Olympus PEN Zuiko lenses for Fuji: Part 1 – Introduction

The Olympus PEN system always was something of an underdog, an exquisite outsider to the world of SLR cameras. Hyper elegantly styled, and also very elegantly engineered, this system was launched in 1964, and already discontinued in 1971 – to make way for the more famous OM system.

This is part 1 of a series of 3 blog posts about Olympus PEN Zuiko lenses for Fuji:

• Part 1 – The Introduction
• Part 2 – The 38/1.8
• Part 3 – The 100/3.5

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Introduction

The Olympus PEN system is the only top-notch, top-quality camera system that was ever produced for half format images. This means that one roll of the ubiquitous 35mm films will not yield 36, but 72 images. Thus, the size of each individual negative is down from 36x24mm to only 18x24mm – that’s why it’s called half format. In fact, it’s the analogue version of APS-C digital camera systems who have almost the same image size – 16x24mm. The 2mm difference in height mean that the old PEN yielded a 3:4 image ratio, whereas APS-C produces 2:3 pictures.

As the image size of the PEN negatives is so close to the APS-C sensor, it makes perfect sense to adapt these lenses to any APS-C mirrorless digital camera. Note that they won’t work on DSLR camera bodies due to the flange distance being too high on all of today’s DSLR systems.

Olympus PEN FT with 38/1.8 and 100/3.5

Why would you want to use classic PEN Zuiko lenses?

We have 2017 now and this means a lot has been written and said about using legacy lenses on digital cameras in the last maybe 15 years already. Prices have been driving up for some time, as supply of some classic lenses is limited, and some are more appreciated for various reasons than others. Olympus PEN lenses have been late to the game as they belong to the variety that only can be used on mirrorless system cameras – even though the original Olympus PEN F and PEN FT were, in fact, real DSLR bodies, albeit with a really ingenious, very slim mirror system.

But still, Sony and Fuji introduced their APS-C mirrorless systems in 2011 and 2012, which already is five years ago. So some photographers already had plenty of time to discover the unique quality of the Olympus PEN lenses:

1. They are the only serious, high-quality lenses tailor-made for the APS-C 16x24mm image circle.
2. Thus, they come in focal lenghts that are interesting for those who use any current APS-C camera system. For example, the standard focal length was a 38mm lens – not a 50mm like with typical 35mm camera systems.
3. Due to covering a smaller image circle, the lenses itself also were made considerably smaller and more light-weight than comparable 35mm lenses of the day.
4. As the flange distance of these lenses is so short, the adapters for Fuji or Sony mirrorless cameras also are much thinner than for other DSLR lenses.
5. They presumably were designed with very tight physical tolerances, as the miniaturization of a camera system always demands very high precision.
6. They were made by Olympus, one of the leading optical companies of the day. Thus they not deliver a classic look in the images, but also are capable of seriously sharp and contrasty results, even today.
7. Some of them still can be found at very reasonable prices.

Waterfront restaurant. (PEN Zuiko 38/1.8 on Fuji X-E1 at f/5.6)

The PEN Zuiko lineup

These are all lenses that were produced for this camera system:

1. Wide-angle:
   20/3.5
   25/4
   25/2.8
2. Standard:
   38/2.8
   38/1.8
   40/1.4
   42/1.2
3. Macro and short telephoto:
   38/3.5 (macro lens)
   60/1.5
   70/2
   100/3.5
   150/4
4. Long telephoto:
   250/5
   400/6.3
   800/8 (mirror lens)
5. Zoom:
   50-90/3.5
   100-200/5

Due to the fact that it was made in the 1960s, there were not many zoom lenses, and the choice of wide-angle lenses was also limited.

The crop factor of this system with the original 18x24mm images is about 1.4x – if you use it on a current APS-C body with 16x24mm image size, then it’s exactly 1.5x.

The Orthodox church in Bad Ems, Germany. (PEN Zuiko 100/3.5 at f/3.5.)

The cheap & easy entry into the Olympus PEN system

I bought a classic Olympus PEN FT camera some years ago as I was so attracted by the design and the small size, and wanted to give it a try with today’s ultra-high-resolution black&white films such as the Adox CMS 20.

When you buy any old Olympus PEN F or PEN FT camera, it most likely will come with a PEN Zuiko 38/1.8 lens. It was the standard lens of the system. Lenses on their own can be found for around 100 Euros if you shop around a bit. So the 38/1.8 is the definite number one choice to get you started into this system.

The faster 40/1.4 can also be sourced for reasonable prices, but then it’ll be maybe only another 100 Euros to get you a Fujinon 35/1.4. The really desirable PEN Zuiko lenses like the 60/1.5 and 42/1.2 can be actually quite pricey. Again, we have 2017 today, so from a price to performance perspective, I’ll always advice you to also have a look at more modern alternatives such as the Samyang 35/1.2 or 50/1.2, if you are a photographer and have no real interest in collecting classic camera stuff.

Apart from the 38/1.8 and 100/3.5, the third PEN Zuiko bargain lens to be found today is the 150/4. In classic 35mm terms you‘d then have (more or less exactly calculated …) a standard 50, a 135 and a 200 lineup.

If you own a matching old Olympus PEN F or PEN FT, you should also have a look at one of their three wide angles: 20/3.5, 25/2.8 or the tiny 25/4. I recently saw a nice 20/3.5 for sale at a dealer in Cologne for 197 Euros. 25/4s can be found for less than that, 25/2.8s are usually a bit more expensive. However, for today’s mirrorless camera systems there are other more interesting options in that focal length range today, especially regarding the maximum aperture …

Fuji 23/2, Olympus 38/1.8, Fuji 50/2, Olympus 100/3.5. (The 38/1.8 sits on the Fuji X adapter.)

But back to the PEN Zuikos: When I wanted to get a second lens, I actually went for the (currently) cheapest one – and also checked the Fuji X lens lineup before making a choice. As of 2017, there’s an abundance of nice Fujinon lenses available. If you want, let’s say, the digital equivalent of an analogue 135mm telephoto, go and get the Fujinon 90/2 WR. A tremendous lens I am sure. But it’s pricey and also quite heavy – no complaints there as the massive f/2 aperture and the high quality of Fuji’s lens designs take their toll there. Still, the PEN Zuiko 100/3.5 seemed interesting to me. Hyper small for it’s focal length and also dirt cheap for what it is. I found my copy online for 70 Euros – including shipping.

I figured the 38 and 100 would complement my Fujinon 23 and 50 very well. (I am still very sure I’ll get a Fujinon 35/1.4 in the not-too-far-future. But hey.)

More information

Christopher J. Osborne wrote a comprehensive article about the Olympus PEN system and all it’s lenses, also showing some pictorial results on Fuji digital bodies. Read it here – highly recommended!

We also have a list of all lenses on Wikipedia here, as well as the comprehensive Olypedia (in German language only, but with many pictures) here.

Last not least, Frank Mechelhoff’s fabulous photographica website lists all PEN Zuiko lenses, complete with drawings of their lens design, here.

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This is part 1 of a series of 3 blog posts about Olympus PEN Zuiko lenses for Fuji:

• Part 1 – The Introduction
• Part 2 – The 38/1.8
• Part 3 – The 100/3.5

Cheers,
Thomas