related changes
  • Special pages
  • Printable version
  • Permanent link
  • Page information
  • This page was last edited on 7 November 2021, at 07:11.
  • Text is available under GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 ; other licenses apply to photos.
  • Privacy policy
  • About Camera-wiki.org
  • Disclaimers

Olympus Trip 35 : The Most Classic and Trusty Camera

Almost fully automatic classic camera that can stun your brain with its sharp pictures. With it you can take very well exposed snaps and can manage with a fixed focus lens as well.

I accidentally found this camera (Olympus Trip 35) at 2nd hand camera shop and the price was very attractive. My friend also strongly recommended me to try this classic camera, so I bought it without hesitation.

The Trip is extremely simple to use. It has an auto-exposure system to control the lens aperture. You have only to set the right film speed and make sure that the adjuster is set to A, then you only simply focus the camera, and shoot!

The only thing that I don’t like it is that there is no shutter B mode. Anyway I tried shooting in low light condition but the result wasn’t really impressive.

If you want to use flash, after finish fitting the flash in the hot shoe you need to set the aperture ring to the correct f-stop. And don’t forget to move the aperture ring back to the “A” setting before using the camera again without the flash.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

I think the result is great, in some ways better than the best digital cameras for street shot. —→ Just set it to A, focus and shoot!!!!

written by phiphu on 2010-09-12 #gear #review #camera #old #olympus #olympus-trip-35 #user-review

orange-sunkiss , srmarcus , gomi11 , kamiraze , i_am_four-eyes , pamelaklaffke , domyblue , phiphu & superlighter .

superlighter

this nice camera can also thake some stunning night shots, simply load it with an 800iso film, turn the aperture ring to f2.8 shutter time in this case it's a fixed 1/40 sec.and it became a fab city night lights shooter and also perfect to immortalize your fave Idols where on stage! I've use it to shoot a live gig and it works very nice also with a 400 iso!

wallflowersforjane

nice review. i have been lemming this camera for a very very long time!

phiphu

@superlighter I will try some night shot soon and thanks for your suggestion. :)) @wallflowersforjane Thank you for your nice comment. :))

stitch

nice piece, i should have kept my Olympus 35.

mingky

Cool to see the review here. I got mine about 20 years ago when I needed a cheap camera to bring with me on military service (wasn't going to ris my SLR :) ). I wanted to get a cheap plastic throw away camera but the shop owner advised me to get this camera instead. It was just a little more expensive. And it has proven itself to be a great camera! And it's interesting to see how many are still around. If you want one, you will find one easily. I even ran into one in China. Though it was bricked into a wall. 8-O

orange-sunkiss

Hey! May I know where u get that camera and the price you bought it for?:)

More Interesting Articles

Bryan berryeater on creating beauty in the mundane with the diana f+.

Bryan Berryeater on Creating Beauty in the Mundane with the Diana F+

Bryan Berryeater set out on a few bike rides around Portland, Oregon, accompanied by the Diana F+, along with some rolls of Lomography Color Negative 400, and Berlin Kino film. He joins us on Lomography Magazine to share his impressions and creative experimentations with the unique camera!

Synesthesia #13: Imagined Album Covers on Instant Film

Synesthesia #13: Imagined Album Covers on Instant Film

For this edition of Synesthesia, we highlight the community's instant photos with music selections including Asian Indie Rock, 80s Synth Pop, introspective jazz and world music hits.

CARRTOONS on Discovering Analogue Photography and Documenting his NPR Tiny Desk Performance with the Lomo'Instant Camera

CARRTOONS on Discovering Analogue Photography and Documenting his NPR Tiny Desk Performance with the Lomo'Instant Camera

Ben Carr, also known as CARRTOONS, talks with us about finding inspiration in the lo-fi aesthetic, and his experience documenting his NPR Tiny Desk performance with the Lomo'Instant Automat Glass camera.

Bundle Up and Save!

Bundle Up and Save!

On the look for a great deal? In need for the perfect gift? Not sure what film to get with your camera? Worry not and discover our budget friendly bundles including sweet discounts and freebies for many different products! Don´t miss a great deal and check them out now!

Available in our Shop

Justino Blake’s Views From Lombok With Lomography Redscale Film

Justino Blake’s Views From Lombok With Lomography Redscale Film

In this interview we catch up with film photographer and perpetual traveler Justino Blake and he shares with us his atmospheric Lombok landscapes shot on Lomography Redscale film.

Finnish Photographer and Youtuber Ari Jaaksi Tests Our Lomomatic 110 Camera

 Finnish Photographer and Youtuber Ari Jaaksi Tests Our Lomomatic 110 Camera

We sent our new Lomomatic 110 to Finland-based photographer and YouTuber Ari Jaaksi, who is here today to showcase his results and experiences! He created an honest review of the camera for his YouTube channel and shares his first 110 film shots with us.

Capturing Women's Football on Film with Raiyan Rafiq and Harriet Duffy

Capturing Women's Football on Film with Raiyan Rafiq and Harriet Duffy

Raiyan and Harriet showcase their love for the beautiful game with their intimate and emotional snapshots of women's football on film, documenting scenes from the Euros, World Cup and Barclays Women’s Super League.

Dreamy Bokeh With the New Petzval 55 MM F/1.7 Mkii

Dreamy Bokeh With the New Petzval 55 MM F/1.7 Mkii

Jump outside of your comfort zone and take sensationally striking shots with the signature bokeh of the New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 MKII! Available in Brass, Black Brass and Black Aluminium finish!

Get it in our Shop

Making a Moment: Book Labyrinth by @pmonroe

Making a Moment: Book Labyrinth by @pmonroe

In this edition of Making a Moment, Lomographer @pmonroe shares one of the first photos he ever uploaded to his LomoHome, which he took while exploring an old bookshop in Busan.

Magda Kuca and Laertis Create a Trippy Music Video With the LomoKino

Magda Kuca and Laertis Create a Trippy Music Video With the LomoKino

UK-based visual artist Magda Kuca used the Lomokino to create this fantastic music video for musician Laertis, inspired by an infamous LSD-fuelled bike ride taken by Albert Hofmann in 1943.

Multiple Exposures on LomoChrome Metropolis 120 Film by Architect Aitor Estévez

Multiple Exposures on LomoChrome Metropolis 120 Film by Architect Aitor Estévez

Architectural photographer Aitor Estévez created these wonderful multiple exposures on our LomoChrome Metropolis 120 film. See the photos and read about his process here!

Three Lenses in One – Nour Triplet v 2.0/64 Bokeh Control Art Lens

Three Lenses in One – Nour Triplet v 2.0/64 Bokeh Control Art Lens

Ignite the legacy of a fascinating but forgotten scientist, Ibn al-Haytham, and become a master of light with this unique lens designed for spherical aberration control on full-frame mirrorless cameras. Shipping Live Now!

Yaotomi Camera Store in Osaka Revisits 120 Format With the Diana F+

Yaotomi Camera Store in Osaka Revisits 120 Format With the Diana F+

As part of our mission to save 120 film we invited our partners from Yaotomi in Osaka to shoot with the Diana F+ and share their experience with us. Check out their results and read their advice for other photographers using the Diana F+ for the first time.

Kelvin Fadillah Wahyu Shoots with the Lomo LC-A and Lomography Film

Kelvin Fadillah Wahyu Shoots with the Lomo LC-A and Lomography Film

Bandung-based freelance photographer Kelvin Fadillah Wahyu recently tried our Lomo LC-A along with our Lomography Color Negative ISO 400 and LomoChrome Purple Pétillant film for two creative photo shoots. Check out the photos and read about his impressions in this interview!

Get to Know Lomography's Full Instant Camera Line-Up

Get to Know Lomography's Full Instant Camera Line-Up

Browse Lomography's complete line of instant cameras with formats ranging from mini, square, and wide.

Find Out More About

Instant

ImagingPixel

  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • The CCD Sensor
  • Mobile Photography
  • MarketPlace

Search ImagingPixel for Images by Camera or Lens

Olympus trip 35 35mm zone-focus film camera.

Film Camera Review: Olympus Trip 35

T alk about the essence of  'iconic' 35mm compact cameras of yesteryears, cameras that help bring photography to the masses, cameras that are as equally functional as it is easy to use, cameras that are automatic but do not require a battery to operate, cameras with super sharp f/2.8 lenses, and the Olympus Trip 35 is always the one camera that will come to mind.

The Olympus Trip 35 , a fully automatic viewfinder camera, is a point-and-shoot 35mm compact model manufactured by Olympus. It was introduced to the market in 1967 as a compact, functional camera for holidays, went on to become very popular among the masses, and sales ended in 1984 after a prolonged production run, with over ten million units sold.

Olympus Trip 35

The camera is fitted with a coated non-interchangeable 40mm f/2.8 D. Zuiko lens, acknowledged as being very sharp and capable of capturing high-quality images, and operates as a programmed automatic with only two shutter speeds, at 1/40th sec or 1/200th sec. at apertures of between f/2.8 to f/22.

SCL Photography Guide: The Olympus Trip 35 Film Camera A fresh look at an old classic, to get you shooting your old Trip 35 or perhaps to interest you in investing in this great little film camera. Includes guide to buying, checking, loading and shooting with the camera. Bonus flash guide at the end. Thanks, Rob.

A low-light lock, with a red flag indicator, prevents you from taking under-exposed shots or trying it with the lens cap on.

Production Models

The design of the camera is simplicity itself. Early production units of the Trip 35 are manufactured with a silver shutter release button, with a film ISO speed rating from 25 to 200. Later production units, manufactured after 1978, come with a black plastic shutter release and a higher film ISO speed rating of 25 to 400. The Trip 35 is also available in black, which is much sought after by collectors.

Olympus Trip 35, Front

The lens and lens mount are located centrally on the front of the camera, with a viewfinder window on the right front of the top plate, and a flash sync socket on the lower left of the lens mount.

Olympus Trip 35, Top

On the top plate are the rewind crank, housed in a nice recessed on the left of the top plate, the accessory shoe (located slightly off-center), the shutter release button, and on the right, the frame counter.

Olympus Trip 35, Back

The Trip 35 comes with a plain film back, with only the viewfinder eyepiece and film forward wind at the back of the top plate. The hinge-type film back is opened by pulling down on a latch lever lock located on the film chamber side of the film box.

Olympus Trip 35, Bottom

The bottom plate carries the tripod socket and the rewind release button.

Olympus Trip 35, Film box

The film box is Olympus easy-load type, with the film chamber, shutter frame window, film guide sprocket, and a multi-slot takeup spool laid sequentially from left to right. Film loading is the normal 2-blank shot to forward the film to frame 1.

Year of Production

If you are interested in knowing when your camera was produced, you need to open the film compartment, remove the pressure plate on the back of the door by sliding it free from its locating pins, and look for the 3-character manufacturer's code on the back of the pressure plate.

  • The 1st character or letter (in later models) signifies the assembly plant.
  • The 2nd number represents the last digit of the year of assembly, e.g. 6 = 1976, 0 = 1980
  • The 3rd number or letter represents the month of assembly, 1-9 for Jan-Sep, X, Y, and Z for Oct-Dec.

For example: If the code reads N2Y, then the production was in November 1972

Viewfinder Readout

The viewfinder is an albada-type bright frame, with frame lines and parallax markings for closer focusing.

Olympus Trip 35, Viewfinder readout

There is a second, very small window under this, nicknamed the "Judas window", which shows the current aperture setting and distance symbol which are on the lens barrel.

A small red flag will appear in the viewfinder if the auto-exposure mechanism decides there is not enough light and refuses to fire.

Film ISO Speed

The camera will accept films with an ISO speed, for later models, of 25–400. Earlier models, from the first few years of production, had a maximum ISO speed of 200. A hot shoe and a Prontor-Compur sync connector provide for flash photography.

Zone Focusing

The Olympus Trip 35 focuses manually with a simple four-position zone-focus system, with distance settings displayed on the top scale in graphic form, and a bottom scale calibrated in both meters and feet. Focusing distances are 1 meter, 1.5 meters, 3 meters, and infinity.

Olympus Trip 35, Zone Focusing

Shutter Speeds

In Auto Mode, the shutter speed is set to 1/200th sec, and exposure is automatically controlled by aperture opening, whilst in manual or flash sync mode, the shutter is set to 1/40th sec, and a range of aperture openings from f2.8 to f22 can be selected for the shot.

Battery Not Included

The Olympus Trip 35 is built with a solar-powered selenium light meter, and it does not need any battery for it to run and operate. It is ideal for both the new user just getting into photography or the seasoned operator who wants slightly better control over the aperture setting and zone focusing mode. An accessory shoe and flash sync connector provide for flash photography.

Using The Camera

As with a fully automatic point-and-shoot camera, be it a film or digital, the Olympus Trip 35 is easy and fun to use.

Olympus Trip 35, Film ASA and AUto Exposure setting

Aside from the need for a roll of film to be loaded into the camera, be sure to set the correct film speed (ASA) setting, by turning the ASA ring in front of the lens barrel so that the ASA speed is displayed in the small opening.

Set the aperture or F-stop ring to 'A' for Auto, and off you go.

For the zone-focusing part of the equation, give it a go at estimating the distance of your subject, or turn the focal ring graphic icons to match the subject of your composition, be a portrait or head-shoulder shot, a three-quarter height shot, a group shop or just a view of the land, sea or urbanscape.

Early Images

A friendly shop assistant showed off his antics.

Olympus Trip 35, Battery Not Required 01

Do remember to check the zone focus setting as you go on with your shooting assignment. On bright and clear days the 40mm f/2.8 lens can be very forgiving and will stay sharp most of the time, but when things get a little dark and the automatic aperture falls to below f/5.6 you will tend to get blurred images if the zone focusing distance is not just right.

Olympus Trip 35 Instructions: Click here to download from www.buktus.org

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

4 comments:

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

She is nice in black, too, but I like the silver/black better ;-)

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Others may not agree with you, but I do believe that the current film camera enthusiasts are more inclined toward the silver/blacks... thanks

Hey thanks for the article. You state that in Auto mode the shutter speed is set at 1/200 and with flash it's 1/40. In fact both shutter speeds are available in auto and it switches at a point around EV 12.5 from f11 1/40 to f5.6 1/200, depending on the available light. It'll shoot down to EV 8.5: 1/40 2.8 and almost up to EV 17: 1/200 f22 in auto mode. The available combinations are 1/40 f2.8-f11 and 1/200 f5.6-f22 and it looks to actually select third-stops across this range, or thereabouts. This can be seen by the needle trap mechanism - there is an armature to determine the shutter speed by how far the armature raises when the shutter is depressed; this engages at one of two different cutout heights with the meter needle (along with a corresponding stepped scale for aperture), depending how far the needle is deflected by the coil/selenium cell circuit. It's an ingeniously simple mechanism - and worth noting that even in the daylight, on a dull overcast day, your shutter speeds can easily be low enough to blur if you don't make an effort to steady the camera.

Thanks for the followup, great!

Popular on ImagingPixel

' border=

35mm: All Cameras

  • 0113 246 0868

Review: Olympus Trip 35

The Olympus Trip 35 is a bit of a favourite of ours…

Introduced in 1967, the Trip was sold in enormous numbers before being discontinued in 1984. and was named for its intended purpose – a compact camera for going on holidays. The popularity of the Trip 35 reached its peak during the 1970’s when even David Bailey used one .

We like it because of its sheer simplicity.

It’s ideal for someone who is just getting into photography and who isn’t used to manual settings or manual focusing. The great thing is, you can still have control over the aperture when you need to override the automatic mode, so you can still learn some of the basics while using it. You can set the aperture to either A, in which the camera will work in program mode, or you can set the aperture yourself, meaning it will be working in aperture priority mode. A downside is that there is no way of manually setting the shutter speed.

On top of its ease of use, it is tiny, lightweight and looks gorgeous.

There’s a full blog dedicated to photos taken with the Trip 35 . You should definitely take a look through it if you get chance.

West Yorkshire Cameras Olympus Trip 35 Review

A few good bits

It’s got a great lens a 40mm f/2.8 Zuiko lens with 4 coated elements is an ideal lens for almost any situation. The lens coatings stop reflections and flare which helps to increase sharpness and contrast.

It’s lightweight – Weighing in at a measly 390g, the Trip 35 is ideal for travelling, it won’t weigh you down like most cameras.

It’s well built – Despite the weight and size of the Trip 35, it’s actually pretty sturdy. It has a metal chassis, which is much stronger than the plastic used in more modern designs.

It is solar powered – The entire camera only needs power for the meter – which is powered by the solar cells around the lens, so no batteries required! No more sticky situations when you’re in the middle of nowhere on holiday and your battery dies.

It’s very easy to use – Anyone can use this camera – even grandma. Set the ISO of your film, stick it on A, tell it where to focus, and fire away. It’s as simple as that.

It’s small – With holidays & travel in mind, Olympus made the Trip 35 compact enough to fit in your pocket.

The best bit. – It’s cheap! We almost always have Trip 35’s in stock for just £35.00 (as of 09/12), including a thorough check-up, new light seals, and a free roll of film – be warned though, they go quick!

It’s idiot proof – When set to automatic, if the meter senses that the photo will come out under or over exposed then it won’t fire. It takes some getting used to, but it saves valuable exposures on film, so it is very useful in some situations. You can also adjust the aperture manually to override this setting.

West Yorkshire Cameras Olympus Trip 35 Top

A few bad bits

It does have its limitations – Despite how much we rave about the Trip 35, it does have its limitations… Not being able to change the shutter speed yourself could irritate some people, as lots of people do like full control over your settings, if this is the case then the Trip 35 definitely isn’t for you. It’s bigger brother, the 35RC would be better for this.

It isn’t very ergonomic – The size of the Trip 35 also has its disadvantages, it can get quite uncomfortable holding it after a while, especially if you have fat hands like us. The aperture ring is also extremely close to the camera body, making it quite awkward sometimes to change the aperture.

It’s got a fixed lens – Not an enormous down side, as most compacts don’t feature interchangeable lenses, and the Zuiko optics more than make up for it.

There are no focusing aids No rangefinder, no focusing screen, nothing. Careful scale focusing and a little luck will get you through.

West Yorkshire Cameras Olympus Trip 35 Back

The bottom line

Despite its shortcomings, this is possibly one of the best film compacts ever made. There’s a reason Olympus sold over ten million of them during the 70’s! It still has a strong cult following today. A proper camera!

  • Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
  • Opens in a new window.
  • Rangefinders
  • Medium format
  • Compact cameras
  • Around the World in 80 Cameras
  • World on Film
  • Analogue History
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Subscribe to Kosmo Foto’s film photography YouTube channel.

  • Latest Posts

Stephen Dowling

Stephen Dowling Founder and editor at Kosmo Foto I’m Kosmo Foto’s founder and editor.

I’m a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).

I’m doing everything I can to promote film photography in the 21st Century, and help it survive and thrive. If you want to write something for Kosmo Foto, please drop me a line at [email protected].

  • Rare Soviet Zenit-5 space camera under hammer this June – 16/04/2024
  • Single Frame: Mr X – 14/04/2024
  • CineStill releases 400D colour film in 4×5 format – 08/04/2024

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

  • Camera reviews
  • Classic cameras

Olympus Trip 35 review

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

In 1967, the Human Be-In at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco marks the start of the Summer of Love and the hippie movement. In the UK, the BBC transmits its first programmes in full colour. And the first Saturn V rocket – the one that will transport the first humans to set foot on the Moon – takes off for the first time from the launchpad at Cape Canaveral.

Something else launches this year too. It is chunky-yet-compact 35mm camera with a fixed lens and few frills, made by the Japanese photographic giant Olympus. It is nothing less than a revolution in photography.

The Olympus Trip 35 is aimed at the most amateur of amateurs; the kind of people who take their camera on the annual two-week holiday, and are unlikely to take the manual along with them. It is a camera that’s designed to document days of sun and sand and surf – and make those pressing the button confident that they’ve got the shot.

It is 50 years since the Olympus Trip 35 was born, a half-century that saw it become one of the most popular film cameras ever made. The Trip 35 was in production for 17 years, the last of them only coming off the assembly lines in 1984. It’s believed that more than 10 million of them were made.

The Trip 35 was not particularly novel when it appeared – it was, cosmetically at least, very similar to another Olympus camera, the Pen EES . The Pen EES was a half-frame camera using 35mm film (and giving the photographer 48 images of a 24-frame roll of film, or 72 off a 36-frame roll), a diminutive snapshooter with a large selenium meter cell arranged around the lens.

With the half-frame format starting to fall out of favour thanks to the cheapness of colour film, Olympus’s designers decided to build a cheap, tough little compact small enough to stick in a jacket pocket and able to be used by almost anyone – as long as you pointed the right end of the Trip at the subject – that Zuiko 40/2.8 lens the camera’s built around – you should be able to get a properly exposed picture out of it.

So if it was so simple, why did the Trip 35 make such an impression?

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

“I the in the UK the TV advertising campaign that featured David Bailey and a host of British actors in the 1970s has a lot to do with it,” says Dr Michael Pritchard, the director-general of the Royal Photographic Society , who wrote the book A History of Photography in 50 Cameras . “The ads are still fondly remembered by a generation who grew up at that time and the tag line “David Bailey? Who’s he?” has entered the language even if a generation doesn’t know it’s origins.

“That said, the Trip was a competent, well-made, camera and it found a ready market amongst amateurs who were increasingly travelling on package holidays and wanting a reliable, compact camera capable of producing good result. With the resurgence of interest in film, coupled with nostalgia, there’s a generation now wanting to buy the camera again and use it.

“In some ways the camera wasn’t exceptional, but Olympus’s marketing on TV and in print at the time was both extensive and clever, although ultimately the camera was competent and produced good results which made it popular.”

The Trip 35 was light and compact but robust, thanks to its mostly metal construction. This was a camera intended to be taken out into the great wide open, so Olympus’s designers made it relatively tough. Drop a Trip 35 on your big toe and you’re more likely to need to go to a doctor than a camera repairer.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

It’s that robustness that’s also part of the Trip 35’s longevity, says Paul Lamb, who repairs and sells Trip 35s through his site, Trip Man .

“I think the Trip is the equivalent of a VW Beetle – a camera for all the people. It was so well built and so simple to use, but returns such great results, it has earned the label ‘cult camera’.

“Olympus built this camera for people to take on trips with them – it was small enough to take anywhere but strong enough to survive the average person’s adventures.

“The recipe of strong build with a high quality 40mm Zuiko f2.8 lens ensured sharp images were easy to obtain. The automatic exposure with the built-in light meter was a stroke of genius.”

There’s another reason the Trip might have been popular – unlike more sophisticated cameras, it didn’t need any batteries.

“The camera works without batteries, so it can go anywhere and won’t let you down,” says Lamb.

The David Bailey ad campaigns certainly helped, but Lamb says something even simpler might have been a big factor was another big reason behind the camera’s astonishing success.

“I think word of mouth has something to do with the great sales too – if your friend uses one and loves it, they’ll be the best advert for the camera – the results also speak for themselves. The Trip 35 seemed to beat the competition too – no other compact 35mm lasted this long in production.”

The Trip was the ideal travelling companion. The timing was just right – Paul Lamb, Trip Man

The Trip was also helped by a major societal change – cheap air travel to sunny places, especially in Europe. The arrival of cheaper flights to sunnier climes in the 1960s and 70s meant more and more people were able to take their holidays abroad. Tourism exploded.

“This was at a time when people had a bit more disposable income and time and were starting to travel further afield,” Lamb says. “The Trip was the ideal travelling companion. The timing was just right.”

The Trip 35’s specs underline its simplicity. But this was not a camera intended for portraits in low-light or freezing split-second sports action. The Trip 35’s mission was to capture holiday snaps – and for this it was spot on.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

“I would argue that it was a forerunner of the point-and-shoot cameras – starting with the Konica C35AF from 1978,” says Pritchard. “These were incredibly popular in the 1980s and 1990s which used electronics (as opposed to the Trip’s mechanics) to control settings, and added auto-focusing, film advance and built-in flash. These really took the concept of the Trip and pushed it further with new technologies, which digital has since taken further.”

Lamb finds the Trip 35 is still in demand, even some 30 years after production stopped.

“We buy a camera every day pretty much,” he says. “Almost without exception, some work is needed to bring the camera up to a standard that is fit for me to sell. I am fussy about the cosmetics; I don’t like cameras with dents or bad scratches and it must have a good clear lens and viewfinder.

“Often we see dented filter rims where someone has dropped it. We have lots of spares so can change any dented or badly marked parts. The leatherette was pretty hard-wearing, so most are usable, but some are dirty and these cameras really benefit from a new set of leathers.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

“All cameras of this age need new light seals. They go all sticky and probably leak light. Some Trips have had a hard life but still work! They have a bit of patina, which I don’t mind. Funnily enough, the most common problem is aperture blades sticking shut. This is just from lack of use.

“Thankfully it is an easy fix and we take the lens apart anyway to clean inside. The shutter nearly always works. It was simple, with just 2 speeds, 1/40 and 1/200, so less can go wrong.”

So what’s it like to shoot with?

The Trip 35 was designed to be as simple as possible. Instead of a rangefinder focusing system, it uses a zone focus viewfinder system; the lens can be set to one of four different distance settings according to how far away the subject was. The cartoonish little symbols – a stick figure, two groups of stick figures, and then a far-off mountain – were a guide to help you keep the Trip 35’s lens focused in the right place.

The Trip 35’s shutter only has two speeds – 1/40 th and 1/200 th – but the key to its ease of use lies in its simple, battery-less automatic exposure system. The Trip 35’s lens has a full range of apertures from f2.8 to f22. When the shutter button is pressed, the Trip chooses any aperture that will work with it’s preferred speed of 1/200 th . If that doesn’t work, it will try and match them to 1/40 th . That doesn’t work? A little red flag pops up in the viewfinder window to tell you that a picture can’t be taken, and the shutter button locks – which means you won’t waste  frame of film.

Olympus stripped out everything that wasn’t strictly necessary (the camera only meters up to 400, which is as as fast as consumer film was back in the day), making a camera that was intuitive and easy to use. But one thing they didn’t scrimp on was the lens.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

The Trip 35’s lens is sharp – really sharp. The Trip 35 was one of a bunch of compact Olympus cameras – like the 35RC and the 35SP – boasting fantastic lenses.

The Trip 35 is almost ridiculously easy to shoot with; the lack of rangefinder or SLR-style focusing means that, as long as you’ve got a reasonable eye for distance, you’ll most likely get acceptably sharp photos. The Trip 35 excels in good light.

Should you want to over-ride this “computer says no” approach, you can. Take the camera off the A setting, and choose your required aperture – the Trip 35 will snap away at 1/40 th . Hopefully, that will result in a well-exposed shot – you won’t know until the film is developed. It makes sense to do what most Trip-toting tourists would have done back in the day – load it up with negative film and shoot it in good light. If you want to add filters, you won’t need to compensate, as they’ll sit right over the selenium meter. However, because this is a viewfinder camera, you won’t see the effects of the filter through the viewfinder (worth bearing in mind if, for instance, you put a yellow filter on with black-and-white film and then use a roll of colour afterwards).

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

The filter size isn’t standard, either – like some of Olympus’s other compacts, it takes the slightly eccentric 43.5mm mount. Thankfully, so many Trip 35s were made the filters are still relatively common.

There’s nothing automated on the Trip 35, so rewinding the film is the usual manual rewind via a crank handle and a button on the bottom of the camera.

I’ve shot a good dozen or so films with the Trip 35 over the last few years, taking it out on trips to the South of France and recently to India and Sri Lanka aswell.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

The Trip 35 isn’t a replacement for a decent SLR, nor is it a high-end compact like the Yashica T4 or the Contax T2 (but then neither does it sell for upwards of £250 on the secondhand market, either). But it’s a fantastic summer travel camera, perfectly suited for street photography in good light. Pair it with 100 or 200-ISO print film in strong sunlight and the Trip will default to 1.200 th and as narrow an aperture as it can, making exact focusing unnecessary – perfect for shooting on the street. And the 40mm lens, considerably wider than the perspective of the human eye, gives a nice wide view of the world.

And those who might be put off by the heavy vignetting from other viewfinder cameras like the LOMO LC-A might find the Trip 35 more appealing – get your focus right, and the pictures are very, very sharp indeed.

After all – 10 million Trip owners can’t be wrong.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

* Olympus’s official profile of the Trip 35

* Daniel J Schenider’s comprehensive write-up of the Trip

* Streetshooters profile of the Trip 35

* Lewis Collard’s review

* 35mmc’s in-depth profile of the Trip

Subscribe to Kosmo Foto's film photography YouTube channel.

I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).

  • Rare Soviet Zenit-5 space camera under hammer this June - 16/04/2024
  • Single Frame: Mr X - 14/04/2024
  • CineStill releases 400D colour film in 4×5 format - 08/04/2024

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Three cameras for 2023, the zenit-4: a premium soviet slr that’s now a historical footnote, konica iii review.

guest

I own one, an “early” one with a bright (as opposed to black) shutter button. It’s one of those cameras I wonder why I don’t shoot more often. I’d forgotten that this camera debuted in 1967 — so did I! I should definitely shoot mine more this year in honor of both half-century birthdays.

Joe shoots resurrected cameras

I love the Trip 35! Great camera that gives me exactly what I need. Maybe I have an older one too, my ASA dial goes 25-200. Superb AE, I’ve shot slide film with it and it hasn’t failed me, even after half a century of service!

anttihoo

A great tribute to a true classic! I snagged mine for a song some months ago, and after trying unsuccessfully to force the ASA dial beyond 200, realised that I’d found a very early model – the date stamp hidden behind the back plate indicates Dec. 1967. But it’s in excellent condition, the selenium meter works like a charm, and it feels surprisingly robust for such a compact camera. The Trip is one of three reasons I’ve rediscovered the joys of film after a decade of DSLRs (the other two being Voigtländers from the Fifties). Here are some of my …  Read more »

Monica Weller

I have been using an Olympus Trip for nearly nine years. In 2013 I gained a Fellowship from The Royal Photographic Society (FRPS) with a panel of 20 black and white photos taken at Dungenesss using my Olympus Trip.

Simon B

I have lots of Olympus Trips and my favourite one is my December 1967 version with 200 asa and all orange symbols on the lens and we share the same birthday!!

Robert Gerrish

What a great review of such a fine camera. I’ve just bought my 50th Olympus Trip 35 and am steadily rebuilding them from head to toe. I’ve added some other reviews and a decent scanned copy of the original User Guide if anyone wants to grab a copy: https://trip35.co/

Stephen Dowling

Many thanks Robert! Glad you enjoyed it.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Olympus Trip 35 – A Fully Mechanical Vintage Point and Shoot Camera (Review)

  • May 31, 2022

Share

Cool to see a new review of the old analog Olympus TRIP 35 (here on eBay) ! Analog Insights writes:

In today’s episode, Jules, Paul and I review the Olympus Trip 35 – a beautiful, compact 35mm viewfinder camera with built-in selenium light meter, an excellent 40mm f/2.8 Zuiko lens and an automatic exposure mode. The camera was first introduced in 1967 and built until 1984. According to most online sources, about 10 million units were produced in these 17 years, yet this number is likely to include later plastic versions with some form of Trip branding. Looking at the actual serial numbers, it is more likely that Olympus built around 5.4 million units of the Trip 35. Paul is also known as Trip Man (https://www.tripman.co.uk), selling refurbished classic Trip 35 cameras and accessories online out of England. He is a true authority and thus my perfect guide to this wonderful little camera. I cautiously reached out to him asking whether he would be available for a conversation via Zoom and he decided to spend a short spring vacation here in Munich. We used the opportunity to take the Trip 35 out on a photo walk in Munich’s Westend district shooting Ilford Pan 400 on a cloudy day. Paul could use the Trip 35 here in Munich as it was originally intended – as a light, easy-to-use travel camera that lets you explore the world, focus on your subject and nothing else. I also took the camera out together with Jules on a photo walk around dusk in a former industrial area. To match the beautiful golden light, we shot a roll of Kodak Gold 200 rated at ISO 160 and got some excellent results as well. Let’s get started and learn more about the Trip 35.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

  • previous post: a bit of everything…
  • next post: Leica and Panasonic Signed Strategic Comprehensive Collaboration Agreement, and Develop “L2 Technology” as Symbol of the Collaboration

thoughts about photography

Olympus Trip 35 – The holiday camera

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

The people’s camera, compact, easy to shoot, always ready, fun!  Enter the Olympus Trip 35.  The camera designed and sold for the masses to take with them on holidays and travel, thus the name Trip.  So popular that it sold for 20 years and well into the millions, which can even be seen today on the second hand market.  Further made popular by endorsements from David Bailey!

A recent example where this camera shines is where I went shooting with my 11-year-old son, Alec, and he was trying out a film camera himself.  We had two occasions of this, the first time I took a medium format rangefinder.  After that I did not want to spend time operating my camera so that we can enjoy the time together, so this camera fit the bill perfectly.  As a side note, he was using an Olympus Pen EE2, a half frame cousin of the Trip.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

The Trip 35 has an amazing following across the world, people just seem to love this little camera.  In fact, there are clubs and websites dedicated to it, and a huge restoration community.  I bought mine from a restorer that not only ensures the cameras are functional but also gives them new skins in a multitude of colours.  It was restored with a red leatherette mini snake skin finish, which even though I was sceptical, adds to the fun.  The camera seems to have suffered significant corrosion before being restored, as can be seen at the hinge for the back, but the restoration is top rate and should keep it going for another 40 years.  It also has a dented filter ring.  Based on the date stamp my camera was manufactured in September 1976.

Olympus first introduced the Trip 35 in 1968 and continued selling them for 20 years until 1988.  In that period they made over 10 million copies, which is a very good indication on how popular they were and still are.

They were always an inexpensive camera and due to the sheer number of them manufactured that continues today, where second hand copies can be purchased fully restored for about $US100 or less.  Without restoration anything from $2 onwards.

The initial Trip 35 had a metal shutter button, but during the production this was changed to a plastic button as per the one in this article.  Otherwise the camera had very minimal changes in such a long production run.

The design of the Trip 35 was based on the original Pen EE cameras, which were very compact as they took half frames in vertical format.  Due to advances, Olympus could produce a camera almost as small but shooting a full 35mm frame, thus increasing the quality and the appeal of the camera.  Being so lightweight makes it a no brainer to put into the case when packing for a holiday, thus ensuring lots of memories taken on the Trip.  This alone would have made it popular but being a camera that struck a cord with so many people, that also ensured the sheer numbers of cameras demanded and produced!

Camera Specifics

The Olympus Trip 35 requires no batteries to operate.  It does have a light meter, which is embedded around the fixed lens, but within the filter thread to ensure metering through the filter.  As the light meter is selenium based, it works without the batteries but does have a finite time before it stops working.  The recommendation is to keep a lens cap on when not in use to lengthen the life of the meter by even decades.

pt-olympustrip35-04

The camera operates in programmed automatic (A) exposure mode, limiting the input by the photographer to only focusing.  There is a fixed-aperture setting for flash though.  The viewfinder is a standard Albada (which means the rear face of the front lens is half-silvered, which reflects a set of frame lines, painted on the eyepiece lens surround).  It also has parallax marks.  There is a little cut-out square hole in the bottom right of the viewfinder, which you can see the focus selection you have made.  While there is a ridged type face/window on the left of the viewfinder window, it is not a rangefinder, that is there purely for aesthetics.

The viewfinder also carries a little red flag, which pops up when there is not enough light to take the picture (below 1/40 sec with f/2.8) which also disables the shutter.  This is handy in the case or with a lens cap on, avoiding mistaken shutter presses.  What a great design!

The lens is an Olympus D. Zuiko 40mm f/2.8, with 4 elements in 3 groups.  Filter size is 43.5mm screw in.  Focusing is achieved manually through scale, either visible through the viewfinder or looking at the lens itself.  There are several markings on the lens for focusing which consist of a person (1m/3ft), 2 people (1.5m/5ft), a group of people (3m/10ft) or a mountain (infinity).  Note that the third setting of the group of people is marked in red, which was done on purpose, as this is the setting you can leave it on and it will focus on pretty much everything in daylight.  There is a scale at the bottom which covers both metres and feet.  The closest focus is 0.9m (2.9ft).  Unless you are shooting with a flash, that is the only setting you have available to adjust.

pt-olympustrip35-05

The camera only has two shutter speeds, 1/40 and 1/200 of a second which are automatically selected.  It will stop down to about f/22.  For flash the speed will always be set to 1/40 of a second.  The exposure range is from EV 8 1/3 to EV 17 1/6 .  Film speed can be selected from ASA (ISO) 25 through to 400 in one third stops, except ASA 32.

Loading film is easy enough, with the leader in the slot, and is advanced using a thumb wheel.  The frame number is displayed in a little window on top, with a distinctive yellow arrow pointing to it.

The camera is tiny at 390.5g (13.77oz), and dimensions of W 124.77mm x H 72.67mm x D 57.62mm (W 4.912in x H 2.861in x D 2.269in).  The fit is fantastic in your hand with a wrist strap.

The Experience

The first time I used the Trip 35, I felt a sense of freedom.  I had what must be a good camera in the palm of my hands and I did not need to take any further gear with me except some extra film.  We were off to the Sydney Easter Show, where there is lots of rides and animals to look at and I could put to my eye, adjust focus and snap.  The camera would tell me if I got the shot or if there was not enough light.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

The next time was when I went out with my son Alec, and it was also good as I got to concentrate on him and his enjoyment with the other Olympus while I also snapped away.  The third time is when I must admit I got a little frustrated.  I went out alone and found that the actual aspect which made this camera popular, is also the reason it slightly annoyed me.  I could not take any control, could not control subject separation in a lot of cases, and focus was very limiting i.e. I could not focus, but only use the generic focus points on the camera. The only manual override I had was to “trick” the camera by adjusting the ASA setting, if I wanted, for instance, to take a picture of a person with lots of backlight.

The lens is very sharp and Olympus did a great job of building such an over performing lens.  The downside is that you cannot focus exactly, and you also do not control the aperture to isolate your subject, but with such a great latitude of focus, this is rarely a problem unless you are after lots of bokeh.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

All this means is that is that maybe Olympus did hit the market they were after, and very successfully.  This was reinforced when Alec picked it up and instinctively knew how to use it.

In terms of performance the metering was usually very accurate.  The hit rate was a lot more than I expected, and to be honest, put a lot of cameras to shame.  I used both black and white and colour film, and both came out with well-balanced exposures.  Not bad for a little fully mechanical point and shoot. The negatives are nice and thick and did not need much work once scanned.  Tones and colours are very well captured and if I had not known that they were from the Trip, I could have thought they were from a much more expensive SLR.

The lens is quite sharp and has a good definition of contrast.  When I scanned the film I could pick up details that some other cameras would not have captured.  The corners are quite sharp in landscape mode, and the distortion, well there is none!  The design of this lens is fantastic for capturing a hell of a lot in focus, especially when you set it to the group or mountain symbol.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

One little item which while trivial, I do think to mention, is that I enjoyed using the thumb wheel to advance the film.  It became very natural to use and fit in with the experience perfectly.

When you see these for sale, do consider getting one.  They are great little cameras and are fully mechanical.  So if we are ever attacked by aliens, and they fry all of our electronics, when the fighting is over, you will be one of the few people still able to take well exposed pictures.  Best word to describe the Olympus Trip 35 is FUN!

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

David Bailey commercial for Olympus Trip 35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Yo3FRPeQw

Well worth watching.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

You May Also Like

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Fuji GS645S – Camera with a Roo Bar

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Combinations – Fuji GSW690iii and Kodak Ektar

Canon Sure Shot 70 Zoom

Canon Sure Shot 70 Zoom – Compact Zooming

' src=

These are some superb B&W exposures. What post-processing (if any) did you perform on the scans?

' src=

Thank you! I don’t do too much. I scan the negatives pretty flat and then I adjust the levels and the curve to control the blacks and whites. Occasionally, when needed, I’ll also dodge and burn using the brush tool. Finally I clone out dust. I find this method gets the best out of the film’s range of tones.

Privacy Overview

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Olympus Trip 35 Review – Learning to be More Spontaneous – by Andrew Morang

5 May, 2018

Post Categories:

Share this post:

In the past, I always used manual cameras. I measured the light, set the exposure, and focussed myself. Even in a car, I like to be in control and only drive manual transmission, which is almost unheard of in the United States. The point-and-shoot craze of the 1990s completely passed by me. But now I have this funny little Olympus Trip 35, a “point-and-shoot.”

Why I bought it is a bit of a story. In preparation for a 2017 trip to Nepal, I sent my Leica IIIC off for repair. But in case it would not be ready in time, I bought three inexpensive compact 35s from the ‘Bay. A Minolta was dead on arrival, but a Yashica Electro 35CC and an Olympus Trip 35 were fully functional. However, the Leica was overhauled in time for Asia, so the Trip stayed home. But I was curious to see if the Trip 35 was as good as so many reviewers claim.

Olympus Trip 35 top of cameras

As you can see, the Olympus Trip 35 is a simple device. Film winding is via a wheel on the back. Exposure is automatic, controlled by a selenium meter that is coupled to the aperture and shutter. If the light is too low, a red flag pops up in the finder to tell you that the shutter button is locked. (If you buy one from the auction site, make sure the red flag feature works; that means the selenium cell is functioning.)

Canadian Pacific rail yard photographed with Olympus Trip 35

Limitations

This little Olympus Trip 35 has limitations:

  • There are only two shutter speeds: 1/40 sec and 1/200 sec. The camera sets them for you based on the amount of light, but if you turn the aperture dial off “A” to one of the f-stops, the shutter is 1/40.
  • The light meter, being a selenium cell, does not have low-light capacity. The selenium cell (behind the bubbly plastic) surrounds the lens. If you want a low-light camera, you need one with a battery-powered CDS or SBC cell.
  • The viewfinder does not have a focus aide, so you need to estimate the distance. The lens has some symbols to help you, such as a mountain or a person. Really, it is not difficult, especially with the semi-wide 40mm lens.
  • The filter size is a unique 43.5mm fine pitch. Why did Olympus do this, to sell their own unique size? Color filters are very hard to find, and they do not screw in easily. Maybe the assumption was that most casual users took color negative film and did not care about filters.
  • For some unknown reason, hoods are unobtanium in the USA. I had to order one from a UK vendor, and it cost as much as the camera did.

Vicksburg Mississippi photographed with Olympus Trip 35

The Trip 35 In Use

Regardless of these limitations, this Olympus Trip 35 is fun. With this little Trip 35, you can leave the focus at infinity (the mountain symbol), raise the camera to frame, and snap away.  It is so simple, so liberating. I can take it with me on the bicycle, stop where I see something interesting, and snap a photograph. But I noticed I still support it in the same way as my bigger cameras: left hand cradling the lens and right hand holding the right side and index finger on the shutter button. Solid grip, no breathing, and careful press. So maybe I am really not spontaneous, but it is less of an effort than one of my “serious” cameras.

Jackson Mississippi photographed with Olympus Trip 35

At low light, you can see the limitations of the Olympus Trip 35. Contrast is a bit low, and you should use a hood. And once the red flag pops up and locks the camera, your only option is to move the aperture control off “A” to 2.8 and hope the exposure will be adequate. Because I often take pictures in low-light conditions or in old buildings and factories, this little Trip 35 is rather restricting. Also, although there is no indication of when the selenium meter has set the lens wide open, the edges of the frame in dusk are a bit soft. I assume the lens is close to 2.8. It is certainly not as well corrected as a 35mm Summicron or 35mm Super-Takumar, but, of course, those are more sophisticated and expensive designs.

Route 66 Tulsa Oklahoma photographed with Olympus Trip 35

Despite some limitations, do not let me dissuade you from trying the little Olympus Trip 35. They are fun, inexpensive, and take good photographs. Thank you for reading, and thanks Hamish for letting me post these ramblings.

For more urban decay photography, please see:   https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com

Find more similar content on 35mmc

Use the tags below to search for more posts on related topics:

Contribute to 35mmc for an ad-free experience.

There are two ways to contribute to 35mmc and experience it without the adverts:

Paid Subscription – £2.99 per month and you’ll never see an advert again! (Free 3-day trial).

Subscribe here.

Content contributor – become a part of the world’s biggest film and alternative photography community blog. All our Contributors have an ad-free experience for life.

Sign up here.

About The Author

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Paul Graham on Olympus Trip 35 Review – Learning to be More Spontaneous – by Andrew Morang

Comment posted: 06/05/2018

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Kodachromeguy replied:

Yes indeed, a step-up adapter is a possibility. I considered that, but there are two problems with the Trip 35. First, The genuine Olympus hood will not fit over the adapter ring, so then you need a screw-in hood that fits the filter that you finally adapt. Second: the viewfinder is partly obscured. Olympus used this size for several of their cameras, so once upon a time, there may have been more 43.5 filters available.

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Philip Brooke on Olympus Trip 35 Review – Learning to be More Spontaneous – by Andrew Morang

Comment posted: 09/05/2018

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Nigel Cliff on Olympus Trip 35 Review – Learning to be More Spontaneous – by Andrew Morang

Comment posted: 22/05/2018

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Recommended reading : Down the Road on Olympus Trip 35 Review – Learning to be More Spontaneous – by Andrew Morang

Comment posted: 05/03/2020

Time to Meet Some of the Most Gorgeous Olympus Trip 35 Cameras Ever! – Photography on Olympus Trip 35 Review – Learning to be More Spontaneous – by Andrew Morang

Comment posted: 30/10/2020

Leave a Comment

Related Posts

Kodak Professional Chemistry

13 April, 2024

By Molly Kate

Grainsplaining International Women's Month Print Sale

25 March, 2024

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

7 March, 2024

By AndreArma

Film Photography News - March 3, 2024

3 March, 2024

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Photography & Projects

Looking for some inspiration, or just want to flick through the project work and photos?

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Reviews & Experiences

If you're looking for photography equipment and peripheral reviews, this is the place to start!

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Theory & Reflections

how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

Tutorials & Knowhow

If you want to learn or discover a new technique, build on your skills, or be inspired to have a go at a bit of DIY or camera modification, then you’re in the right place.

Contribute to 35mmc

Paid Subscription

£2.99 per month and you’ll never see an advert again! (Free 3-day trial).

Subscribe here

Content contributor

Become a part of the world’s biggest film and alternative photography community blog. All our Contributors have an ad-free experience for life.

  • Daily Deals
  • Help & Contact

25% off with code RENEW25

  • Watch List Expand watch list Loading... Sign in to see your user information
  • Recently Viewed
  • Bids/Offers
  • Purchase History
  • Saved Searches
  • Saved Sellers
  • Collect & Spend Learn more
  • Notification
  • Expand Basket Loading... Something went wrong. View basket for details.

There seems to be a problem serving the request at this time

Olympus Trip 35

  • Price + postage: lowest first
  • Price + postage: highest first
  • Lowest price
  • Highest price
  • Time: ending soonest
  • Time: newly listed
  • Distance: nearest first
  • Gallery view
  • Buying format
  • All filters

Vintage Olympus Trip 35 Working

Olympus trip 35 35mm point & shoot film camera film tested and working, olympus trip 500 35mm film camera point and shoot analog photo y2k working 2000s, olympus trip 505 35mm film camera point and shoot camera working film camera, olympus trip af50 35mm film camera point and shoot camera working film camera, olympus trip af51 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film olympus, olympus trip 600 35mm film camera point and shoot camera working film analogue, 1981 olympus trip 35 full cla white cream 35mm vintage point & shoot camera nice, 1981 olympus trip 35 full cla & light seal done red leather vintage 35mm camera, olympus trip 601 35mm film camera point&shoot analog film y2k not ricoh yashica, olympus trip 300 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film yashica, nice vintage olympus trip 35 point & shoot 35mm camera zuiko 40mm lens, nice vintage olympus trip 35 point & shoot 35mm camera zuiko 40mm lens #1, olympus trip af61 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film yashica, excellent condition olympus trip 35 35mm film camera d.zuiko 40mm f2.8 tested, olympus trip xb400 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film mju ii, olympus trip xb41 af 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film, vintage point & pact camera olympus trip 35, olympus trip md 35mm film camera point and shoot camera working film analogue, olympus trip af s-2 auto focus black 35mm point & shoot film camera *works*, olympus trip xb401 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film mju ii, olympus trip af md vintage 35mm film camera. working . full auto. + pouch., a nice vintage olympus trip af 35mm point & shoot camera 35mm lens #1, olympus trip af 31 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film, olympus trip af 30 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film, a nice vintage olympus trip xb400 35mm point & shoot camera 27mm lens #1, canon prima zoom 90u vintage y2kfilm 35mm point&shoot film yashica leica olympus, vintage olympus trip panorama 35mm camera manual tested working 33mm 4.5 ex++, vintage olympus trip s 35mm 1:4.5 lens camera with instructions, two cameras olympus trip 505. works, olympus trip35 1968, olympus trip xb40 af qd (date) 35mm point&shoot, strap, nice & clean, tested, olympus mju ii 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film working, olympus trip 35mm camera, a nice vintage olympus trip af 35mm point & shoot camera 35mm lens, olympus af-1 twin 35mm point&shoot compact analogue vintage film working mju ii, olympus trip xb400 35mm, vintage film camera soviet vilia auto 35mm compact working made in ussr tested, vintage camera olympus trip -601. 35mm film camera. automatic, old original vintage olympus trip 35 compact 35mm film camera photography japan, olympus mju ii 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film tested, vintage film camera olympus af-10 mini 35 mm filmcamera point&shoot analog works, olympus trip md 2 camera - point and shoot - 35mm - working, vintage olympus trip 100 auto wind & rewind focus free 35mm camera, ufo elite 35mm film camera point shoot camera compact analogue working tested, olympus view zoom 80 acura zoom35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage, olympus superzoom 105 35mm point&shoot compact analogue working vintage film.

Cameras By Max Ltd

Should I Buy An Olympus Trip or Olympus Pen?

September 30, 2023 By Cameras By Max

A lot of customers email us asking for help choosing between the Olympus Trip and Olympus Pen camera when buying a 35mm film camera. We have written this article to help you make your decision and shed some light on the best parts of both these cameras.

Olympus Trip or Olympus Pen 35mm film cameras

DISCLAIMER: for this article, when we refer to the Olympus Pen , we are referring to the EE range of cameras, such as the Olympus Pen EE-3 , Olympus Pen EE-2 , and Olympus Pen EF . We also occasionally refer to the Olympus Pen EES-2 .

To start off, let's recap on each of these cameras and their features individually.

What is the Olympus Trip?

The Olympus Trip 35 was introduced in 1967, and discontinued in 1984, which is considered a long production run for a 35mm film camera. Over ten million Olympus Trip cameras were sold in this time.

Many people wrongly call the Olympus Trip a rangefinder camera, however we would classify it more as a point and shoot with zone focusing.

 alt=

You can read more about the Olympus Trip here:

Different colours of Olympus Trip cameras

Featured Camera: The Olympus Trip 35

Wood covered Olympus Trip 35mm film camera for beginners

How To Use The Olympus Trip

Olympus Trip camera with flash attached - can you use the Olympus Trip at night?

Can You Use the Olympus Trip At Night?

Singapore with the Olympus Trip 35mm film camera review

Singapore with the Olympus Trip: A Gallery by Daisy

But otherwise, here is a quick breakdown of its main features:

  • Zuiko 40mm f/2.8 lens
  • Focus settings (zone focusing)
  • ISO settings 
  • Red flag feature
  • Powered by selenium light cell
  • Manual advance and rewind 
  • Flash hotshoe

The Olympus Trip has a great range of features, and a lot of photographers love the red flag feature, which is common across the range of Olympus Pen cameras as well.

The main thing to remember about the Trip when comparing it to the Olympus Pen cameras is that it is a full-frame camera and has focus settings.

Olympus Trip35mm film cameras

What is the Olympus Pen?

OK, hold your horses. There are a few different types of Olympus Pen that we are talking about here in this article. All of them are excellent cameras, and we want to help you make the best decision for you!

All of the Olympus Pen cameras we are talking about have the same principal features.

Here is a breakdown of the main features on the Olympus Pen range of cameras:

  • ISO settings
  • Manual advance and rewind

These cameras begin to differ when you look at the finer details of the camera, such as the focus settings and the type of lens the camera has. 

The first, and most popular, Olympus Pen we are talking about is the Olympus Pen EE-3 . 

This Olympus Pen has a 28mm f/3.5 lens. This makes it the most wide angle of the Olympus cameras in this article (not including the EE-2, which is its baby brother.)

This Olympus Pen has no focus settings and is considered a true point and shoot film camera.

You can read more about the Olympus Pen EE-3 here:

Olympus Pen EE-3 camera

Featured Camera: The Olympus Pen EE-3

Olympus Pen EE-3 35mm film camera

How to Use The Olympus Pen EE-3 and EE-2

We will glance over the Olympus Pen EE-2 here. It is identical to the Olympus Pen EE-3, except that the trim and details are grey rather than black.

We stock this camera in a small range of pastel colours for those who like the lighter things in life.

The next Olympus Pen that we think is worth comparing against the Olympus Trip is the Olympus Pen EES-2.

The Olympus Pen EES-2 has a 30mm f/2.8 lens and focus settings. These are the same zone focus settings you will find on the Olympus Trip.

The Olympus Pen EES-2 is one of our favourites, but increasingly hard to get hold of. So if you see one in stock and would like, we recommend being as quick as possible!

Last, but not least, we have the Olympus Pen EF. 

Similar to the Olympus Pen EE-3, in that it does not have focus settings, the Olympus Pen EF stands apart from the rest of the Pens as the only one with a built-in flash. This is the camera for the night-time shooters.

OK, now we've got through all the different types of Olympus Pen that we want to discuss when comparing them to the Olympus Trip, lets move on to the comparisons.

Which Camera is Better: the Olympus Trip or the Olympus Pen?

Better is a BIG word. So, let's break it down to more manageable questions.

Which camera will produce higher quality images?

The Olympus Trip and Olympus Pen cameras all have great Zuiko lenses. They are super sharp, and produce wonderful images from edge to edge.

However, when it comes to the final image quality you get from the lab, the Olympus Trip will produce higher resolution images, as it is a full-frame, not a half-frame. As the full-frame image will be larger (physically), the image is less enlarged when scanned and printed.

That being said, half-frame cameras still stand up to a very good quality, and we have seen some incredible prints from half-frame cameras.

If you are looking for a camera to produce images that you can have enlarged on your wall as a print, we would recommend the Olympus Trip. However, if you are looking to just have images on your phone, or printed as 6" x 4" in your photo album, the Olympus Pen cameras are plenty quality enough for this.

Don't forget, the quality of your scans from the lab will greatly impact the quality of your photographs. This is why we are partnered with Gulabi , who always provide high resolution scans with their develop and scan services.

Below is a side by side comparison of the quality of images taken on the Olympus Trip (left) and the Olympus Pen EES-2 (right).

Olympus Trip sample

I want to be able to control how my images come out; which camera should I get?

The Olympus Trip and Olympus Pen cameras are mainly automatic. The shutter speed and aperture is determined for you when using the cameras on automatic mode. This is where the camera uses the selenium light cell around the lens to determine how much light will reach your negatives and how to correctly expose your image.

Where you do have some creative control is with the focus settings of the camera. As previously mentioned, the Olympus Trip has focus settings, as does the Olympus Pen EES-2 . This means you will be able to control the focus of your image, for example when taking a close-up portrait, you will be able to choose that your subject is in focus close to the lens.

Olympus Trip focus settings diagram

Both of these cameras use the same zone focusing system, which is shown above in the coloured symbols on the lens. These symbols indicate how far away the subject of your photo is. You can read more about these focus settings here .

So all you really have to weigh up when choosing between these two cameras is whether you want the camera to be half-frame or full-frame.

I travel a lot; which camera is most compact? 

We LOVE to travel with our film cameras. Having a compact camera is something that is so so helpful. 

The most compact camera out of the ones we are talking about would be the Olympus Pen EE-2 and Olympus Pen EE-3. Both of these cameras fit in the palm of your hand, and because they don't have focus settings, their lenses are very close to their bodies. 

Another plus point for this camera when travelling is that you can take 72 shots on a 36-exposure roll of film. This means you get double the amount of photos for each roll of film, meaning you can take less film with you when you travel.

I'm a night-time shooter and need a camera with flash. Which one should I get?

The only camera on this list with a built-in flash is the Olympus Pen EF . It is also the most lightweight of the bunch, as well.  When you do not have enough light for an image, simply pop up the flash and you are ready to take great night-time images. 

This camera is perfect if you are looking to take photos of your friends on nights out, or capture the nocturnal happenings of your local area. 

Now, we don't want to burst your bubble, but technically any of the cameras here could be used at night. The Olympus Trip and the Olympus Pens are all compatible with an external flash (and we sell some really small ones!)

Having a built-in flash makes life a lot easier, but read our blog here about how to use the Olympus Trip at night . The same rules apply for the Olympus Pen cameras as well.

Which camera is more economical?

This one is quite an easy answer. The Olympus Pens trump the Olympus Trip here simply because they are half-frame. You will get twice the amount of photos on one roll of film, effectively making your film 50% cheaper. 

Which camera is easier to be repaired? 

We repair and refurbish lots of Olympus Trips and Olympus Pens every month. Both of these cameras, whilst they have parts that age, are fully repairable by our team at Cameras By Max. We have enough spare parts to build cameras from scratch, and repair the ones that need some love. 

Both of these cameras are easily repaired (by a professional.) The Olympus Trip has more parts readily available, and if you did not use our repair services, other repairers are more likely to have Olympus Trip parts than Olympus Pen parts.

Olympus Trip 35 35mm film camera being disassembled and repaired

I am still not sure which camera to get.

Don't worry! Simply send us a message on our live chat, or email us here . We are always here to help, and no question is discouraged.

If you are unsure if either of these cameras are right for you, try our film camera quiz. All you have to do is answer a few questions, and then you will get a list of personalised camera recommendations. 

If you like what we do, but can't buy a camera from us, please consider buying us a cup of coffee! It helps us to keep these resources free, consistent, and accessible.

Read more of our blog posts here:

Olympus Pen EES-2 half-frame film camera

Featured Camera: The Olympus Pen EES-2

Selection of 35mm film cameras

5 of the Best 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners

View of Amsterdam Canal

5 of the Best 35mm Film Cameras for Travelling

Max, owner of Cameras By Max

Article written by: Max

Max is the owner of Cameras By Max. They work full-time repairing and refurbishing all the 35mm film cameras you see on the website. Their favourite camera (at the moment) is the Olympus XA, and their favourite city in the world is Edinburgh.

Take our quiz to find your perfect film camera.

Not sure which camera is best for you?

Congratulations! Your order qualifies for a free planted tree. Plant a tree with any order over £60!

No more products available for purchase

Your cart is currently empty.

IMAGES

  1. File:Olympus Trip 35.jpg

    how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

  2. Olympus Trip 35 (1967)

    how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

  3. Olympus Trip 35mm Compact Film Camera

    how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

  4. Olympus Trip 35

    how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

  5. OLYMPUS TRIP 35 WITH 40MM F/2.8 D. ZUIKO 35MM CAMERA, CHROME

    how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

  6. Olympus TRIP 35

    how much is a olympus trip 35 camera worth

VIDEO

  1. 1991 Olympus Trip S

  2. Olympus Trip XB400

  3. Olympus Trip 35. Testing the meter

  4. Olympus TRIP XB40 AF camera 35mm film

  5. OLYMPUS TRIP AF50 overview

  6. Olympus TRIP 500 camera 35mm film

COMMENTS

  1. Olympus: Trip 35 (chrome) Price Guide: estimate a camera value

    Olympus: Trip 35 (chrome) - 1967-1984. 35mm film, point-and-shoot viewfinder camera. Solar-powered selenium light meter. Very common, more than 10 million cameras were sold. Antique, vintage and used digital cameras/lenses price guide. Don't forget to update your personal camera inventory, Bing [Bot].

  2. The Olympus Trip 35 Review: Everything You Need To Know

    The Olympus Trip 35 is so popular because it's very easy to use, it has a great lens and it's ideal for the novice photographer. Also, the Olympus Trip 35 is one of the only 35mm cameras powered by the sun, making it really handy to take on holiday with you. Since 1967 10 million units have been sold, which is a tremendous amount even today.

  3. Why the Olympus Trip 35 is a Classic Camera Worth Owning

    The Olympus Trip 35 features a modern, straightforward appearance. It has a black synthetic leather covering over a metal body. The camera is really small and barely weighs 400 grammes. It is ideal for carrying around because it fits comfortably in your pocket. The camera is quite durable and has superb build quality.

  4. Olympus Trip 35: Every bit as good as its reputation

    Not quite a rangefinder, the Olympus Trip 35 is a compact 35mm camera with auto-exposure and a selenium-cell light meter. The black model was only made for two years, early in the production run. (Daniel J. Schneider) I didn't just stumble on the Olympus Trip 35. I knew all about its excellent reputation as a sharp, simple camera with a good ...

  5. Olympus Trip 35

    The Olympus Trip 35 is a camera I'd heard a lot about but had never tried myself. Its reputation for ease of use and high quality seemed the perfect cure for my shooter's block. And if the Trip 35 was the prescription, the Pasadena Camera Show was the pharmacy. There I found a beautiful Trip 35 for an absurdly low price, bought it, and ...

  6. Olympus Trip 35 Film Camera Review

    How much does Trip 35 cost, and where to find one. Olympus Trip 35 film camera is a fantastic value in terms of fun, image quality, and build quality. Most copies of these cameras can be bought between $20-120 — depending on the condition. And a few bucks more can get you the rare-ish black paint version.

  7. A cult classic point and shoot

    With the camera set to 'A', based on the light hitting the meter it will choose the most appropriate aperture between f2.8 and f22. It will also choose either 1/40th or 1/200th for the shutter speed. If the amount of light isn't adequate for at very least 1/40th and f2.8 it will simply prevent the photo from being taken.

  8. Olympus Trip 35

    The Olympus Trip 35 is a fully-automatic 35mm compact camera, manufactured by Olympus from 1967 to 1984, during which time over ten million units were sold, though this oft-quoted figure is likely to have included later plastic-bodied Olympus cameras with Trip branding, as the original Trip 35 had serial numbers going up to around 5,400,000. The auto-exposure mechanism is effectively solar ...

  9. Olympus Trip 35: A World-Famous Classic · Lomography

    This article was written by Lomographer adam_g2000. Upload your shots to your LomoHome using the Olympus Trip 35. Ignite the legacy of a fascinating but forgotten scientist, Ibn al-Haytham, and become a master of light with this unique lens designed for spherical aberration control on full-frame mirrorless cameras.

  10. Olympus Trip 35 : The Most Classic and Trusty Camera

    written by phiphu on 2010-09-12 #gear #review #camera #old #olympus #olympus-trip-35 #user-review Opening the door to a new realm in photography and videography, the New Petzval 80.5 mm f/1.9 MKII Art Lens celebrates 180 years of portrait photography.

  11. Olympus Trip 35

    The Olympus Trip 35 is a 35mm compact camera, manufactured by Olympus. It was introduced in 1967 and discontinued, after a lengthy production run, in 1984. The Trip name is a reference to its intended market—people who wanted a compact, functional camera for holidays.

  12. Olympus Trip 35 35mm Zone-Focus Film Camera

    The Olympus Trip 35, a fully automatic viewfinder camera, is a point-and-shoot 35mm compact model manufactured by Olympus. It was introduced to the market in 1967 as a compact, functional camera for holidays, went on to become very popular among the masses, and sales ended in 1984 after a prolonged production run, with over ten million units ...

  13. Review: Olympus Trip 35

    The Olympus Trip 35 is a bit of a favourite of ours… Introduced in 1967, the Trip was sold in enormous numbers before being discontinued in 1984. and was named for its intended purpose - a compact camera for going on holidays. The popularity of the Trip 35 reached its peak during the 1970's when even David Bailey used one.

  14. Olympus Trip 35

    In today's episode, Jules, Paul and I review the Olympus Trip 35 - a beautiful, compact 35mm viewfinder camera with built-in selenium light meter, an excelle...

  15. Olympus Trip 35 review

    The Trip 35 was not particularly novel when it appeared - it was, cosmetically at least, very similar to another Olympus camera, the Pen EES. The Pen EES was a half-frame camera using 35mm film (and giving the photographer 48 images of a 24-frame roll of film, or 72 off a 36-frame roll), a diminutive snapshooter with a large selenium meter ...

  16. Olympus Trip 35

    Analog Insights writes: In today's episode, Jules, Paul and I review the Olympus Trip 35 - a beautiful, compact 35mm viewfinder camera with built-in selenium light meter, an excellent 40mm f/2.8 Zuiko lens and an automatic exposure mode. The camera was first introduced in 1967 and built until 1984. According to most online sources, about 10 ...

  17. Olympus Trip 35 Review

    Luckily, also here this camera simply does not disappoint. The 40mm F2.8 lens is razor sharp and has a ton of character. It seems slightly softer at F2.8 but shots are still plenty sharp and shots taken in bright sunlight where the camera selected a higher ISO the shots are really really sharp.

  18. Olympus Trip 35 Review

    When I took it out of the box, I was surprised how well built it was. The camera is beautifully made and has typical late 60's design quality about it: Sturdy and with a surprising heft to it without being too heavy. Without even using it, it was immediately clear why this camera sold so well for almost 20 years.

  19. Olympus Trip 35

    The people's camera, compact, easy to shoot, always ready, fun! Enter the Olympus Trip 35. The camera designed and sold for the masses to take with them on holidays and travel, thus the name Trip. So popular that it sold for 20 years and well into the millions, which can even be seen today on the second hand market.

  20. Olympus Trip 35 Review

    This little Olympus Trip 35 has limitations: There are only two shutter speeds: 1/40 sec and 1/200 sec. The camera sets them for you based on the amount of light, but if you turn the aperture dial off "A" to one of the f-stops, the shutter is 1/40. The light meter, being a selenium cell, does not have low-light capacity.

  21. Featured Camera: The Olympus Trip 35

    The Olympus Trip is really easy to use, and has some cool features that set it apart from other point and shoot 35mm film cameras. Zuiko coated 40mm f/2.8 lens: this lens is sharp, and the wide aperture makes it versatile in a lot of situations. Automatic settings: the Olympus Trip has two shutter speeds and aperture from f/2.8 to f/22.

  22. Olympus Trip 35 for sale

    Buy Olympus Trip 35 and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items. Buy Olympus Trip 35 and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! ... New listing OLYMPUS TRIP 35 - 35mm FILM CAMERA - OLYM[US ZUIKO 2.8 f40mm LENS. £25.00. 0 bids. £5.00 postage. Ending 6 Feb at 2:58PM GMT ...

  23. Should I Buy An Olympus Trip or Pen? 35mm Film Camera Comparis

    The Olympus Trip 35 was introduced in 1967, and discontinued in 1984, which is considered a long production run for a 35mm film camera. Over ten million Olympus Trip cameras were sold in this time. Many people wrongly call the Olympus Trip a rangefinder camera, however we would classify it more as a point and shoot with zone focusing.