OlympusTrip AF Mini

The Olympus Trip AF Mini comes out of 1996-99, when the spec wars had cooled and manufacturers were quietly perfecting what they already had. Catalogued as a pocket autofocus compact, it pairs the Olympus 34mm f/4.5 with a 35mm film path. A bit of background: a surprise revival of the legendary 'Trip' name on a humble plastic snapper.

Format

35mm

Year

1996

Lens

Olympus 34mm f/4.5

Min. focus

0.8 m

Flash

Built-in auto

Battery

2× AAA

The Olympus 34mm f/4.5 is on the slow side, so it rewards good light or a roll of ISO 400 — but the body shrinks accordingly into something you'll actually carry every day. On the film-availability spectrum, plain 35mm is as easy as it gets in 2026. It runs on common AA batteries — you can resurrect one on a Sunday afternoon with whatever the corner shop has in stock. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 0.8 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. One thing worth knowing before you load a roll: the 34mm lens is wider than most pocket P&S of the era. Pair it with HP5 or Portra and you have a general-purpose travel camera that handles 80% of what you'll point it at.

The Olympus Trip AF Mini has its fans for a reason, but it's no longer a secret — set a strict budget, hold out for a clean copy, and don't overpay for a famous name. Worth remembering: cheap, tiny, sharp enough — a perfect pocket warmer for a night out.

• §1A surprise revival of the legendary 'Trip' name on a humble plastic snapper.
• §2The 34mm lens is wider than most pocket P&S of the era.
• §3Cheap, tiny, sharp enough — a perfect pocket warmer for a night out.