Olympus's budget fixed-focus 35mm Trip compact — 35mm f/4.5 lens, 1/125s shutter, motor wind, single-AA power
The Olympus Trip MD2 was one of the cheap fixed-focus 35mm compacts Olympus sold under the Trip badge in the 1990s, trading on the name of the classic Trip 35. It sat in the Trip MD family of motor-drive snapshot cameras alongside the Trip MD and MD3, and was manufactured in Taiwan rather than Japan. It is a distinct model from the earlier Trip MD, adding a landscape button not found on that camera.
The lens is a fixed-focus 35mm f/4.5 behind a sliding cover, paired with a fixed 1/125s shutter. There is no autofocus or exposure automation to speak of; film speed is set manually via a front switch with ISO 100, 200, 400 and 1000 positions. A distance button on the bottom, marked with a mountains icon, stops the lens down for landscape shots. Motorised wind and rewind and an integral automatic flash complete the package, powered by a single AA alkaline or lithium cell.
This is snapshot photography at its most basic: point, press and let the fixed settings do the rest. It suits beginners and lo-fi film shooters who want the soft, flash-lit look of 1990s consumer compacts, and its single-AA power keeps running costs low. Anyone wanting focus or exposure control should look elsewhere in the Trip range.
The MD2 needs a working battery to wind film and fire the flash, so test the motor wind and flash charge before buying. Check the sliding lens cover moves freely, the film door closes tightly and the ISO switch clicks between positions. Many surface as untested attic finds, so film-tested examples are worth the premium.