Olympus Trip AF50 35mm Film Camera, Autofocus, 28mm lens, Champagne, Case, Strap

Description

The original Olympus Trip, introduced in 1967, proved to be one of the most popular cameras of all time with more than ten million produced during a production run that lasted all the way to 1984, and it remains widely regarded today among collectors who want it as an ornament and photographers who want to use it. Though affordable it offered a far wider range of features than the basic compact cameras offered by the likes of Kodak during the same period including flash sync, 4-zone focus, f/2.8-22 aperture and even a limited programmable mode. All this was - remarkably - powered by the same selenium cell as the light meter; the idea being that the camera would go on working anywhere in the world even if the owner was unable to buy batteries - hence the name, Trip.

The Trip AF50 appeared in 2002, making it one of the very last of the genuinely good 35mm consumer level compacts, and was an attempt by Olympus to recapture some of the original Trip glory. It might not have quite the same charm, mostly due to construction involving a lot more plastic than the first Trip, but that's not to say it's not a pleasing little camera - it even looks pretty good, to the point where it's one of only a handful of cameras that manages to pull off this pale gold champagne colour which was popular during its era.

Of course, even casual users had come to expect a few more features than the original Trip could give them during the 35 years that separate it from the AF50, so the new model got autofocus and a built-in flash plus motorised film transport and DX film coding capability allowing it to recognise and adjust settings for ISO 100, 200 and 400 film (which is actually the same range the original Trip was designed around). That made the light meter unnecessary, and was all too much for a selenium cell to power so the new version needed batteries - but there can't be many places left in the world where you can't buy a two-pack of AAs within an hour, and it's remarkably efficient with a decent set of fresh batteries lasting for about 15 to 20 36-exposure rolls.

Late model 35mm Olympus compacts have retained the value far better than almost any of the other big manufacturers, with some mint examples online for sale at comfortably over £100), and that's largely because while rivals were trying to reduce manufacturing costs so they could undercut one another, Olympus very wisely never cut quality when it came to lenses (this did, unfortunately, mean that the likes of Nikon and Canon easily outsold them; Olympus found itself in financial difficulty as a result...but who's laughing now, when a basic Nikon or Canon compact from the same era is worth about a quid, eh?). In the case of the AF50, they opted for a fixed 28mm, reasoning that the majority of casual users probably just walked a bit closer of further away from their subject instead of using the zoom, but made sure the glass was decent. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of info available on elements, groupings and whether or not there's anything aspherical in there (though it does have some sort of coating to reduce glare), but whatever it is the designer seems to have been going for results that would be reminiscent of the original Trip - a camera known for photos that had a certain "look" all of its own, and which is definitely seen in the AF50's output too.

This one has been used and there are a few very minor scuffs to the body as a result, the worst being the light scratch next to the Olympus logo on the front and another just below the lens. However, these are very minor and do not affect use; overall condition is very good and the things that really matter - optics, shutter, flash, DX, autofocus and film transport - are all in full working order with no apparent faults. The film compartment door and seals are excellent too, with no signs of light leakage at all.

The camera is supplied with the original wrist strap and (slightly worn) case as seen in the photos.

Due to the nature of this item it is not always possible for us to identify any missing parts.
For this reason we ask that you please check the pictures carefully, as these show everything that is included.

Further Details & Enquiries

This item has been very kindly donated to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Our ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. Our aim is to provide the highest quality care, helping them to make every moment count.

100% of the money raised from this sale will go to the charity.

Our sales team do their best to check each item and ensure that the description and pictures provided are as accurate as possible.

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Change of Mind

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Incorrect/Damaged Goods

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