Olympus Wide S
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Whenever I go to the Ohio Camera Swap in Cincinnati my first stop is to check out one particular dealer's "bargain boxes" . Here there are various cameras of low value that may not function properly, but I always seem to find one that I know I want to add to my collection.
On one particular trip I saw this Olympus rangefinder in the $15 box. I've never owned an Olympus rangefinder before and this one seemed to be in good shape so I added it to my bag. It was only when I went home to look it up that I discovered how rare the Olympus Wide S is in the United States. They rarely come up for sale one Ebay and when they do they usually bring in $150+.
Produced in 1957 and 1958, the Wide S's claim to fame is it's fast wide angle lens. Most fixed lens cameras came with a focal length between 40-55mm, while the Olympus came with a 35mm lens (and a maximum aperture of f/2.0!). Since 35mm has long been my favorite focal length I was excited to put a roll of film through it.
I took the camera out to Sugarcreek one sub-freezing day this winter. When it's this cold I never see many people out, yet the trails are full of footprints.
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The lens of course is very sharp if properly focused. Here is the obligatory shot of wood taken at the camera's closest focusing point. Rangefinders aren't exactly know as close-up cameras due to the inherent parallax issues but I'm pleased with the results.
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My choices in trails was rather poor that day. This stretch of trail was covered in solid ice. By the time I realized how hard my walk was going to be I was to far to turn back so I slowly made my way down the trail till it reached an ice-free area. I still think it's a miracle I didn't break a bone/
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One drawback of the Wide-S is that it only has a 5 bladed aperture. While this is typical for many cameras at this price-point I still find the resulting hexagonal flare annoying.
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Sugarcreek Park, Winter 2014
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