Olympus's iconic automatic compact — the Trip 35 with selenium meter and zone focus, a 1960s classic.
The Olympus Trip 35 was produced from 1967 to 1984 as a fully automatic 35mm compact, featuring a fixed D.Zuiko 40mm f/2.8 lens and selenium cell auto-exposure — no battery required. Four elements in 3 groups. 43.5mm filter thread. At 410g. Zone focus with four zones (1m, 1.5m, 3m, infinity). Shutter speeds: 1/40 and 1/200 only.
35mm film format. Fixed Olympus D.Zuiko 40mm f/2.8 lens. 4 elements in 3 groups. 43.5mm filter thread. 410g. Zone focus: four preset distances (1m / 1.5m / 3m / ∞). Selenium auto-exposure — no battery required; the selenium cell generates the exposure measurement without a cell. Two shutter speeds only: 1/40s and 1/200s. ISO 25-400.
The Trip 35's selenium auto-exposure system is both its defining feature and its primary limitation: with no battery, the camera continues to work as the selenium cell ages, but an aged or failed cell renders the auto-exposure unreliable and the shutter locks in bright light (the Trip 35 locks when the selenium cell detects insufficient light for the two fixed speeds). The zone focus system is fast but imprecise — a practical compromise for snapshot photography.
On the used market the Olympus Trip 35 is affordable as an iconic vintage film compact. Condition checks: selenium cell function (test auto-exposure accuracy; a red flag in the viewfinder at f/22 minimum indicates the cell is working), shutter operation (should fire at 1/40 and 1/200), lens element for fungus or marks. No battery needed. Fixed 40mm f/2.8 lens. Zone focus only.