First Photos From My Olympus Trip 3

(A gaggle of Trips? - I've now got five, but two don't work!)

I can remember loading the first roll of film into my Olympus Trip 35 a few weeks ago. It was a little fiddly, but the leader seemed to catch ok, and as I used the Trip's thumb-wheel to wind the film on, the little indicator moved towards "1".

The problem is that with old, second-hand cameras you never know that they're working until you get that first roll back. Did the film leader really take properly? Did the light-meter expose the frames properly? Did I use the focus ring correctly? Have all the light-seals failed and I'll be left with a blank film?

The answer to all of the above for my Olympus Trip 35, (serial no. 2987296) is in the photo's you see here. They're a selection from that first roll (Fujifilm Fujicolor C200, processed by Jessops), and as you know, I don't normally share many family shots, but I thought that these nicely summed up what the Trip is all about - fun, always ready, and simple to use.

If you haven't already, check out my Olympus Trip 35 Video for an overview of this great little 35mm Film Compact. The Trip 35 has two main features - a sharp f/2.8 40mm Zuiko Lens, and an automatic-exposure system that requires no battery. It's a joy to use, just point, focus, and shoot, with the camera taking care of everything else.

Looking at these shots you can see that the Trip 35 excels on sunny days where the aperture can tighten up and extend the depth of field, but as long as you're fairly close with your estimate of the distance, you can take photographs in lower light, as you can see by the image of Ols in the shed.

I'm not always that impressed by the colour rendering of film precessed in high-street labs - the blue skies and green grass always seem suspiciously similair, but they are fast and relatively cheap. I may well try one of the higher-rated UK mail-order labs with my next roll of film.

I've talked on the Podcast about which camera I'd use if I had to choose only one for the rest of my life - and the Olympus Trip 35 would probably be the one. Great image quality, ultra reliable, small and perfectly formed. I love the Trip!

Cheers, Rob.

Please Share Your Opinions!

Do you shoot film, compacts, or even an Trip 35? What are your hints and tips for getting good photographs from fixed focal length lenses? Please add your thoughts below.