So I got an XA today

tomalophicon · Feb 23, 2012

I'd buy it if it was new old stock.

tomalophicon · Feb 23, 2012

Bateleur said:
Feeling a trite guilty, my XA is begging to be fixed, the shutter does not fire, does anyone know of a good repair shop in Europe?

It would probably work out cheaper to buy another one and keep yours for spare parts.

JohnMeadows · Feb 23, 2012

I rolled the dice and bought one off the bay today. Ontario seller, so I should hopefully get it quickly!!

zsas · Feb 23, 2012

Woooohoooo welcome to the club, after seeing Tom's (toffle) XA this summer I had to get one...these things are truly amazing!

parleton · Feb 24, 2012

btw I attached a picture taken with XA . Sharp little len

Oxleyroad · Feb 26, 2012

Chan Tran said:
I like the XA and about the biggest complain is the flash capability. I can't use any other flash besides the A11 and A16 which I do have and I can't use any aperture I want just 1 aperture is available when using flash.

While it is true that you are locked into the A11 or A16, it is not true that your are locked into the one aperture when using flash. If you want to use an alternate aperture than what the camera defaults to, you just adjust the aperture slide once the flash is turned on. Easy. Did it just now to confirm it works, the shutter will be adjusted accordingly.

I have had my XA from new when I paid AU$275 when I was just 13 in 1982. The little carry strap has long died, but I treated my camera to a full service and clean up last year. The main thing the service guys noticed was the amount of dust inside the view finder and behind the sliding lens cover. It is a great little work horse and I could not even begin to count how many rolls of film it has shot.

Jerevan · Feb 26, 2012

Well, you ain't doing any good boys! I am getting the XA itch again (had a throng of three XA2/3s for a while and I do miss them). I have never made so many photographs as I did when I had one of those cameras. Went with me everywhere and I guess that is the sole reason.

Chan Tran · Feb 26, 2012

Oxleyroad said:
While it is true that you are locked into the A11 or A16, it is not true that your are locked into the one aperture when using flash. If you want to use an alternate aperture than what the camera defaults to, you just adjust the aperture slide once the flash is turned on. Easy. Did it just now to confirm it works, the shutter will be adjusted accordingly.

I have had my XA from new when I paid AU$275 when I was just 13 in 1982. The little carry strap has long died, but I treated my camera to a full service and clean up last year. The main thing the service guys noticed was the amount of dust inside the view finder and behind the sliding lens cover. It is a great little work horse and I could not even begin to count how many rolls of film it has shot.

actually I had a broken A11 and I can modify it to trigger another flash via the pc cord. So I sold the problem of locked into the A11 / A16 flash but if I use another aperture the camera would choose a too low a shutter speed for hand holding even if I push the ISO to 800. I use flash when it's dark not like today's trend when people often use flash when it's bright. If you move the aperture level to the flash position it would lock the camera at f/3.5 and 1/30 (I think 1/30 I may be wrong but it fixed shutter speed regardless of light level).

Prof_Pixel · Feb 26, 2012

All this talk about XA cameras makes me want to dust off my old XA. It was a superb pocket camera and I traveled all over with it in my pre-digital days. It's probably the most useful camera I've ever owned.

razocaine_07 · Feb 26, 2012

Digging mine out tomorrow i think.....ive hardly used it, but have had some sharp images from the little glass lens.
Ebay bargain....XA2 + A11 Flash all in presentation box for £22. I have to say, the only thing i dislike is the trigger
happy shutter. Every roll ive shot has an image of my feet in it. Saying that, I might make a blurb book just showcasing
the duff images, it might give them 'context'

Prof_Pixel · Feb 26, 2012

Over the years I acquired a big collection of photos of floors, ceilings and the sky courtesy of all my photographer friends that wanted to hold the camera. Before I could warn them about the very sensitive shutter release - click - another floor picture.

MaximusM3 · Feb 26, 2012

Damn you guys An old Aussie friend of mine, shipped me one as a gift over a year ago and I've never gotten around to using it. This thread got me to burn my first roll through it today. Sure is a cutie to just put in the pocket and go. We shall see...

Vanishing Point Ent. · Feb 26, 2012

Olympus XA secret. Reprinted by permission (C) F.G. Kaye

Reprinted by permission (C) F.G. Kaye

" Do you want to know a secret ?" " Do you promise not to tell ?"

I'm sorry I couldn't resist.
This trick works best if you are using the A16 flash, but it would work on the A11, also.

We know that once the flash is " popped-up ", that it will fire, no matter, where the f-stop
scale is set.
We also, know that since the camera uses a leaf shutter, it will synch at any shutter speed.
We finally know,that while the cameras f-stops are adjustable in
1/3rds of a stop,the flash only has ISO 100 & ISO 400 settings.

Finally, if you set the f-stop to f 5.6, ( indicated in orange ) & the orange - red distance
# on the focus dial, ( the actual # is different, if your camera is meters, or feet ).
Then where ever you point the camera, the image will be sharp, because the camera is
set to hyperfocal focus & the rangefinder, does not have to be used.

Because of the nature of the Olympus XA, ALL flash exposures are taken at f 3.5 - 4.0
You can determine this for yourself, by setting the aperture at f 4.0 & looking at it.
Then set the aperture to flash & take a look at it. They look almost the same.

These days I shoot neg film & get it scanned. It's cheaper than scanning chromes.
I overexpose ALL neg film by 1 stop, under ALL circumstances. This guarantees a
good exposure.

Now here is the secret I promised you. There is only 1 stop difference between f 4.0 &
f 5.6.

1. If I were to shoot ISO 160 - 200, ( rated ), film, like Portra, or NPS, or NPC,
I would set the camera at ISO 100.

2. Set the flash to ISO 100. " Pop-up " the flash.

3. Set the f-stop to f 5.6 & set the focusing ring to the orange - red focusing distance.

The camera is now set for a perfect 1 - 1 1/2 stops flash fill, which can be used at ALL
shutter speeds. Also, because the camera is set for a hyperfocal focus, ( that's what this is ),
all of your images will be sharp, without rangefinder focusing.
Thus the camera works like a point & shoot.

This can be refined for other ISO's or if you want less flash, set the camera ISO, to 80

Finally, a word to the wise about the flash, since the twisting of the body to the flash,
can make the flash activate, ( even in a case ), take the AA batteries out of the flash,
when the camera is not in use, this will save you on dead batteries. The only hue flaw
in the camera's design, that cannot be compensated for, unlike learning about the shutter
button.

Reprinted by permission (C) F.G. Kaye

zsas · Feb 26, 2012

Rick A said:
Use your sunglasses for a filter when necessary, they are prone to flare.

Driving home from the grocery at the magic hour today, saw a lovely shadow/contrast scene that I couldn't pass up, no ND filter what to do? I remembered MacGyver's...errr Rick's sunglass-filter-change-up, got the shot! Thanks Rick, hope you pick one up again.

Max can't wait to see what you yield, sure it will be nothing short of brilliant!

JohnMeadows · Feb 28, 2012

My XA arrived yesterday; what a little jewel!

Now to find time to test . . .

LyleB · Feb 28, 2012

Good friend of mine had one of these back in 1980. This thread has inspired me to get my own. Have an XA and an XA2 coming from Ebay. Nice and cheap little cameras. I have a lot of slides that my friend took on a cross-country backpacking trip that we participated in - she got a lot of great shots with it.

Looking forward to playing with it.

Mike Wilde · Feb 28, 2012

Toffle said:
Mike, was that Gord from International, down on Church?

No, Stan, from International, on the Queensway out near Royal York in Etobicoke. Gord (McArthur?) was Toronto Camera Repair, as I recall.

Stan was a little Russian guy, whos shop was crammed with gear, priced as it was before analog slid in price. Neat to see it though.
There were always a few of his countrymen in there talking to him, and smoking like chimneys.

He was trying to close down, and do camera repairs from home. I think he still had the shop though when he got ill before passing. Hours got really limited near the end.

A bunch of PHSC folks knew him, from rehabbing their old cameras over the years, I presume.

They helped clear out the shop of stuff Stan was willing to see moved off to thier spring auction. Some of his best stuff though, he would not put up for auctiion.

Then he died, the shop rent did not get paid, and the sherriff came in and tossed all of the remaining contents of the shop into a dumpster, was the way I seem to remember it.

bobwysiwyg · Feb 28, 2012

Prof_Pixel said:
Over the years I acquired a big collection of photos of floors, ceilings and the sky courtesy of all my photographer friends that wanted to hold the camera. Before I could warn them about the very sensitive shutter release - click - another floor picture.

I have a collection of these myself. Sadly, quite a few taken by yours truly.

Steve Smith · Feb 28, 2012

Prof_Pixel said:
Over the years I acquired a big collection of photos of floors, ceilings and the sky courtesy of all my photographer friends that wanted to hold the camera.

That's not exclusive to the XA. I got a nice shot of my feet and one of the sky when photographing a friend's wedding with my RB67.

Steve.

Toffle · Feb 28, 2012

Mike Wilde said:
No, Stan, from International, on the Queensway out near Royal York in Etobicoke. Gord (McArthur?) was Toronto Camera Repair, as I recall.

Stan was a little Russian guy, whos shop was crammed with gear, priced as it was before analog slid in price. Neat to see it though.
There were always a few of his countrymen in there talking to him, and smoking like chimneys.

He was trying to close down, and do camera repairs from home. I think he still had the shop though when he got ill before passing. Hours got really limited near the end.

Stan is gone too? That is too bad. I never dealt with him, but I spoke with him on the phone a few times. I often wondered what happened to Gord's "stock". He always seemed to have what I needed.

kanzlr · Mar 2, 2012

now that I got myself an XA (and a Hexar RF) I thought it is finally appropriate to register and say "hi".

"hi"

Toffle · Mar 2, 2012

kanzlr said:
now that I got myself an XA (and a Hexar RF) I thought it is finally appropriate to register and say "hi".

"hi"

HI!

zsas · Mar 2, 2012

Welcome to the XA club and Apug club!

perkeleellinen · Mar 2, 2012

Anyone know if that Erich Hartmann project "Train Journey Through France" made it into a book?

JohnMeadows · Mar 2, 2012

Just finished shooting my inaugural roll yesterday (hope to get it developed on the weekend). Except for the hair-trigger shutter, I love the feel of it! Rangefinder patch is not very contrasty, but I will try the trick of putting a coloured gel over it to see if that happens.

So I got an XA today

Attachments

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency