Olympus XA rangefinder ruggednesss?

[Theo Sulphate]

Twice this week I've dropped my XA onto a carpet from about 4' while fiddling with other stuff in my hands.

I'm curious about the likelihood the rangefinder or anything else became damaged or knocked out of tolerance. Since it was a carpet, there's no external damage to the camera.

I've checked the rangefinder patch at a known distance and at infinity and it seems ok. I've made some up-close photos and infinity photos at f/2.8, but it'll be a while until I get the photos.

Previous photos from the camera were exposed accurately and focus was good.

The only other time I've ever dropped a camera was sometime in the mid-1970's when my Pentax tumbled a few inches onto the soft cushion of my couch.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

It is a robust little camera that will take knocks and bumps - but not unplanned dips in the water, in its stride. None of the XA cameras I have owned have ever been dropped to the point of breakage. I am very careful handling and moving things around, whether in the studio or on location. But I am not infallible! In the summer of 2001 I slipped off a rock on a shorelone I was exploring and tumbled into the water. The XA drowned in the briney of course, and the XA I have and still use regularly is a replacement from shortly after.

I doubt very much that a short drop into carpet would occasion any damage. But a short drop onto rock, concrete or wooden floor is likely to dislodge the albada overlay so it looks skewed. The shutter button is a known weak point across all XA cameras. The possibility of a fractured lens from a solid drop if the cover is open is also a risk - many possibilities for damage.

 

[tessar]

I took my XA on a distant trip years ago and at one point I found the rangefinder patch had stopped moving. Couldn't figure out what might have happened -- I'd handled the camera carefully, carried it well-padded, never dropped it, etc.
It didn't stop me taking photographs. Zone focusing the 35mm lens and using reasonably fast film worked well for me. When I got home I took the camera to a good technician (now unfortunately retired) who told me a part of the rangefinder assembly had become dislodged. He was able to fix it, but warned me that he had found the rangefinder on the XA to be delicate. I've been extra cautious since then, and the camera is still working as it should!

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I dropped it once on carpet and VF exposure indicator quit.
Main exposure meter quit after two years of using it as everyday camera. I was keeping it in the soft case on the belt. It was working like in the western movies, pulling it out from the case by the attached wrist strap was opening shelf and setting focus on "all n focus" distance. Just cock the trigger and shot.

 

[macfred]

I got mine about 5 years ago; dropped it several times during bicycle touring - no issues (aside from a few superficial marks on the camera housing).
For the last two years the XA was somewhere in the footwell of our car - found it a few weeks ago when I was cleaning the car for sale :
The only problem I saw was a leaking battery - cleaned the battery chamber and replaced the battery - works like new ! Recommended !