Half-Frames

The analog photography half-frame format is synonymous with the Olympus Pen-EE series 35mm half-frame film cameras, introduced in 1959, and the Olympus Pen FT, the only 35mm half-frame 35mm SLR film camera system ever built, launched in 1966.

Half-frame cameras, also called single-frame or split-frame cameras, uses standard 35mm film but expose only half the usual frame size (18x24mm instead of 24x36mm) of each film frame, doubling the exposures per roll of a 36 exposure film roll to around 72, o4 24 from a 12 exposure film roll.

Images are in a vertical 3:4 image aspect ratio, referred to as the 'half-frame' or 'portrait' format.

Initial criticisms of the system are directed towards the smaller negative size, which results in reduced detailing and increased grain when images are enlarged.

The format, however, gained popularity for its economy and compact designs, especially in Japan, where development was spearheaded by the popular Olympus Pen half-frame viewfinder and SLR film camera series, first introduced in the 1960s.

The 18x24mm film frame size has since been adapted to almost a similar size of 25.1x16.7mm (3:2 ratio) for C (Classic) setting on APS (Advanced Photo System) film, and the primarily 24mmx16mm sensor size for APS-C digital SLR and mirrorless cameras.

Pages

• The Half-Frame Format, 3:4 Image Aspect Ratio - The comeback of the 3:4 aspect half-frame format, the frame heavily utilized in Canva graphics, mobile photography, and social media platforms as the image aspect to go by for sharing and publishing images on the Net.

Posts

• Olympus Pen FT, A Night Take - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen FT half-frame 35mm film SLR, from the only half-frame SLR camera system ever made, a night-out take.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, When It All Started - Film photography favorites, image making with a vintage analog Olympus Pen EE-S, a vintage 35mm half-frame film camera featuring a sharp D. Zuiko 30mm f/2.8 lens, a look back to when it all started.
• Canon Autoboy Tele 6, In Half-Frame Mode - Film photography favorites, image making with a vintage analog Canon Autoboy Tele 6, a 35mm compact autofocus film camera with a dual-focal-length lens system, half and full frame image capture modes.
• Olympus Pen EF, Images on Expired Film - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage Olympus Pen EF, a compact half-frame film camera with a built-in flash, and a selenium light meter, black-and-whites on a roll of expired film.
• Olympus Pen FT, Nighthawk - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage legacy F.Zuiko PenF 38mm f/1.8, on the Olympus Pen FT film SLR, a half-frame 35mm SLR fil camera, on a night out.
• Olympus Pen EF, Vantage Points - Film photography favorites, image making with an Olympus Pen EF, and an eye for the best vantage points in 3:4 image frames.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, Reminiscing - Film photography favorites, image making with an Olympus Pen EE-S, the hues, light, and color of the evening on expired film.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, Catching The Light - Film photography favorites, image making with an Olympus Pen EE-S, catching lights on a roll of expired film.
• Olympus Pen EF, The Landscape - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen EF 35mm half-frame film camera, looking at the portrait format, or the 3:4 image aspect ratio.
• Olympus Pen FT, In the Garden - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen FT, the only 35mm half-frame SLR film system ever built, catching the essence of the garden.
• Olympus Pen EF, Image Aspect Ratio - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen EF 35mm half-frame film camera, looking at the portrait format, or the 3:4 image aspect ratio.
• Olympus Pen EF, The Portrait Format - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen EF 35mm half-frame film camera, looking at the portrait format, or the 3:4 image aspect ratio.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, Moments - Film photography favorites, images with a vintahe analog Olympus Pen EE-S 35mm half-frame film camera, moments and memories from a place often frequented.
• Olympus Pen EF, Curated Colors - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen EF 35mm half-frame film camera, curated colors from a roll of expired film.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, Surreal Colors - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen EE-S 35mm Half-frame fil camera, surreal colors from a roll of expired film.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, Down the LRT Line, II - Film photography favorites, a nostalgic ride down the LRT line with a vintage analog Olympus PEN EE-S 35mm half-frame film camera, and a roll of expired film, Part II.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, Sorting The Images - Film photography favorites, images with a vintage analog Olympus Pen EE-S 35mm Half-frame film camera, sorting the images from a roll of expired film.
• Olympus Pen EE-S, Down the LRT Line, I - Film photography favorites, a nostalgic ride down the LRT line with a vintage analog Olympus PEN EE-S 35mm half-frame film camera, and a roll of expired film, Part I.

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