Olympus LT Zoom 105, Highway R&R Stops

Panoramas: Images with the Olympus LT Zoom 105 Panorama QD (1997), a stylish, weather-resistant 35mm point-and-shoot camera with a 38-105mm zoom lens.

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A category of 35mm film cameras capable of taking panoramas is cameras with the crop-frame feature. These are normally full-frame 35 mm cameras with a switch or lever that activates a pair of blind or crop film gates that will reduce the 24 x 36 mm frame size to about 14mm x 36mm.

The Olympus LT Zoom 105 QP is one of these cameras. The panorama switch lever is located at the back of the top plate, towards the left side of the body. When activated, the lever will not only set the film gate to the panoramic shooting position but will also activate another pair within the viewfinder window, making the viewfinder panoramic as well.

Olympus LT Zoom 105 Panorama QD

As all images are still captured on the 24mm x 36mm film frame, you are free to switch between the two shooting modes - full-frame and cropped-frame panorama - on any frame you wish to do so. Aside from the diminutive viewfinder, the autofocus and fully automatic retro-style LT Zoom 105 with the Zuiko 38-105mm F4.5- 8.9 zoom lens are quite fun to use.

Olympus LT Zoom 105, Colors of R&R Rest Stops

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, images with a vintage Olympus LT Zoom 105, a fully automatic retro aesthetic 35mm point-and-shoot film camera, with a 38-105mm (f/4.5-8.9) zoom lens, and a lightweight, splash-proof body.

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The images here were shot at a couple of R&R Rest Stops on the East Coast Highway, which were only recently completed (the R&Rs) and opened to the public. With a highway that has very little traffic, the R&Rs are neither populated nor crowded.

The two that I stopped at have all the rest and recuperation facilities to cater to the public, but neither has all their food and refreshment outlets occupied and operating. Being fairly new means that the facilities and paintwork are still looking fresh and clean.

Olympus LT Zoom 105 Panorama QD

The Olympus LT Zoom 105 Panorama QD is the final version of the LT (Leather Tech) series cameras introduced with the launch of the LT-1 (1995), LT-1 QD (1996), and the LT Zoom 105 (1997), and is fitted with a 38-105mm, f/4.5-8.9 zoom lens which focuses from 0.6m (2 feet) to infinity. How I wish that the camera were digital because then it would come with at least a 2.7-inch LCD instead of the minuscule diopter-corrected viewfinder, which is really a squint to use.