EP262: Saying Goodbye — Olympus Mju II 35mm f2.8 with Fujifilm 400 (US Version)

Roll 262

Film: Fujifilm 400 (US version)
Developed & scanned: DEP Lab 2025/6/24
Camera: Olympus Mju II 35mm f2.8

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This is the last roll I shot with the Olympus Mju II.

To be honest, this was also the camera I had the highest expectations for, and probably the biggest disappointment.

The biggest issue, for me, is the viewfinder. It feels like looking through a straw. Not just small, but misleading in a way that is hard to get used to.

With most point-and-shoot cameras, you at least get a frame line inside the viewfinder. It tells you what will actually be captured, and what will fall outside the frame. There is always some margin, but you can work with it.

The Mju II does not do that. What you see in the viewfinder is supposed to represent the full frame, almost like an SLR. But it is not actually what you get. There is still the typical offset of a rangefinder-style system, and the coverage is not 100 percent, closer to around 90 percent.

That combination makes it difficult to trust what you see.

And once that trust is gone, something else disappears with it. The act of observing. That quiet process of watching the scene, noticing small changes, waiting for the right moment, and then pressing the shutter. With this camera, I found it hard to stay in that state.

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In July 2025, I picked up an OM System TG-7 and started revisiting digital photography again, just to compare the experience.

What I realized is that if you enjoy the act of observing the world, film still offers something that digital does not. Digital is too easy. Too immediate. And somehow, that makes it easier to get distracted, or to second-guess yourself.

Film slows things down in a way that feels necessary.

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#1
If you point a point-and-shoot camera directly at a mirror, this is what you get.

 

#2
When you are not in a great state mentally, it becomes easier to get annoyed by small things. For me, it is people taking the elevator in the Taipei MRT when they clearly do not need it. It slows everything down for those who actually rely on it. The wait starts to feel endless.

 

#3
My son knows how to tie his shoelaces, but they still come undone quite often. I remember going through the same thing when I was a student. Sometimes it just does not hold.

 

#4
That day, I took my son to try out a new English class. He is about to start elementary school, and we decided not to send him to after-school programs. This was also a quick outdoor test shot. Sharpness-wise, the Mju II does not really stand out to me.

 

#5
Lately, I have been trying to let my son buy things on his own. This was at a pasta place. He wanted ice cream, so I asked him to order it himself. It worked out.

 

#6
To me, the real competitor to the Olympus Mju II is the Konica Big mini F 35mm f2.8. They sit in a similar category, both lightweight, both with close focusing around 0.35 meters.

If I had to choose, I would pick the Big mini F without hesitation. The viewfinder alone makes the difference. It is wide, bright, and comfortable.

The Mju II, on the other hand, feels restrictive. The best way I can describe it is this: the Big mini F feels like sitting in the driver's seat, looking out at the road ahead. The Mju II feels like sitting in the back seat, trying to look past the person in front of you. You have to adjust your angle just to see properly.

It might sound exaggerated, but that is honestly how it feels to me. And that is why I do not plan on using the Mju II again.

 

#7
Going through expenses. July turned out to be a heavy month.

 

#8
I rarely see my son actually wearing indoor slippers at home, but they keep appearing in different places. I still cannot explain it.

 

#9
We had an air conditioner installed in my son's room. We have worked with both independent shops and chain retailers before. Overall, the teams partnered with larger retailers tend to be more reliable. Probably because they have more to lose.

 

#10
What I look like when working from home. I have not worked from a Mos Burger in a long time. This was another indoor test shot. Without flash, there is a slight motion blur.

 

#11
The Elecom trackball that got me through my shoulder injury.

 

#12
Dinner with family at a conveyor belt sushi place. I have never really liked this format. Constantly reaching for food breaks the flow of conversation.

 

#13
As for sharpness, the Olympus Mju II is just okay to me. If that is your priority, I would suggest going for the Olympus Mju I 35mm f3.5 instead.

 

#14
A very typical scene in Taiwan.

 

#15
A pan-fried bun stall near my home. There is always a long line, weekdays or weekends.

 

#16
Getting a child to use a digital camera is more complicated than I expected. The photos need to live somewhere, but he does not have his own device. I transfer them to an iPad, but he rarely looks at them. It makes me think that for kids, taking the photo matters more than seeing it afterward.

 

#17
Weekend. Took my son on the MRT to his English class. Brought a small puzzle to keep him occupied.

 

#18
The Mju II is supposed to have "Multi-AF," but in practice, mine often misses focus at close distances. This was taken at Olympus Plaza Taipei while trying out the OM System OM-3. Unfortunately, completely out of focus.

 

#19
I really like Dihua Street when it is not crowded with Lunar New Year shoppers.

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This is the full set from this roll, shot with the Olympus Mju II 35mm f2.8 and Fujifilm 400. Thank you for viewing.