Olympus 35 LE
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| Olympus 35 LE image by Davidolympus (Image rights) |
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| 2nd variant image by Guy Kokken (Image rights) |
The Olympus 35 LE rangefinder camera was launched in 1965, originally with a badge reading "6 transistors," referring to its meter circuit. It is an autoexposure-only model, using a then-popular Seiko design where a single set of blades act as both shutter and aperture in predetermined programmed pairs. However it exceeds many peers of its day by offering a fast f/1.7 42mm lens and a good range of shutter speeds from 1/15 sec. to 1/500.
An innovation of this model was a "flashmatic" mode coupling the aperture to the distance at which the rangefinder is focused. For this mode an appropriate flash guide number must be selected on the lens's "GN" scale. The top of the camera includes a hot shoe.
Links
- 35 LE on Olympus Global History (archived).
- The meter electronics circuit board visible on a partially disassembled 35 LE, from zaphad1 on Flickr
- Advertisement for the 35 LE in the June, 1966, Popular Photography (Vol. 58, No. 6; page 66).
