Olympus History

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• History of Cameras
  • 1936-1970
    • Medium-Format Cameras
    • 35mm Cameras
    • Pen Series
    • EE-Equipped Cameras
  • 1971-1992
    • OM Series
    • OM Two Digit Series
    • XA Capsule Cameras
    • Autofocus Cameras
    • Fully Automatic Zoom Cameras
  • 1991-
    • µ[mju:] (Stylus) Series
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    • Digital SLR Cameras
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• Olympus History Top

By the 1980s the camera market was dominated by autofocus models. Cameras were becoming fully automated, with features that included automatic winding and built-in strobe flash units. It was in this period that Olympus introduced the world's first weatherproof compact cameras.

Olympus C-AF

Olympus AFL (Picasso)

Olympus AF-1 (Nurepika)

Olympus AF-1 TWIN QUARTZDATE

Olympus C-AF   (1981) The Olympus C-AF went on sale in 1981 as the first Olympus autofocus camera. It featured a unique automatic rangefinder developed jointly with another manufacturer.

Olympus AFL (Picasso)   (1983) Launched in 1983, the Olympus AFL was one of the first cameras powered by a lithium battery. The high capacity of the built-in battery reduced the strobe flash recharge time to about 1.5 seconds. The nickname "Picasso" derived from the Japanese word "pika," meaning "flash" from the way in which the camera's flash operated. It was superseded by the FTL-S, which offered an improved range of functions.

Olympus AF-1 (Nurepika)   (1986) The Olympus AF-1, which was introduced in 1986 earned the nickname "Nurepika" ("Wet Flash"). As the name suggests, it was the world's first weatherproof fully automatic compact camera.

Olympus AF-1 TWIN QUARTZDATE   (1988) This twin-focus camera went on sale in 1988. Its twin-lens system allowed the user to switch between a 35mm wide-angle lens and a 70mm telephoto lens at the touch of a button. It also inherited the weatherproof design developed for the Olympus AF-1 (Nurepika). The AF-1 TWIN QUARTZDATE had molded plastic lenses, which were used for the first time after the development of technology to overcome moisture absorption and other issues.

* Other products can be viewed on the product line-up page.

* The information shown is based on information in initial product announcements.

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