Olympus Flex A 2.8

The Olympus Flex A 2.8 is a camera from Olympus. It is part of the Olympus Flex family and was part of the budget series. The original price was 23,00 yen in the 1950s.

It is very similar to the Olympus Flex A 3.5. However, it comes with a self-timer. In addition, the value of the largest aperture is higher. It also has a different attachment for a filter and the maximum shutter speed is only 1/400s and not 1/500s.

Its lens, named Zuiko 75 mm f/2.8, has a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a focal length of 75 mm. It is composed of four lens elements. Focusing is purely manual. There is no autofocus or zoom on this model.

With this medium format camera, the exposure must be measured externally. The values can then be set individually. You can choose between different shutter speeds, from 1/400 second to 1 second, and aperture values from f/2.8 to f/22.

A special feature is the Bulb mode, in which the shutter remains open until the shutter release button is released. This is great for long exposures. It is also equipped with a tripod and cable release interface, has a self-timer and offers the possibility to connect a flash. Batteries? No way! This camera is completely mechanical.

Film stock for the Olympus Flex A 2.8

The camera uses medium format film. Various manufacturers offer films for this, such as the Kodak Portra 400* for colour photos or the Ilford XP2 Super* for black and white images. However, there are other options from brands such as Foma, Rollei, Fujifilm and Lomography. The camera exposes film in 6×6 format, with one roll of film allowing twelve exposures. These films can be developed in most photo labs.