Olympus Trip 35 vs PEN EE-2: Which One Is Right for You?
Both the Olympus Trip 35 and the PEN EE-2 are beloved classics from the same era, made by the same company, and powered by the same battery-free technology. But they were designed for different kinds of photographers — and choosing between them comes down to one fundamental question: how do you want your photos to look, and how do you want to carry your camera?
The Biggest Difference: Full Frame vs Half Frame
This is where the two cameras go in completely different directions.
The Trip 35 shoots in the standard 35mm full-frame format — the same rectangular, landscape-oriented frame that most film cameras use. When you hold the camera horizontally and press the shutter, you get a classic horizontal photo.
The PEN EE-2 is a half-frame camera. Each press of the shutter uses exactly half the area of a standard 35mm frame — which means the resulting image is portrait-oriented (vertical), even when you hold the camera in its natural position.
If you've never encountered half-frame before, it's worth pausing on this. In much of the world, half-frame cameras never became mainstream — they were a distinctly Japanese phenomenon, popular in the 1960s and 70s when film was expensive and doubling your shot count mattered. Outside Japan, most photographers stuck with the standard full-frame format.
But today, the vertical frame has taken on a completely different meaning. It's the natural format of the smartphone. If you've spent years shooting on your phone — and who hasn't — vertical photos feel completely intuitive. There's no awkwardness in rotating the camera or cropping after the fact. You pick up the PEN EE-2, point it at your subject, and the frame just makes sense.
What the Trip 35 Does Exceptionally Well
Focusing that's simple, not complicated
The Trip 35 requires you to set the focus — but don't let that put you off. Rather than turning a ring and squinting through a rangefinder, you choose from four simple zone symbols on the lens: a portrait head, two people, a group, and a mountain. That's it. Pick the symbol that matches your subject, and the lens is set. After a roll or two, it becomes completely instinctive.
A lens that genuinely delivers
The Trip 35 is fitted with a 40mm f/2.8 Zuiko lens — and Zuiko glass has a well-earned reputation. The images are sharp, with good contrast and a natural rendering that holds up even when you enlarge or crop your scans. For a compact, automatic film camera, the Trip 35 produces results that often surprise people.
Just the right size
The Trip 35 occupies a sweet spot that's hard to define but easy to feel. It's not a heavy SLR, and it's not a tiny pocketable snapshot camera. It sits comfortably in your hands, has enough weight to feel solid, and fits easily into a jacket pocket or a small bag. No complicated menus, no switches to puzzle over — just a camera that does what a camera should do, at full 35mm quality.
No battery required
Like the PEN EE-2, the Trip 35 runs entirely without batteries. A selenium photovoltaic cell surrounding the lens reads the available light and controls the aperture automatically. Nothing to charge, nothing to replace.
What the PEN EE-2 Does Exceptionally Well
Fixed focus: point and shoot, literally
The PEN EE-2 has a fixed-focus lens. There's no focusing ring, no distance scale, no decision to make before pressing the shutter.
Point. Shoot. Done.
It's designed to be sharp across a range of everyday distances, so you can grab it from your bag and fire without a second thought.
Small enough to go everywhere
The PEN EE-2 is genuinely compact — one of the most pocketable 35mm film cameras ever made. It fits comfortably in a small pouch, the front pocket of a daypack, or alongside your phone in a jacket. The lens barely protrudes from the body, which means it doesn't snag on things or add unnecessary bulk.
That low-profile lens also has a practical durability advantage: it's simply harder to scratch or knock. The Trip 35's larger lens extends further from the body and is more exposed to the inside of a bag. The PEN EE-2, by contrast, tucks away cleanly and stays well-protected in everyday carry.
A practical bonus: more shots per roll
Because the PEN EE-2 uses half the film area per exposure, a standard 36-exposure roll gives you 72 shots. That's not the reason to choose this camera, but it's a genuine benefit — especially on a long trip or a full day out. You can shoot freely without watching the frame counter.
Everything Else Is the Same
Both cameras use standard 35mm film — ISO 100, 200, or 400 — the most widely available film in the world. You'll find it at camera shops, online, and in many general retailers. Neither camera has a hard-to-find or discontinued film format to worry about.
And both run entirely without batteries. The selenium photovoltaic cell in each camera meters the light and controls the aperture automatically — no battery required, ever. At Contrail Camera Tokyo, we test and calibrate the selenium cell in every camera individually before it ships.
So Which One?
Choose the Trip 35 if: - You want classic horizontal (landscape) framing - You want sharp, full-frame 35mm images with a lens that performs - You're happy to spend two seconds setting a focus zone before you shoot - You want a camera that feels solid and substantial in your hands
Choose the PEN EE-2 if: - You want vertical framing that feels natural coming from a smartphone - You want something truly compact for everyday carry - You want the simplest possible shooting experience — no focusing, no fuss - A low-profile lens that stays protected in your bag matters to you
The Bottom Line
Both cameras are fully automatic, battery-free, and built to last. The Trip 35 gives you sharp full-frame images and a satisfying, hands-on feel. The PEN EE-2 fits in your pocket and never slows you down. Neither choice is wrong — it just depends on how you shoot.
All Contrail Camera Trip 35s and PEN EE-2s are sold with tested, calibrated selenium meters and a 1-year guarantee. If you're not sure which camera is right for you, feel free to get in touch — we're happy to help.