Paris by Night captured on a legendary Olympus Mju-II

7 March, 2023

So now I am a happy owner of the Olympus Mju-II, one of the most beloved film cameras in the world!

I bought it second-hand for my 31st birthday (they were discontinued a very long time ago, that is why you never really know if what you're getting is going to work properly), and so far I already had several occasions to test it in different lighting conditions - you can check my second post where I share the photos I took with it in Canary Islands during the daytime.

What's so great about this little guy, you ask? Let me break it down for you, if you are hesitating about buying it

 

Cons:

  1. It's a film camera, which means you'll have to go through the hassle of developing your film and scanning your negatives. But hey, if it's too boring for you to to do that, you can always just take pictures with your phone like everyone else.
  2. The autofocus can be a bit finicky, especially in low light situations. You can clearly see what I mean on the photos below ;) After all, it's a camera from the '90s, what do you expect?
  3. The flash is a bit underpowered, so you might have to get creative with your lighting if you're shooting in dimly lit environments. Or you could just embrace the darkness (together with the luck of focus) and call it art, as I did.
  4. The viewfinder is a bit small, so you might have trouble composing your shots if you have bad eyesight. But who needs to see the whole picture anyway? Half the fun is in the surprise.
  5. It's so popular that it might make you feel like a hipster cliché. But hey, there's nothing wrong with liking something that's popular. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Pros:

  1. It's compact and portable, so you can take it anywhere you go, even if you're wearing skinny jeans. 
  2. The 35mm f/2.8 lens is a thing of beauty, producing sharp (well, not this time, but in Canaries it performed much better) and contrasty images that will make your Instagram followers jealous.
  3. The automatic exposure, autofocus, and built-in flash make it easy to use, even if you're completely clueless about film photography.
  4. The weather-sealed design means you can take it out in the rain or on a sandy beach without having to worry about ruining it. Still please be careful, as on the average this camera is 25 years old, and the materials used in it for sealing are gradually starting to degrade by now. 
  5. It's a great value, considering how much people are willing to pay for it on eBay. You could practically finance a trip to Bali with the money you make selling it.

So there you have it, folks. The Olympus mju II: small, cool, and a little overhyped. But if you're looking for a great point-and-shoot film camera, it's definitely worth considering! It's also a bit of a cult classic among film photographers, so I would say the mju II is a great place to start for those looking to get into the film photography world.