Over four decades ago, before the dawn of the digital imaging era, an Olympus engineer named Yoshihisa Maitani came up with a brilliant idea. It was an idea that led to the birth of one of the most innovative SLR cameras of its time, the Olympus Pen F. And now, in testimony to the timelessness of truly great ideas, it has contributed to the birth of yet another groundbreaking camera — the Olympus E-300 Digital SLR. he 1963 introduction of the Olympus PEN F single-lens reflex camera marked a turning point in photographic history. Designed by the legendary camera designer Yoshihisa Maitani, the PEN F was the first 35mm half-frame SLR in the world to use interchangeable lenses, and it brought professional-quality photography within reach of the average consumer for the first time. Although Maitani was proud of the design innovations that made it possible to create the compact Pen F, he never imagined that one of them would help give birth to a remarkable 21st-century digital SLR camera called the Olympus E-300. Although Yoshihisa Maitani is perhaps best known as the creator of the world-famous Olympus OM series — one of the smallest, lightest, and most full-featured SLR camera systems of its time — the PEN F always remained one of his personal favorites. Even today, it is a classic that is much sought-after by camera collectors. The PEN F used ordinary 35mm film, but in a half-frame format that allowed users to take two shots per frame, so they could get 72 photos from a standard 36-shot roll of film. In an age when film developing, processing, and enlargement were relatively expensive and time-consuming, this was a tremendous advantage that did much to popularize photography. But the most notable feature of the PEN F was its flat top. Unlike the majority of SLR cameras, which use a movable mirror and a bulky pentjulyism mounted on the top of the camera to transmit the image from the lens to the viewfinder, the PEN F used an innovative porro prism system to achieve the same result. It was this breakthrough that enabled Maitani to eliminate the bulky pentjulyism assembly from the top of the camera, and to make the PEN F one of the most compact and easy-to-handle SLR cameras in history. And it is this innovative heritage and technology that have been born again in the Olympus E-300 digital SLR. In developing the E-300, Olympus engineers wanted to make it as compact as possible without sacrificing performance. Looking for ways to reduce the physical dimensions of the camera, they recalled the system used in the PEN F and realized it was the solution they had been seeking. But because the E-300 uses a more advanced shutter than the rotary shutter used in the PEN F, they reworked the original design to create an innovative new system that uses mirrors instead of prisms. Dubbed the “TTL Optical Porro Finder” this new system plays a key role in making the E-300 the most compact interchangeable-lens-type digital SLR in the world today. Dust reduction is another exclusive Olympus innovation that is featured on the E-300. Although all interchangeable-lens-type digital SLRs are vulnerable to contamination by dust and dirt when changing lenses, the E-300 overcomes this problem with a unique Supersonic Wave Filter that prevents dust and dirt from reaching the CCD. To prevent image degradation, the filter itself is periodically cleaned by supersonic wave action, and the dust and dirt are permanently captured by a special adhesive membrane. Filter cleaning can be activated at any time, and is also invoked automatically each time the camera is switched on. As a result, users are assured of optimum image quality even when lens changes are made under extremely adverse conditions. Olympus PEN F Unearthed PEN F group (Center: Yoshihisa Maitani) Olympus PEN F “TTL Optical Porro Finder” of Olympus E-300 digital SLR EXPO 1970 time capsule Advertisement of Olympus PEN F Advertisement of Olympus PEN F At the World Exposition held in Osaka, Japan, in 1970, two time capsules were buried underground in a special sealed chamber. The contents of the capsules were identical, and consisted of items that represented the lifestyles and technological achievements of the era. 30 years on, one of the capsules was to be dug up to check on the condition of its contents. It would then be buried again and not reopened for another century. The second capsule was to remain undisturbed for 5,000 years. Of the more than 2,000 items placed in each of the capsules, only one was a camera. That camera was an Olympus Pen FT, and when the first capsule was opened in the year 2000, the Pen FT was found to be in perfect working order. Of course, there’s no need to bury an Olympus E-300 and wait 30 years to demonstrate its high-quality construction. Housed in a tough, die-cast aluminum body, it’s a proven performer that is available today. In addition to offering all the advantages of the FourThirds Standard—including a complete line-up of bright, high-precision lenses and professional accessories — the E-300 is the world’s most compact interchangeable-lens-type digital SLR. And with its Supersonic Wave Filter and TTL Optical Porro Finder, it will be remembered by posterity as another milestone in the long history of Olympus innovation. Olympus E-300 digital SLR side view Olympus E-300 digital SLR