olympus trip 35 vs yashica electro 35

Yashica Electro 35 GT Camera Review

An affordable 35mm film rangefinder with a fantastic lens and easy controls.

Yashica Electro 35 GT in beautiful black finish.

Yashica Electro 35 is a family of once-popular 35mm film rangefinder cameras with great controls and a sharp lens. The brand took the photography world by storm in 1966 with its first-generation model that had a signature “atom” logo and capable, easy-to-use optics.

Not long after, Electro 35 was released as Pro, G, GT, GS, GTN, and then GSN with various minor upgrades. The most notable changes were gold-plated wiring in all models with “G” in their name (to prevent oxidation) and the all-black models that look hella slick. Other changes, starting with the GT series, were assembly location (from Japan to Hong Kong) and acceptable film ISO speeds (up to 400 for the original and the Pro, up to 500 with G and up to 1000 for GT-onwards). GTN and GSN cameras also came with a hot shoe for your flash .

I’ve used my Electro 35s extensively for years, having tried G, GT, and GSN versions. There isn’t much difference between those versions in terms of image quality or operation. The only difference is the acceptable film speed which limited choices slightly on the earlier models. Besides that, they are the same camera; thus, this review covers all of those versions.

✪ Note: GL, CC, and CCN Electro 35s are different cameras built with distinct optics, chassis, and electronics.

In this long-term review of the Electro 35 series, I will cover the camera’s fantastic lens , exposure metering , ergonomics , and common issues/repairs . I will also advise you on finding a good, working camera for a reasonable price .

These Yashicas were built for outdated mercury batteries that are no longer in production; I will share a few tips on using these cameras with the easy-to-find LR44 + CR2 cells.

Yashica Electro 35 GT’s top plate and lens barrel controls.

Electro 35 controls and ergonomics.

All Electro 35s come with a quiet and versatile leaf shutter that could take exposures anywhere between 30 and 1/500 seconds.

Weighing nearly 700g , these cameras aren’t exactly pocketable. But with that heft come practical features like a large viewfinder , fast lens , easy controls , and comfortable subdued light operation.

Electro 35s were built before DX coding was a thing, and thus, after loading your camera with film you’ll need to set its ISO so that the camera knows how to expose your scenes properly. Thankfully, this is a fun and easy task of rotating the retro-futuristic dial on the top plate to match your film’s ISO number; Yashicas call it ASA — which is the same thing.

Winding the film on Electro 35s is loads of fun , too; as you advance to the next frame, the winder makes a ticking sound reminiscent of mechanical watches. The frame counter is in a tiny window next to the winding lever; it even lights up when you press and hold the “battery check” button — which is very helpful in subdued light.

The shutter button has a fairly long travel distance and a medium-strength spring. It’s easy to get used to and, combined with the ultra-quiet leaf shutter, you’ll be able to take shake-free photos in most light conditions. The ring around the button can be rotated to lock it for preventing accidental exposures.

You’ll also find a pretty red tab on the lens that could be pulled down to set a 10s self-timer . Helpful for selfies and shake-free photos on a tripod if you don’t have a cable release (that this camera also accepts).

There’s also a bulb mode for those ultra-long exposures.

The viewfinder on Electro 35 is very comfortable , particularly for a camera of this age. It has bright lines with parallax correction.

Being a rangefinder, this camera has a manual-only focus. But Electro 35 is a beginner-friendly camera, and thus you should be able to grasp the focus patch concept fairly quickly with your copy.

I wanted to have just the silhouettes in this image. To do so, I’ve compensated my exposure by -2 stops via the ASA dial on Electro 35’s top plate.

Electro 35s feature an “Electric Eye” coupled light meter that operates the camera in aperture priority mode. This means that you are responsible for choosing an appropriate lens aperture before taking each shot while the camera adjusts its shutter speed to ensure that your exposure is correct.

Yashica makes the task of selecting a correct aperture easy: note the “over” and “slow” lights in the viewfinder and on the top plate. As you adjust your aperture for the shot, the lights will guide you to an appropriate setting where the “slow” indication will have you rotate the aperture ring to the left (when you have your lens pointing towards your subject) and “over” will have you do the opposite. There are even helpful colour-coded arrows so that you don’t have to memorize anything.

Exposure compensation with Electro 35s.

The light meter on Electro 35s is very good. It works in virtually all lighting conditions and is famously accurate. However, there are some situations when it can’t give you the exposure you want.

If you are taking a photo of a backlit subject or would like to change the default exposure on your Yashica, there is a “hack” for you to do that: change the film ISO.

For example, if you’d like to increase the exposure by +1 stop while shooting an ISO 100 film, you can change your film’s ASA setting on the camera to 50. Or, if you want to compensate your exposure by -1 stop, change your ASA to 200. The large and accessible dial on the top plate makes this task quick and easy.

Yashica Electro 35 GT and its Yashinon DX f/1.7 lens.

Yashinon lens and image quality.

Yashica’s Yashinon lens that comes fixed to all Eletro 35 cameras is quite sharp, has lovely image properties, and has a minimum focus distance of .8m or 2.6” .

Yahinon renders medium-strong contrast with minimal chromatic aberrations. It does flare (but not excessively), a distortion you can further reduce by getting a lens hood with your camera.

The 45mm focal length is in the “normal” territory, which means that this lens will have a similar angle of view as the human eye. Good for portraits and general photography. This configuration, along with the corrections, ensures minimal or absent barrel distortion.

Electro 35s can give you lovely bokeh at larger apertures, particularly if you focus on something up-close. There isn’t much swirl in the out-of-focus areas; in fact, this lens seems to render those kinds of images like a modern camera.

Yashinons produce no noticeable vignetting.

The lens barrel build quality is very good. I found it to be even better put-together than the camera’s body — which is already above average. It has a 90° focus throw, making quick adjustment a breeze.

However, I didn’t particularly enjoy the plastic tabs mounted on the focus ring as they aren’t in a very intuitive location for the fingers.

The barrel also features a DOF calculator and an aperture control ring with clicks — all good, standard things.

If you use filters , this lens has a 55mm thread.

Finally, a ring to switch between the bulb and auto modes is at the very front of the lens. The flash sync is the other option — you should also know that this camera can work with flash at all shutter speeds.

Lens flare galore and 𝒇5.6 bokeh balls. Yashica Electro 35 with Agfa Vista 200.

Close-up and “zoom” lens filters.

There are close-up and focal length extension filters available for Electro 35 cameras. Meant to let you get closer focus or a tighter framing on far-away objects, these accessories aren’t that great in practice. Cumbersome and not impressive optically. But they’re out there, so if you need to take those kinds of shots on film and your Yashica is the only means, they may do the job.

Batteries for Electro 35.

Electro 35s can work without a battery; however, the shutter will always fire at 1/500th of a second. You must also use an external light meter or a Sunny 16 rule to set the aperture.

For proper operation, these cameras need a 5.6-volt mercury battery — which is no longer in production. Instead, you can find an adapter on eBay to use with modern batteries.

Or, get two LR-44 batteries and a 3-volt CR2 . Then stack them, tape them and place them in the battery compartment as if it was one. Make sure that you align them properly and add tin foil if needed as a spacer.

Electro 35 common issues and repairs.

My first Electro came from a Thai flea market. It seemed fine at first glance; however, once I took it home, the grime that penetrated it through every crevice became evident. Whatever lived inside it has left a trace that took days to get rid of and a mountain of cotton swabs.

Getting rid of the fungus is a fairly straightforward job of taking the lens apart, washing the elements with soapy water and cleaning them with an alcohol solution. This nasty stuff grows inside the optics of cameras stored in damp basements, but it hates the sun, so if you use yours often enough, new strains shouldn’t grow.

The trouble is that getting to the rear element is exceptionally difficult. I would suggest only using a proper lens spanner tool, patience and, possibly, a Liquid Wrench solution to help you open up old lenses, which may feel as if they are welded in after all those years.

The pink arrow is pointing at a replaced “pad of death.”

All but one of my Electros suffered from the “pad of death” problem, which is very common on the G-series. You can diagnose it by listening to the winding noises of the camera. There should be a click at some point there — if it sounds sharp and the camera doesn’t open its shutter blades when triggered — you’ve got a problem.

Some consider it an end-of-the-line issue, which is far from the truth. You could fix it yourself if you got a lens spanner (you’ll need it to remove the film winder and ISO dial), a micro-screwdriver set, a double-sided foam tape , and duct tape.

The foam tape can be moulded to create a new pad (by leaving one side of the foam tape sticky and covering the other with a couple of layers of duct tape). Having done that, carefully manoeuvre it into its place with tweezers. This procedure is demonstrated in this video tutorial .

How and where to find a good Electro 35 that works.

If you’re shopping online, product photos can reveal many issues with the camera. For example, fungus-infested and cloudy lenses are usually a no-go unless you’re willing to do some cleaning yourself. But scratches on the front element shouldn’t have much of an effect on your images.

Check that your camera looks clean — outside and inside (ensure that you see photos with the film door open).

You will also need to ask your seller two questions: 1) does the rangefinder show reasonable contrast? 2) does this camera suffer from the “pad of death” issue (see above)? Both of these questions may be answered with a listing or a seller promising that the camera is fully functional (but check their rating/reputation).

While Electro 35s can be bought virtually at any vintage camera store (they are that common), most good copies are still being sold from Japan on eBay . Even in 2022, when shooting film is getting more expensive, those cameras shouldn’t set you back more than $100 or $200 for an all-black version, as seen in this article. Of course, those costs will depend on the camera’s condition and whether it’s film-tested.

One last thing: don’t forget to get a battery adapter !

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Yahica Electro 35 camera purchase using this link so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!

About this article :

It can take five hours of work (or more) to write and proof a quality five-minute read with high-res illustrations. Below are the people who made this one possible. All content is reviewed, styled, and edited by Dmitri .

Olympus Trip 35 Review – A cult classic point & shoot

8 May, 2013

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I’m certainly not the first and I suspect I won’t be the last to write a little something about the Olympus Trip 35. I have read this camera had sales figures of around 10,000,000. Olympus used the ‘trip’ moniker on a lot of cameras subsequent to the one in question here, so who knows how many trip 35’s were sold? What is clear is that the number is vast! You only need to go on eBay and see how many are for sale at any one time. Just search for ‘Olympus trip’ on google and you will find entire websites dedicated to the things. This camera is a popular little snapper and has been since it hit the market in the late 60’s.

It’s production ran from 1967 through to 1984! It’s popularity was helped along by David Bailey and by the fact that the very simple 40mm lens is exceptionally high quality. It was touted as a camera that could take professional quality images yet is small and very easy to use … No wonder they sold so many!

The name “Trip” comes from the the idea that it was intended as a camera for taking on holiday. I guess this translates to a camera for everyone. And that it really is! This camera is a true point and shoot that even the most inexperienced photographer could use with little chance of failure. This is due to the slightly limited but very simple design and operation. The camera is almost entirely automated for all situations apart from shooting with a flash. Load the camera with a film between 25 and 400iso, set it as such on the dial around the front of the lens and you can let the camera do pretty much the rest.

The selenium cell based light meter effectively powers the cameras operation. With the camera set to ‘A’, based on the light hitting the meter it will choose the most appropriate aperture between f2.8 and f22. It will also choose either 1/40th or 1/200th for the shutter speed. If the amount of light isn’t adequate for at very least 1/40th and f2.8 it will simply prevent the photo from being taken. It tells you this is happening by popping up a little red flag in the viewfinder. If this happens it is intended that the user attach a flash.

If taken off ‘A’ and an aperture selected manually the meter and the flag are disabled and the camera set to shoot at 1/40th. The assumption is that a flash would be attached and that an appropriate aperture for the subjects distance would be selected. Of course it also means that as long as you are happy shooting a 1/40th you can just choose your own aperture and shoot without the little flag stopping you. This does lead to the camera being used more creatively and outside of the way it was intended but more on that later!

Focusing is achieved by selection of one of four possible preset distances which are denoted by four familiar pictures. A head and shoulders for the closest focusing and a picture of mountains for infinity. The second furthest focusing distance (denoted by three little people) is highlighted in red. The same red as the ‘A’. This is no accident, in daylight set the camera to ‘A’ the the three little red people and you can shoot away with little worry of out of focus images.

This simplicity does make for a very enjoyable shooting experience, but with a little imagination the camera can be used (as previously mentioned) outside of the intended way.

The first little trick is quite an obvious one really. The camera can be tricked into over or under exposing by changing the film speed. Eg 200 ISO film in camera and up to 1ev of under exposure can be achieved by setting it to 400iso. You could of course also dial in up to 3ev of over exposure. An example of where this might be useful would be shooting a backlit subject eg a person stood in front of a window.

Another trick is for low light shooting. When set to ‘A’ low light shooting is somewhat limited. That pesky red flag rears its little head and a 400iso limit is a little low. As mentioned before though, the little red flag can be disabled, and if not using the lightmeter there is no need to worry about what ISO the camera is set to. So as long as you are happy at 1/40th you can put whatever ISO film in you like and manually select exposure with the aperture control. There are in fact many people who do this some of whom post in the Flickr group. It’s not something I have tried since resurrecting the camera… But I’m going to … And will post some shots when I get around to it!

So what’s all the fuss about? Surly there are more highly specified cameras that allow shooting in more circumstances without such limitations. Well yes, but it’s the simplicity that is the charm, combined with a superb lens and the fact that they so rarely go wrong it’s hard not to love this camera!

So that’s the Trip 35, a cult classic, incredibly simple to use, hardy, cheap as chips and packed with charm … Basically, buy one! Use it, love it!

Additional – I have done a ‘Through the viewfinder’ article on this camera which can be found here Through the Viewfinder – Olympus Trip 35

Some useful links: Help with dating your trip Instructions for repairing your trip 35 A possibly useful modification

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Trip 35 and some very cheap film and Connie. on Olympus Trip 35 Review – A cult classic point & shoot

Comment posted: 23/05/2013

Thanks for reading, keep shooting!

written by brandkow93 on 2012-05-24 #gear #black-and-white #review #street-photography #lomography #yashica-electro-35 #neopan-1600 #user-review

zorki , rbruce63 , taranjeet , edwinchau , bravopires , alex34 , niko_fuzzy , neanderthalis , aoba , stouf , tomkiddo , gvelasco , life_on_mars , adi_totp & chib3h .

@brandkow93 whats the pad of death?? ._. It's the first time I've heard of it... Great article by the way ^^

@brandkow93 Nice article. @chib3h "Pad of Death" affects some cameras that have parts in them that spring back into position when you advance the film or reset the shutter. To make them quieter and to help the small metal parts last longer, they install rubber bumpers or "pads" for the metal parts to bounce against. On some cameras, like the Yashica Electro 35s, the pads can wear out or simply disintegrate with age. Some cameras can keep working with worn out pads. They just get noisier. Some cameras, like the Electro 35, develop problems like not resetting properly. I don't know if this is the case for all the Electro 35s or just some like the first ones or maybe just the Chinese ones. In either case, it's very difficult, or impossible to fix.

i want to test this camera myself because there is one on my shelf. i didn't use it yet because of the batteries missing and the hard to find and expensive batteries that would fit instead of those original ones not produced anymore. your pic shows you obviously used a "normal" battery. it would be great if you would tell which one because i can't tell from the pic and how you fixed it. btw i have a 35FC but i think but i'm not sure the batteries are the same. thanks.

@bloomchen www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=yashica+battery+adaptor+&_… I have the transparent ones, and I'm happy with it. Nice review !

@chib3h pad of death is exactly what gvelasco said and it is preent on all of the yashica electros, i mainly messes with the metering which is vital with a camera like this and it can eventually stop the shutter from firing. @bloomchen it uses a A544/4lr44 battery and then you use the kit stouf linked to.

I have one of these and it is awesome. I got it in a bargain of a lifetime. $12 in a thrift store and it works great. i would pay ten times that amount now, knowing how good a camera it is.

shame it wasn't a bit more compact as it looks nice :)

It was my first camera, given to me by dad in 1979. After decades of use and good pictures, the camera went into disrepair. It couldn't be fixed in Costa Rica. I became an SLR user and didn't look back until last year that I found her and with the aid of Flickr and Lomo magazines I found CameraRefurb.com where I had it overhauled! It is now my secondary camera and I am shooting color and black and white. Ilford hp5. I have a couple of EIR rolls!

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Classic Manual Film Cameras

Advice on vintage compacts to consider + thoughts on Olympus Trip 35 and Pen EE

By will_dawson April 21, 2010 in Classic Manual Film Cameras

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I tried the Pens in decades past and though they were nice little cameras with sharp lenses, the half frame format really didn't have the "quality" level I wanted even for 8x10's (not if I did any cropping). I was unsatisfied with the result. Especially since cameras like Minox 35GTs and Contax T2's were available which used regular 35mm film at full frame and were smaller. And There were system cameras that were nearly as small too -- Leica's of course, and Olympus OM-1s and Minolta XD-11s that were little bigger and were also full frame.

The Pens were cool, but not worth the quality loss unless you really really love them regardless of the quality which is good for the negative size but can't compete with 35mm. Then there's the scanning problems and printing problems etc.

Not too long ago I picked up a Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 that I would consider 'vintage compact 35mm camera'. Payed $35 for it at a local pawn shop, so it should be in your price range. This is a fully manual SLR with f/1.8 normal lens. I was suprised by its light weight. If you dont mind a fully manual camera, this might meet your needs. Below is a link to a page that shows you a picture of it...

<a href=" http://www.photographyreview.com/mfr/yashica/35mm/PRD_85182_3105crx.aspx">http://www.photographyreview.com/mfr/yashica/35mm/PRD_85182_3105crx.aspx</a>

Matthew Currie

I would second the Olympus XA family, even if you also decide to pursue something a bit more classic looking and metallic, such as the wonderful Olympus 35 RC. XA's are good picture takers, pocketable and quiet. The clamshell design is tough and very convenient, they take modern silver-oxide batteries, and they're nearly silent in use. The flash is slow to recycle, but when you don't need it you can set it aside, and this makes for a very compact pocket camera that makes really good pictures. I rarely go anywhere without an XA or and XA2, even when I have a car full of other cameras. Just in case, you can whip out the XA2 and get another shot, and it often turns out to be the best of the batch.

A close competitor in the compact rangefinder class to the Olympus 35RC might be the Sears 35RF, which is a Ricoh 500G in a different jacket. Good lens, compact, auto or manual, with a nice meter readout and a bright rangefinder spot. Can be found pretty cheaply sometimes. Like the 35RC, it takes a mercury battery and may need a wee bit of compensation when used with modern batteries, but it's close enough to be manageable with a little film speed offset, and works well.

zane1664879013

Paul_wheatland.

Voigtländer VF101 rangefinder with 40mm f/2.8 Skopar and aperture-priority! Small, rugged, German -- you know the Germans make good stuff!

Or are you looking for fully manual camera without an AE mode or lightmeter?

patrick j dempsey

Rustys pics.

My favorites in this category have been any Rollei 35, be it Germany or Singapore origin but must be Tessar or Sonnar, preferably not Triotar.

</blockquote>

I have to agree with Paul, the Rollei 35 are beautifully made, very compact and produce crisp images, if you don't mind scale focusing. Paul may have forgotten the very good Schneider S-Xenar 40mm f/2.8 that was also available on these, though harder to find since they only were available for one year of the manufacture (1972-3). Some folks find the ergonomics on the Rollei a bit clumsy some don't. I thought the Petri Color 35, a similar type camera in size and function, was laid out nicer. YMMV

The Ricoh 500G or GX is a great choice with a real rangefinder, both auto and manual exposure and a good Rikenon 40mm f/2.8 lens. A bargain to boot. Be prepared to replace the foam seals in these.

If your willing to go up very slightly in size, the Canon 17 G-III QL, still compact, is hard to top on build quality, optical quality and excellent handling.

Mike Gammill

My picks: Compact all-auto- Konica C35. Has rangefinder and programmed automation. Sharp f2.8 lens. If zone focus is

enough the consider the C35V, Minolta Hi-Matic G, or Yashica ME. For more control go for the Olympus 35RC.

If you want interchangeable lenses look at the Fujica ST 605 with a m42 35mm or 28mm lens. The Minolta XG series with

compact 45mm f2 is usually cheap as well. If you can do without manual overide the Nikon EM with E Series 35 mm f2.8

is not expensive either.

User_502260

With any camera I am using I like to be able to make manual adjustments to the exposure. Some cameras make this more difficult than others. A simple back light situation can mean the difference between a usable exposure and a poor one. The Konica C35 doesn't have full manual control but it allows you to handle back light fairly well. You simply tilt the camera down a little and partially depress the shutter buttton. This locks the reading. You tilt back up and then press the shutter button the rest of the way. With other cameras you need to change the film speed temporarily and then remember to set it back. I have seen many nice compositions, especially landscape shots, where underexposure made the colors look washed out.

Half frame cameras are an acquired tasts. Film has improved so much since the time of the Pen seies cameras that making an 8X10 is no longer a guarantee of too much grain and too little sharpness. The Portra 160 films and Ektar 100 have extremely fine grain. I don't atually know whether Fuji Reala has been discontinued but that's another very nice fine grain color print film. With b&w films you really have your choice of fine grain films. These include Ilford Pan F+, Ilford Delta 100, Fuji ACROS, Kodak TMX, EFKE KB25 and some of the films sold under the Rollei and MACO names.

john_cogburn

Yes, the Olympus XA2 is pretty hard to beat-- it's very pocketable, fast and simple to use, an excellent wide-ish lens, and you'll almost never get a bad exposure. The programmed auto-exposure does pretty good in low light, too.

I have two, which I got on the on-line auction for about $10 each, and both work fine. An XA in decent shape might cost at least $40, I'm guessing.

alex macphee

People who have a 35RC become evangelical about it. There is a very good reason for this : it really is that good. The only flip side is the unusual filter size, which is 43.5mm, so you may need to look hard if you want filters for it. But the lens, it really is as good as people here say it is, and the results are a match for a good SLR prime lens, knocking most modern P&S zooms into a cocked hat. A design classic.

The Ricoh 500G/GX is a close second. The only difference between the G and the GX is that the GX has a dinky little lever near the base to allow double exposures ; it cocks the shutter without winding on the film.

For 35mm, for a camera you can carry around easily, the suggestions others have offered you are pretty good. Personally, I started off with a Minox 35GT and liked the size and weight and lens, but wanted a rangefinder. I then tried a Contax T2 but didn't think there was enough manual control and wanted to focus myself. I tried a Retina folding camera but it was delicate due to age and didn't include a meter. In the end I decided on a Leica CL with a 40mm lens. I used wein cells for the battery at first and then a CRIS adapter to adapt a silver cell. Minolta CLs and CLEs are good too.

I'm not sure there really is a digital version of that yet. The closest might be the Leica M9 if you can take the collossal price (which I can't yet). Still a little bigger, but still pretty compact and full frame but not as pocketable as the CL or CLE. If you can take the lack of a rangefinder (and hence scale focus) the Minox 35GT is hard to beat. It's so small and light it's almost not there at all.

a._t._burke

Mr. Dawson

The Olympus XA has a lot to recommend it. It has a sharp 6 element lens, a sliding lens cover, full controlability, small size, shape that is easy to get in and out of a pocket, removable flash and a reasonable used price.

A. T. Burke

Julio Fernandez

John_tran14.

I suggest only three:

Leica CL with Summicron C 40mm F2

Canon Autoboy 2

Nikon OneTouch 2

Thanks everyone for your responses. I decided on the olympus XA2 by the majority vote and managed to pick one up in brilliant condition for £13 the other day.

I guess it's goodbye to high-speed film as it only reads to 800, but I can't get hold of Tmax3200 anymore anyway!

Thanks again.

Will

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Matt's Classic Cameras

home of Matt's world famous vintage camera collection

Olympus Trip 35

click for sample

Produced Olympus Optical Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Film type 135 (35mm)
Picture size 24mm x 36mm
Lens D.Zuiko 40mm 1:2.8-22 (4 elements in 3 groups)
Focal range 3′ to infinity
Filter size 43.5mm screw-in (45mm slip-on)
Shutter Olympus between-lens
Shutter speeds 1/40 or 1/200 shutter-priority AE (or full automatic)
Viewfinder albada with separate settings window
Exposure meter selenium cell
EV range 8-17 @ ASA 100
Hot shoe (M sync?)
Thumbwheel winder

For quite some time I thought this was a rangefinder! I don’t know why now, it’s pretty obvious that it’s not if you look closely. It’s a shutter-priority scale/symbol focus compact with automatic eposure mode and a selenium cell meter. Nicely compact and with Olympus’ usual good build quality. Not quite small enough to fit in a pocket like the XA2 , but a nice size nevertheless. In fact, it’s almost exactly the same size as the C35 and its bretheren, but with a slightly more pronounced lens.

Neat feature – the selected focus range symbol AND the aperture setting appears in a small window in the viewfinder so you can change settings while still holding the camera to your eye, framing your subject. (Wish I’d noticed this during my test roll.)

When there’s not enough light a red symbol pops up in the viewfinder and the shutter is locked. Use a flash: set to the appropriate manual f-stop for your subject distance, and the shutter sets itself to 1/40. Check distance vs. the meter/feet scale under the lens for more accuracy. The manual specifies that electronic flash should be used with the PC sync and a cord, not with the hotshoe which apparently is synced for bulbs, not speedlights. Good to know!

This underrated little shooter has a soft spot in my heart, not just for being a gem of a classic but for getting me out of a parking ticket. I happened to have it on me one day when I had to drive in to work before dawn to work on some computers. When I finished what I was working on and got back to my car I had a ticket for parking in a no parking area, only the adjacent sign that I didn’t see in the dark was faded to the point of being completely unreadable! I snapped a picture of the sign with the Trip and sent it to the SF Parking Department with a letter and a month and a half later they dismissed the ticket. I was a little worried that they would think it was fishy since it was b/w film and I printed it myself, but it all worked out. They sent the print back too.

Sidebar to the sidebar — on the way home that same day I stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge to shoot some more, and a couple of tourists got my attention to take their picture with their camera. After I took their picture another small group handed me their camera, and before I knew it I was there for twenty minutes as tourist after tourist asked me to take a picture of them with their camera! Eventually I just had to leave!

Quick and dirty light seal replacement on the hinge with self-adhesive black felt, I didn’t see any other seals frankly but added a small strip on the door on the latch side for good measure. Otherwise very clean.

Tips & Tricks

Back opens with a catch on the side of the camera, not with the lifting of the rewind knob. Also, a slip-on cap is recommended for preserving the selenium cell. I don’t have one that will stay on, however.

Should I Buy An Olympus Trip or Olympus Pen?

September 30, 2023 By Cameras By Max

A lot of customers email us asking for help choosing between the Olympus Trip and Olympus Pen camera when buying a 35mm film camera. We have written this article to help you make your decision and shed some light on the best parts of both these cameras.

Olympus Trip or Olympus Pen 35mm film cameras

DISCLAIMER: for this article, when we refer to the Olympus Pen , we are referring to the EE range of cameras, such as the Olympus Pen EE-3 , Olympus Pen EE-2 , and Olympus Pen EF . We also occasionally refer to the Olympus Pen EES-2 .

To start off, let's recap on each of these cameras and their features individually.

What is the Olympus Trip?

The Olympus Trip 35 was introduced in 1967, and discontinued in 1984, which is considered a long production run for a 35mm film camera. Over ten million Olympus Trip cameras were sold in this time.

Many people wrongly call the Olympus Trip a rangefinder camera, however we would classify it more as a point and shoot with zone focusing.

You can read more about the Olympus Trip here:

Different colours of Olympus Trip cameras

Featured Camera: The Olympus Trip 35

Wood covered Olympus Trip 35mm film camera for beginners

How To Use The Olympus Trip

Can You Use the Olympus Trip At Night?

Singapore with the Olympus Trip 35mm film camera review

Singapore with the Olympus Trip: A Gallery by Daisy

But otherwise, here is a quick breakdown of its main features:

Zuiko 40mm f/2.8 lens
Focus settings (zone focusing)
ISO settings
Red flag feature
Powered by selenium light cell
Manual advance and rewind
Flash hotshoe

The Olympus Trip has a great range of features, and a lot of photographers love the red flag feature, which is common across the range of Olympus Pen cameras as well.

The main thing to remember about the Trip when comparing it to the Olympus Pen cameras is that it is a full-frame camera and has focus settings.

What is the Olympus Pen?

OK, hold your horses. There are a few different types of Olympus Pen that we are talking about here in this article. All of them are excellent cameras, and we want to help you make the best decision for you!

All of the Olympus Pen cameras we are talking about have the same principal features.

Here is a breakdown of the main features on the Olympus Pen range of cameras:

ISO settings
Manual advance and rewind

These cameras begin to differ when you look at the finer details of the camera, such as the focus settings and the type of lens the camera has.

The first, and most popular, Olympus Pen we are talking about is the Olympus Pen EE-3 .

This Olympus Pen has a 28mm f/3.5 lens. This makes it the most wide angle of the Olympus cameras in this article (not including the EE-2, which is its baby brother.)

This Olympus Pen has no focus settings and is considered a true point and shoot film camera.

You can read more about the Olympus Pen EE-3 here:

Featured Camera: The Olympus Pen EE-3

How to Use The Olympus Pen EE-3 and EE-2

We will glance over the Olympus Pen EE-2 here. It is identical to the Olympus Pen EE-3, except that the trim and details are grey rather than black.

We stock this camera in a small range of pastel colours for those who like the lighter things in life.

The next Olympus Pen that we think is worth comparing against the Olympus Trip is the Olympus Pen EES-2.

The Olympus Pen EES-2 has a 30mm f/2.8 lens and focus settings. These are the same zone focus settings you will find on the Olympus Trip.

The Olympus Pen EES-2 is one of our favourites, but increasingly hard to get hold of. So if you see one in stock and would like, we recommend being as quick as possible!

Last, but not least, we have the Olympus Pen EF.

Similar to the Olympus Pen EE-3, in that it does not have focus settings, the Olympus Pen EF stands apart from the rest of the Pens as the only one with a built-in flash. This is the camera for the night-time shooters.

OK, now we've got through all the different types of Olympus Pen that we want to discuss when comparing them to the Olympus Trip, lets move on to the comparisons.

Which Camera is Better: the Olympus Trip or the Olympus Pen?

Better is a BIG word. So, let's break it down to more manageable questions.

Which camera will produce higher quality images?

The Olympus Trip and Olympus Pen cameras all have great Zuiko lenses. They are super sharp, and produce wonderful images from edge to edge.

However, when it comes to the final image quality you get from the lab, the Olympus Trip will produce higher resolution images, as it is a full-frame, not a half-frame. As the full-frame image will be larger (physically), the image is less enlarged when scanned and printed.

That being said, half-frame cameras still stand up to a very good quality, and we have seen some incredible prints from half-frame cameras.

If you are looking for a camera to produce images that you can have enlarged on your wall as a print, we would recommend the Olympus Trip. However, if you are looking to just have images on your phone, or printed as 6" x 4" in your photo album, the Olympus Pen cameras are plenty quality enough for this.

Don't forget, the quality of your scans from the lab will greatly impact the quality of your photographs. This is why we are partnered with Gulabi , who always provide high resolution scans with their develop and scan services.

Below is a side by side comparison of the quality of images taken on the Olympus Trip (left) and the Olympus Pen EES-2 (right).

I want to be able to control how my images come out; which camera should I get?

The Olympus Trip and Olympus Pen cameras are mainly automatic. The shutter speed and aperture is determined for you when using the cameras on automatic mode. This is where the camera uses the selenium light cell around the lens to determine how much light will reach your negatives and how to correctly expose your image.

Where you do have some creative control is with the focus settings of the camera. As previously mentioned, the Olympus Trip has focus settings, as does the Olympus Pen EES-2 . This means you will be able to control the focus of your image, for example when taking a close-up portrait, you will be able to choose that your subject is in focus close to the lens.

Both of these cameras use the same zone focusing system, which is shown above in the coloured symbols on the lens. These symbols indicate how far away the subject of your photo is. You can read more about these focus settings here .

So all you really have to weigh up when choosing between these two cameras is whether you want the camera to be half-frame or full-frame.

I travel a lot; which camera is most compact?

We LOVE to travel with our film cameras. Having a compact camera is something that is so so helpful.

The most compact camera out of the ones we are talking about would be the Olympus Pen EE-2 and Olympus Pen EE-3. Both of these cameras fit in the palm of your hand, and because they don't have focus settings, their lenses are very close to their bodies.

Another plus point for this camera when travelling is that you can take 72 shots on a 36-exposure roll of film. This means you get double the amount of photos for each roll of film, meaning you can take less film with you when you travel.

I'm a night-time shooter and need a camera with flash. Which one should I get?

The only camera on this list with a built-in flash is the Olympus Pen EF . It is also the most lightweight of the bunch, as well. When you do not have enough light for an image, simply pop up the flash and you are ready to take great night-time images.

This camera is perfect if you are looking to take photos of your friends on nights out, or capture the nocturnal happenings of your local area.

Now, we don't want to burst your bubble, but technically any of the cameras here could be used at night. The Olympus Trip and the Olympus Pens are all compatible with an external flash (and we sell some really small ones!)

Having a built-in flash makes life a lot easier, but read our blog here about how to use the Olympus Trip at night . The same rules apply for the Olympus Pen cameras as well.

Which camera is more economical?

This one is quite an easy answer. The Olympus Pens trump the Olympus Trip here simply because they are half-frame. You will get twice the amount of photos on one roll of film, effectively making your film 50% cheaper.

Which camera is easier to be repaired?

We repair and refurbish lots of Olympus Trips and Olympus Pens every month. Both of these cameras, whilst they have parts that age, are fully repairable by our team at Cameras By Max. We have enough spare parts to build cameras from scratch, and repair the ones that need some love.

Both of these cameras are easily repaired (by a professional.) The Olympus Trip has more parts readily available, and if you did not use our repair services, other repairers are more likely to have Olympus Trip parts than Olympus Pen parts.

Olympus Trip 35 35mm film camera being disassembled and repaired

I am still not sure which camera to get.

Don't worry! Simply send us a message on our live chat, or email us here . We are always here to help, and no question is discouraged.

If you are unsure if either of these cameras are right for you, try our film camera quiz. All you have to do is answer a few questions, and then you will get a list of personalised camera recommendations.

If you like what we do, but can't buy a camera from us, please consider buying us a cup of coffee! It helps us to keep these resources free, consistent, and accessible.

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Camera Reviews
Rangefinder Cameras

Ricoh 500 G – A Dark Horse Compact Rangefinder Film Camera

Dustin vaughn-luma.

January 24, 2018

Have you ever taken a trip to a distant city and deliberately avoided the favored tourist destinations in exchange for quaint alleyways and lesser-known pathways? If so, you’ve probably come away with some of the most surprising and rewarding experiences of your life. Often times, turning away from the popular can lead directly to something special. It’s the same with cameras. Every now and again an unfamiliar camera makes its way into my hands, surprises me with its performance, and subsequently makes me question why I lust after all those other over-hyped and over-priced machines.

Let me introduce you to my new favorite fixed-lens compact rangefinder – the Ricoh 500 G . While it may appear plain, somewhat slow, and with no significant advantages over its competition, this little rangefinder has captured my attention as well as my affection.

On paper, the Ricoh 500 G (also brought to market as the Sears 35 RF) is nothing to write home about. Released in 1972, it’s part of a series of compact Ricoh rangefinders (GS, GX, GX-1, ZF, FM and ME) that all share a similar design ethos and the same 40mm lens. They mostly mirror equivalent rangefinders of the day; humbly sporting a mechanical Copal leaf shutter capable of 1/8 to 1/500 plus Bulb, a lens-mounted CDS meter adept at accurately reading light from 25 to 800 ASA, standard X-sync flash hot shoe, a self timer and a mediocre viewfinder. By the specs and in the hand, it’s a camera that feels nearly identical to cameras like the Minolta 7sII (reviewed here) or Vivitar 35es . And while that may sound humdrum, The 500 G brings a handful of important characteristics that make it something of a dark horse of the genre.

The camera operates in both semi-automatic and manual shooting mades, which makes it a great choice for veteran and new shooters alike. For those who want a streamlined experience, shutter-priority shooting is available. Simply set the camera’s ISO dial and the desired shutter speed and the Ricoh will automatically select the correct aperture to make a proper exposure. The viewfinder is simple and sports an “always on” needle reading across the aperture range. Values are displayed vertically on the right hand side of the frame.

Shooters who rely on this automation should take note that the 500 G does not prevent the shutter from firing when the aperture needle hits the red zone on either end of the scale, like some other cameras. If the scene is too bright or too dim for the selected shutter speed, the camera will still fire, resulting in an incorrect exposure. Some may prefer the omission of this forcing function and others may not. As I’m generally a manual shooter and know my light, this methodology doesn’t bother me.

What’s more useful is the fact that unlike the more expensive Canonets and Hi-Matics , the 500 G displays its light meter reading even when shooting in manual mode. Simply turn the aperture ring away from Auto and a little “M” appears in the viewfinder letting the photographer know that they are in full control. Now set aperture and shutter speed directly, and the meter’s there to hint at the proper settings.

The light meter is powered but a single, now obsolete, PX675 mercury cell battery. But since a standard 1.55V LR44 or SR44 cell works just fine, there’s little reason to worry over batteries (note that the battery bay, like the one found on Minolta’s 7sII , is not large enough for an MR-9 adapter, so don’t bother). An added perk, the camera still fires without battery power at all speeds and apertures when shot in manual mode.

The 500 G sports the Zeiss Tessar-based 40mm f2.8 Rikenon lens. Made of 4 elements in 3 groups, there isn’t anything overly complicated or advanced happening here, and in the time I’ve had this camera, my expectations for its lens performance have been well met.

Most 40mm fixed-lens compact cameras are mildly soft at wide open apertures, and the 500 G is no exception. With a max aperture of f/2.8, and a close focus distance of three feet, it isn’t a portrait machine by any stretch. The leaf shutter blades form a pudgy diamond-like pattern, so out of focus elements can get a bit swirly and bokeh highlights end up looking like little kites flying around in the background of the scene. However, stop the lens down to f/5.6 or f/8 and the detail is pretty darn great. Images made at all apertures will easily go toe-to-toe with any one of this genre’s more well-known alternatives, such as the Canonet and the previously-mentioned Minolta.

Shots in the sample gallery were made with Kodak Tri-X and Kodak Portra 160 .

Ergonomics are mixed, but the lens barrel itself also holds advantages over the popular players in the space. Focus is achieved by turning the ring on the lens (not a paddle lever as in the case of the QL17 or the 7sII ). This will be more comfortable for some shooters, less so for others. The throw is slightly longer than other cameras in its class, but the benefit is that the lens doesn’t move back and forth when focusing. Instead, the elements move within the lens barrel, keeping the camera’s profile uniform and compact. Distance markings are color coded in both feet and meters, and spaced well enough to make out at a glance.

The knurled rings for shutter speed and aperture are quite close to one another, but are stepped just enough to make finding either one a breeze. And while the aperture ring sits flush against the body, it’s easy enough to grab and twist without removing one’s eye from the finder. The same can’t be said for pricier compact rangefinders, such as the Olympus 35RD .

ISO control is handled by a small plastic ring on the face of the lens. Simply place a thumb and index finger on it and twist. Values are visible through a small window, and the ring snaps into its detents with reassurance. This is a welcome feature and another area where the Ricoh flounces its expensive competition; other small rangefinders use a fiddly metal tab to change ISO, which often requires a delicate hand and painful prying of the shooter’s fingernail.

The camera’s short throw film advance (170 degrees) is abrupt, but feels smooth enough to get the job done quickly. As a shooter who clutches cameras against my chest, I found that when cocked, the advance could benefit from a bit more room for my thumb to rest between it and the back of the camera body. When shooting on the street, I tend to rely on that hold for leverage and I couldn’t help but feel as if the camera didn’t quite fit.

The shutter release button on this little machine is well designed, especially when compared to the sometimes tiny and painful buttons of its competition. Its T-shaped profile is sturdy and doesn’t require the use of a soft release. Of course, the release is threaded should accessories be needed.

Loading film is easier than expected, with the take up spool doing a wonderful job of grabbing the film’s sprocket holes and pulling it tight right away. With most cameras, I typically make two advances and ensure things are taut before closing the film bay door, but with the 500 G I found just a single advance left me feeling satisfied that my film was held tightly and ready to make its rounds. As a result, I’ve been able to shoot 39 frames on a 36 exposure roll.

Want to rewind that film quickly? Good luck. You may want to callous up those fingers a bit, because the film rewind crank is about as pleasurable as running your nails down a chalkboard. Not only is the angle of the crank a bit too elevated, the crank itself is surprisingly short; which requires a bit more strength than usual in order to rotate it. Not a deal breaker by any stretch, but it’s certainly my least favorite aspect of the camera.

I’d be lying if I told you the 500 G’s viewfinder was significant in any way. Truthfully, it’s 0.5x magnification and tiny window make it ho-hum at best. The rangefinder patch itself is illuminated via a diamond-shaped window up front, and while small, my copy of the camera is still surprisingly bright and contrasty.

Aligning the 500 G’s patch couldn’t be easier, and since other sources on the good old internet are loaded with misinformation, let’s set the record straight. Contrary to what others say, the rangefinder alignment screws are accessible without having to disassemble the camera. The vertical alignment screw sits inside a small port just under the flash hot shoe (on the left), and is accessed by removing three small screws. The horizontal alignment screw is accessible from the film bay; simply removing a small screw to the left of the shutter box will reveal the adjustment screw underneath it. No need to pull the front plate, top plate, or even the leatherette to perform this service.

With most 500 G’s there’s a high likelihood that the light seals have mutated into some form of hideous meconium. The film bay door design exacerbates this issue due to the way it wraps itself across the entire back of the camera; including the viewfinder, often leaving disintegrated gooey seal residue on the viewfinder glass itself. While the material used during manufacturing doesn’t stand the test of time, resealing the film bay couldn’t be easier with a bit of craft store foam or felt. It’s made even simpler by the lack of complicated corners in the film door. Four strips across the perimeter and it’s light tight.

When James sent me this camera for review, two things popped into my mind; why hadn’t I been interested in this camera before, and how soon could I get my hands on the rest of the 500 series? The cameras good looks, compact form factor, and better-than-average usability make it a very attractive camera at a very affordable price. And now that I’ve put one through its paces, its outsized performance has won me over.

Do I view this camera as being the best in class? No. Do I think it’s lens is better than those of its competition? Not entirely. But at its low price , the Ricoh punches above its weight. If you’re looking for a camera to use for simple family snapshots or as a tiny street weapon, the Ricoh 500 G could easily be that camera. Most of its features are better implemented than its contemporaries, and at f/8, images made with this Rikenon lens and Canon’s fixed 40s are indistinguishable. In fact, if contrast is of value, I’d favor the Rikenon. If a high-speed lens is your highest priority, you’ll have to pay that premium, but I don’t think it’s worth it.

As the film community continues to see once inexpensive cameras skyrocket to insane prices, the tiny Ricoh 500 G is a relatively undiscovered secret. It has everything you need without any of the trendy bullshit. It’s a plain little machine that often gets overlooked by those yearning for a slice of glitz and folklore; and honestly, I understand why it’s been passed by. Most of them need replacement light seals, which probably turns off new shooters, and it isn’t flashy or fast. At first glance, this little Ricoh is nothing special. But if you’re the type who’s willing to try the unpopular and embrace it objectively, then the Ricoh 500 G is definitely worth a damn.

Want your own Ricoh 500 G?

Get it on ebay, get it from our own f stop cameras, follow casual photophile on facebook and instagram.

[ Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo , Amazon , and eBay . By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support. ]

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35mm film camera
Camera Review
Rangefinder

An experience designer, freelance photographer, and competitive cyclist living in San Jose, California with his wife, three sons, and neurotic bernese mountain dog. The majority of his personal work is shot on 35mm and 120 film, and is developed and scanned at home.

23 comments

Nice article, thanks Dustin. I almost bought one of these from my local camera shop but a quick eBay scan showed that they were asking way too much for it. I couldn’t find much information about it online, other than that they have a tendency to chew up film occasionally, but it’s nice to see some sample images. Think I’ll stick with my Olympus Trip for now.

Appreciate the kind words, Dan. If you don’t mind resealing the film bay, and find one with a clean lens, they really are wonderful. You should be able to find them on eBay in excellent condition for around $40 – $50.

You’re in good hands with that little Trip. I need to get my hands on one.

I had never seen that the Canonet will turn off the lightmeter in manual mode. Is that true, or did I just read it incorrectly?

Thanks for the comment. Yes, both the Canonet ql17 and ql19 do not meter when in manual mode (these two models are similar to the 500G in that they have full manual override). The meter only takes a reading when shooting in shutter priority automatic on those cameras. The ql28, in comparison, is a fully automatic camera, where similar to something like the Yashica GT/GS series, determines the shutter speed automatically for you based on the aperture chosen.

There are so many rangefinders that are similarly spec’d. It’s hard to go wrong. I tend to avoid those with slower lenses and discontinued batteries – like this Ricoh. Since it can work without a battery, I may need to change my mind.

Hey Matt… it certainly is. Honestly, even if a battery is warranted, an inexpensive LR-44 battery or even those 1.4v zinc air hearing aid batteries work just fine in this thing.

Pretty neat that i came across this as i just started shooting my Canonet QL17 again. They seem very similar and this particular camera is beautiful. Im going to scoop one up now thanks for this article

Rocky, I just spent some time enjoying your photography on your site. Amazing shooting my dude. I hope you put some shots with the Ricoh up there, because I’ll be sure to take a look again.

I have owned both cameras — the Ricoh and your Canon. I wore the Ricoh out; the Canon was still working like new when I retired it because I couldn’t get batteries for it. That Canon is a tank.

Great review of a fun camera. I recently acquired a newly CLA’d Ricoh 500gx (same as the 500g but with the addition of a battery checker button and a handy multiple exposure lever) and I am loving it. It’s not much bigger than my beloved Olympus XA but unlike the XA it allows full manual control and has a hotshoe. This is a real keeper.

Nice article! I owned 2 Ricoh 35ZF – though not the rangefinder series like the 500G – its got the same exact lens and body size. And i can see the position of the film advance, shutter and timer are similar. The 35ZF is a scale focus camera, and produced nice, sharp images. I love carrying it around for the size and weight, its either in my tote bag or in the pocket of my shorts. I broke the film take-up spool of one after yanking the film advance lever a little too hard at the end after the final shot. I bought another in time for travelling around Malaysia, but after a few rolls it died with a bad meter. I agree with how easy and simple it is to switch ISO. And i used normal LR44 batteries on mine. This article makes me want to look for another 35ZF again, or maybe the 500G as well. I’ll repeat again: Nice article!

What a great review and luckily for me I have a 500g which is very underused but no longer.

That Ricoh was my first camera, and it was a great learning tool. I sold it to a friend (I later bought it back), and he had some obvious parallax issues with it. But that Ricoh (actually, mine was the Sears version, the Sears 35RF) taught me how to shoot. Years later, I bought the similar Canon QL17. If I could find any possible reason to buy a film camera, that Ricoh would be my choice. By the way, I wore the Ricoh out to the point it was junk. The Canon was built to last for generations.

Hi. I recently discovered this type of camera after packing out some of my Grandmother’s old things. I have no experience with vintage cameras but will really love to learn. Is there any way I can find out how/if it still works?

Just buy batteries for it, install them, and see if it works! Should be pretty easy.

Thank you very much for your post, which I’ve found very interesting. Last week I’ve found a RICOH 500G at my dad’s place. The camera hasn’t been used in the last 25 years but seems to be fine. I’ve replaced the battery and the light meter is now working. The only issue is given by the focusing. When I turn the focus ring nothing seems to change in the the central diamond-shaped rangefinder spot. Do you have any tips on how to fix this problem? Will I be able to take pictures anyway?

Thanks, Tom

You should be still able to focus the lens even if the rangefinder has stopped working. The way to check is to watch for the lens mount to start turning and moving slightly “in and out” as you change the focus. lf that happens then you know the focusing is working and you can use the focusing scale instead. l myself have owned a Ricoh 500 G since 1996 when l paid £15 for it and its a nice little camera with a sharp lens.

Try sliding the viewfinder glass around and maybe back into place. It could be out of alignment and stopping the RF working

I have one of these. Worth mentioning that in Auto mode, you can depress the shutter halfway, to achieve exposure lock. Nice little feature, if you want to expose your scene in different ways!

Nice article! So with the lightmeter showing values in the viewfinder even in manual mode, could this camera be used in a sort of pseudo-aperture-priority mode then? As in, set the aperture manually and then the meter shows which shutter speed it thinks you should use?

Sure could. There are a few shutter-priority cameras that have this functionality. Some even mention it in the manuals, like the Canon AE-1.

I had one of these back in the day, unfortunately it was stolen when on holiday. I bought it as a cheaper alternative to the Konica C35, you can certainly notice the difference in construction but it worked fine for hiking as well as everyday photography. I found it light, reliable, easy to use and with excellent picture quality from a sharp lens.

Hello, I have a 500 GX and I need to adjust my focus, it’s a bit off vertically. I need to be able to access the vertical alignment screw. I can’t find it, do I have to remove the circular screw of the flash socket to access it on the left of the camera ? Thank you

California Against Slavery Blog

The Official Blog of California Against Slavery

The Real Facts of Prop 35

This is the 150th year of the Emancipation Proclamation. Recently, I read what opponents of the Proclamation said back in 1862. They are quite interesting to read on this side of history. Some opponents argued: It didn’t free slaves in areas controlled by the Union; it would prolong the war by enraging the South even more; it would incite slaves to extreme violence against white Southerners. Today, we know that passing the Emancipation Proclamation was the right thing to do, and a pivotal point in our history. It led to the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery two years later.

Prop 35 has garnered enormous, and ever increasing, support from people and organizations throughout the state and nation. Prop 35 really is a no-brainer initiative. And Prop 35 is urgently needed to stop modern slavery in California.

The Prop 35 text is carefully drafted following the federal law and is co-authored by 23-veteran prosecutor and nationally recognized human trafficking expert, Sharmin Bock. Get the real scoop on Prop 35 from the horse’s mouth here .

But no matter what one does, there’s bound to be criticisms. While this is expected, I also believe in keeping people accountable to the factual accuracies of the statements made publicly to voters. First, voters deserve to get accurate information. More importantly, we have real lives at stake.

Recently, one op-ed was posted in the San Jose Mercury that is plagued by factually and legally inaccurate statements. I feel compelled to respond although I usually don’t respond to articles.

As the founder of California Against Slavery and a co-proponent of Prop 35, my advice is for voters to read the initiative text, the analysis in your official voter guide from the nonpartisan Legislative Analysis Office, and come to their own conclusion.

Here are a few of the facts that the writers of this ope-ed got wrong:

1) Prop 35 will be a huge step forward to stop human trafficking. It is never meant to be the last step. The fight to end *all* forms of trafficking is a long one both locally and globally.

Prop 35 makes critical changes to California law by:

Increasing prison terms for ALL human traffickers to match federal sentences.
Requiring convicted sex traffickers to register as sex offenders.
Requiring all registered sex offenders to disclose their internet accounts as states such as New York already have.
Requiring criminal fines from convicted human traffickers to fund services to help victims.
Mandating human trafficking training for law enforcement.
Providing trafficking victims the same level of protection afforded rape victims have under the Rape Shield Law.
Removing the requirement to prove force in a child sex trafficking case.

2) Prop 35 sets a baseline but doesn’t prevent police departments from giving their officers more training. The two-hour is the minimum, not the maximum. It is far better than the status quo – which is none. Honestly, I don’t follow this op-ed writers’ logic of how the status quo of zero training would improve the “crime prevention strategy.” And the required training applies to *all* field officers, not just specialized units.

Prop 35 has garnered support from every major law enforcement groups in the state. For most, this is the *first* time that they have taken an official position against human trafficking. With the strong support and increase awareness, we believe that we will start seeing a shift in law enforcement culture and attitude toward victims. Vote Yes on 35!

3) By California State Constitution, victims restitution must be paid first before fines. This was enacted through Marcy’s Law which voters passed in 2008 ( Prop 9 ). Prop 35 does not alter this. Instead, Prop 35 creates a new stream of funding for victim services.

4) The sentencing structure of Prop 35 mirrors that of the federal human trafficking law, implemented in 2000, and is consistent with other states like New York and Texas. For instance, under federal law labor trafficking is up to 20 years, and sex trafficking is 10-to-life for adults and 15-to-life for minors.

5) We are not alone. Trafficking survivors, over 60 organizations (representing many more individuals) that provide services and advocate for victims and survivors, over 100 other community groups, child advocates, like Marc Klaas and John Walsh, law enforcement organizations, district attorneys from around the state, national/state/local elected officials…are all saying VOTE YES ON 35.

MISSSEY has served 1000 exploited children in Oakland since 2007. Here’s a statement from a LTE written by Nola Brantley : “As executive director of a group whose sole focus is the healing and empowerment of trafficking victims and survivors, we were appalled to see Prop. 35 characterized as anything other than a vital protection for women and girls being exploited…”

6) Claiming that Prop is ” broad, vague, and legally ambiguous” without any evidence seems to be quite broad, vague, and ambiguous. According to Sharmin Bock, veteran prosecutor, “The only change that Prop 35 makes to the current definition of human trafficking is the expansion of the list of trafficking violations to include the production of child pornography.” And “Prop 35 is narrowly tailored and specifically states that there must be criminal intent to violate the law. Prop 35 not only requires the showing that the trafficker causes a child ‘to engage in a commercial sex act’ but also ‘with the intent to effect or maintain a violation of Section,’ and it lists 12 different existing criminal sections in our state law.” Please read Sharmin’s op-ed .

Prop 35 is a huge and important step forward, and will awareness to millions and is an opportunity for citizens to take a real stand against human trafficking.

FINALLY, this is a huge issue that no single bill or campaign can end. We strongly urge organizations to work on policy solutions that they believe are critical to their constituents. California Against Slavery has sent groups to lobby in our State Capitol for various bills addressing one or more forms of human trafficking. We need many more groups in Sacramento voicing their concerns. We are all working toward the same goal – ending the scourge of human trafficking so that no one is a victim.

Visit VoteYesOn35.com

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