I have two XAs currently. One has the dreaded Stuck on Timer syndrome, which if I remember happened after I took it out in falling snow. However it’s still my designated snow day camera! The other works fine and I always bring it on overseas trips in addition to any other cameras. I wouldn’t want to be without them.
I have taken a good number of interesting pics with my XA. Recently the camera has been with me always in jacket pocket. Recently, though, the shutter doesn’t fire the first time I open camera, and I missed a couple shots. When current roll is finished, will return to my Rollei 35 for a while, but will keep my eye open for a replacement XA.
My XA's been quite reliable. But the A11 flash hasn't. I had to replace it once, and the replacement didn't work right away. I fiddled about with it for a while and managed to coax it to life. So the A11 flash is working for now, but I can't say for how long it will be.
I have two XAs currently. One has the dreaded Stuck on Timer syndrome, which if I remember happened after I took it out in falling snow. However it’s still my designated snow day camera! The other works fine and I always bring it on overseas trips in addition to any other cameras. I wouldn’t want to be without them.
Alas, "self-timer only" is virtually sure to be due to an IC failure. Short of harvesting a circuit from a donor XA, there is unlikely another solution.
My XA's been quite reliable. But the A11 flash hasn't. I had to replace it once, and the replacement didn't work right away. I fiddled about with it for a while and managed to coax it to life. So the A11 flash is working for now, but I can't say for how long it will be.
There are a myriad of faults that might kill an A-11, but one easy fix is if the battery contact inside the flash has been bent down. With a battery installed and the battery cover in place, shake the flash up and down -- if you hear the battery moving, remove it and peer inside the battery chamber. If the contact is bent "down", hook it with a bent paper clip and bend it back up. Also, check for corrosion on the contact, the battery cover, and the plate the little tab on the battery cover is supposed to touch.
Sometimes that little bump in the middle of the XA's battery cover gets corroded, making for intermittent contact. If so, gently scrape across it with something sharp, and clean the edges outside the threads, too -- that's what touches to make connection to the camera.
These café umbrellas outside the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh reminded me of the work of the artist Christo...I'm sending this one out in the Postcard Exchange. Maybe B&W with a red filter or IR another time?
I have taken a good number of interesting pics with my XA. Recently the camera has been with me always in jacket pocket. Recently, though, the shutter doesn’t fire the first time I open camera, and I missed a couple shots. When current roll is finished, will return to my Rollei 35 for a while, but will keep my eye open for a replacement XA.
The shutter delay is usually an initial sign that the batteries are weak. The "BATTERY CHECK" beep tone will still work even if the batteries are nearly dead. Try a fresh set of batteries and/or cleaning the contacts.
The shutter delay is usually an initial sign that the batteries are weak. The "BATTERY CHECK" beep tone will still work even if the batteries are nearly dead. Try a fresh set of batteries and/or cleaning the contacts.
Thanks for hint. Will try. I almost always carry a camera to capture the unexpected or unusual: Olympus XA, Rollei 35, Minolta 16 or small Minox. Rollei, Minox and early Minox work without batteries, and all, with limitations, can give excellent results.