CameraWorth.com

Olympus Pen FT

The Olympus Pen FT is a half-frame 35mm SLR introduced in 1966, part of the Pen F system designed by Yoshihisa Maitani. It added through-the-lens metering to the earlier Pen F body while retaining the compact porro-prism viewfinder and rotary focal-plane shutter, positioning it as a compact interchangeable-lens SLR aimed at photographers who wanted 72 frames from a standard 36-exposure roll.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for Pen FT bodies have ranged from around £130 to £350, with a typical result sitting near £150–£170 — these are saleroom wholesale figures before buyer's premium, not dealer retail. As of 2026, clean, working examples with a clear meter and a lens attached tend to sell for the upper end of that range, while untested or cosmetically tired bodies are what a Pen FT is worth at the lower end. The 2023 result at £350 shows that exceptional condition or desirable lens pairings can lift the price well above the median.

Variants

Select a variant to filter the sales history below.

Variant Years Edition Sales Price Range
black 3 £200£376
Endoscope 0
Microscope 0

Sales History

Prices shown are realised prices — auction results and completed eBay sales, never asking prices. Most saleroom figures are hammer prices, before commission; some houses publish a premium-inclusive figure, and we do not adjust for condition. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher. How this figure is calculated.

Based on 42 recorded sales.

Last checked on eBay: 13 August 2026. Most recent sale: August 2026.

Date Price Value GBP Source Variant
Aug 2026 £125 £125 🇬🇧 eBay
Aug 2026 £199 £199 🇬🇧 eBay
Jul 2026 £93 £93 🇬🇧 eBay
Jul 2026 £23 £23 🇬🇧 eBay
Jun 2026 EUR 435 £376 🇪🇺 eBay black
Jun 2026 £125 £100 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Apr 2025 £625 £500 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Oct 2024 £250 £200 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions black
Oct 2024 £150 £150 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Aug 2024 £300 £240 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Aug 2024 £130 £130 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Aug 2024 £170 £170 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Nov 2023 £175 £140 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2023 £350 £280 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Oct 2023 £90 £90 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Oct 2023 £120 £120 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Aug 2023 £150 £150 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Jun 2023 £100 £80 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Apr 2023 £140 £140 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services
Feb 2022 £138 £110 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2021 £558 £450 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
May 2020 £1,078 £880 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Oct 2019 £504 £420 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
Nov 2018 £300 £250 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions
May 2017 £45 £45 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive)
Jan 2017 £230 £230 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive)
Jul 2016 £210 £210 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive)
Oct 2015 £130 £130 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive)
May 2011 EUR 600 £527 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Dec 2009 EUR 360 £324 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Jun 2008 EUR 420 £332 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2007 EUR 600 £425 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
May 2007 EUR 650 £443 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Nov 2006 EUR 420 £283 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction black
May 2005 EUR 165 £113 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Feb 2004 £286 £239 🇬🇧 Christie's
May 2003 EUR 229 £163 🇦🇹 Leitz Auction
Apr 2003 £258 £220 🇬🇧 Christie's
Sep 2002 £152 £129 🇬🇧 Christie's
Sep 2002 £129 £110 🇬🇧 Christie's
Oct 1999 £138 £120 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov 1998 £138 £120 🇬🇧 Christie's
Nov -0001 £238 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions

Frequently asked questions

What is an Olympus Pen FT worth today?

Recent UK auction hammer prices for the Pen FT have mostly fallen between £130 and £250, with a median value close to £160 for a body in working order.

How much does an Olympus Pen FT sell for at UK auction?

Typical examples sell for around £140–£250 at the hammer, while an outstanding body with a good lens has reached £350 in the last couple of years.

Why is the Pen FT priced differently from the Pen F?

The FT added a built-in TTL meter and is generally more sought-after by users, so its price sits a little above plain Pen F bodies of equivalent condition.

Does condition really affect the value of a Pen FT?

Yes — a dim prism, sticky shutter, or dead meter can halve the price, which is why the auction range stretches from roughly £130 up to £350.