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 Olympus Hi-Lite |
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Lens: |
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35 mm f/4.5 |
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| Exposure Control: | EV 4.3 to EV 15 | |||
| Maximum shutter speed: | 1/750th sec | |||
| Battery: | two AA | |||
| Dimensions (inches, WxHxD): | 4.6 x 2.5 x 1.8 | |||
| Weight (without batteries): | 180 gm / 6.4 oz |
Although physically larger than some previous cameras that I had used, the Olympus Hi-Lite had a whopping 1/750th second top shutter speed. It was nearly the best point and shoot camera that I have ever used for rocket aerial photography (only edged out by another Olympus camera, the Epic).
What made this camera so fantastic is the super fast shutter speed and its low sticker price, typically about $60. It's a simple camera without a lot of extra features that you don't need. Conversion is relatively easy and the wires can be brought out of the camera and still keep the original shutter button intact.
I flew this camera many times in the Eye in the Sky camera rocket and later on I added another one to my collection and flew both in the Eyes in the Sky camera rocket. Its wedge shape may seem to make the camera difficult to mount in the payload section, but actually it is this design that makes it easy to mount the camera in the rocket. The camera holder consists of a C shaped frame padded with a thin piece of foam inside a tube coupler for a 3" body tube. The camera wedges into this frame and is secured with a screw used to hold the camera on a tripod. The design is simple, has minimum number of parts and is easy to prep for flight.
The Olympus Hi-Lite outlasted two versions of the Eye in the Sky camera rocket.
