The Pen EE (Electric-Eye) was amongst the first of the 35mm half-frame cameras. Produced in Japan during the early 1960s - a time when SLR camera production was restricted in many ways - this camera is a beautiful piece.

The model I have is one of the later EEs, with the text ‘OLYMPUS PEN’ on the front (early models only had ‘OLYMPUS’). The later model EEs also featured a leather front with a checkered appearance.

Specs

Produced: May 1961-1966, later re-released and sold until Oct 1986
Lens: D.Zuiko 28mm F3.5
Focus control: Stationary type 3.2m (listed as 4m in manuals)
Film sensitivity corresponding range: ASA10 - 200
Shutter: Olympus mechanical cable type 1/60 seconds (latter term: 1/30 and 1/250 seconds)
Power source: Selenium photo cell
Dimensions:108×66×42mm
Weight: 350g
Original sale price: 9,200円

A scanned copy of a manual for the slightly later EE2 camera (US version) is available from Favorite Classics.

Elsewhere

• Olympus Pen Gallery (Japanese and English)
• Olympus Pen EE (Japanese)
• unofficial Yoshihisa Maitani (designer of Pen series) site (English)
• Scanned manuals for various Pen models are available from Michael Butkus Jr. A small donation is requested. Available are :
  
  Olympus Pen D2
  
  Olympus Pen EES-2
  
  Olympus Pen EF
  
  Olympus Pen FT

The Minetta is a ‘HIT type’ subminiature camera, made in Japan around 1960. As with its cousins (the Minetta Camera and the Minetta Foreign), it takes 17.5mm film.

According to the Mike Parker’s excellent book ‘The Hit Project’, the Minettas are all classified as QP-style cameras. If anyone has a QP camera for sale, I’d love to add it to the collection.

Other than that, not a lot is known about them. If you can shed some light on any aspect of this wonderful camera, let me know. In the meantime, here are a few relevant resources that may be of interest :

• Sub Club : a photographic club for the use and collection of subminiature cameras
• Submin : this is a great collection of these ‘HIT type’ subminiature cameras

This is a Shalco HIT-type camera, with case, original box and instructions. Very nice.

Finally, a HIT. Good condition, with box and a roll of film. Love it.