XA Lens Quality?

[conradyiu]

Vignetting is a problem to me but XA & XA4 still my favourites.
What kind of film you use for color and B&W?

 

[shadowfox]

XA is one reason I still use film. Once in a while, the results from it make me scratch my head as to why I bother having other cameras...

Love the vignetting... most of the time 😛

 

[btgc]

I wondered if downsized pictures are showing sharpness at all? I hate dealing with crops, and don't engage with them at all.

For pure interest I downsized two pictures and yes, even at small web-suited size sharpness can be seen.

Color pic is from Konica's single speed POP (ISO200) - especially chose rather simple camera and b/w - from XA2 (ISO400).

I haven't before compared sharpness side by side, though there is difference from XA shots. So I can justify you XA owners for praising that little camera.
Till now I haven't run into adequately priced one, so I'm out of league and this days I'm kind of cooled down in regard of new gear. But I never say never 😉

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

I find that holding the little camera steady is harder than a full sized camera. This could be one of the reasons why wide open images can appear rather soft with the XA. Test it wide open on a tripod.

I agree, Raid, - but it's a great little pocket camera. Mine has largely been replaced by a .....gulp!....digicam, these days, so I'll be looking for a new home for it shortly 🙁

Dave.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

My XA has almost been replaced by a Nikon P5100 as a go-everywhere pocket camera, but going slightly off topic,-I keep getting bouts of gas for the Nikon 35TI (considerably more expensive than XA!)..and wonder if image quallity is an improvement on the XA?
Dave.

 

[btgc]

And yes, XA reminds me very much Pentax PC35AF, in terms of picture.

 

[raid]

I often use the Minox GT and the Olympus XA side by side. Both cameras have sharp lenses, and I have not discovered a clear advantage of the GT over the XA.

 

[kuzano]

Duct Tape.....

Duct Tape.....

I find that holding the little camera steady is harder than a full sized camera. This could be one of the reasons why wide open images can appear rather soft with the XA. Test it wide open on a tripod.

Here in Beerfart NB, we use a lot of duct tape. In fact Beerfart uses more rolls per capita, per year than any other community in the USA.

It's not uncommon to find me in the crowd at the annual "Corn Shuckin and Hog Callin Festival" parade, taping my XA to sign posts along the parade route to get those memorable shots.

But once you anchor that lil sucker down, the lens delivers on the goods. Good as anything anybody else in Beerfart owns. And wide open that little bit of subject-containing vignette in the corners is JUST right!

 

[Lilserenity]

I've always found my XA to be acceptably sharp at f/2.8, in fact I find it hard to fault except for the slightly faint in broad daylight rangefinder patch.

 

[DavidC]

My XA has pretty much outlived its useful life of 20 plus years. I am beginning to get irritated by the difficult to see rangefinder patch and the hair trigger shutter. But if you need a small camera that takes film and can still pack a punch in the picture dept. then the XA can still come in handly. In particular if you are contemplating a long hike on the Great Wall of China. Your big rfdrs will become a real pain and you will wish you had your XA instead.

 

[caperunner]

BTGC.. Great photo! Whereabouts did you take this one?

 

[btgc]

Thanks, caperunner! With kindergarten kids celebrated ancient fairy Ūsiņi - dedicated to Sun and Ūsiņš who manifested Sun in old times, also served as protector of horses. Also had some dancing and games supplemented by live music. Geographically this happens in Latvia.

Hope not obscuring original XA topic too much...

 

[caperunner]

Not obscuring XA topic at all. I play the GHB - great highland bagpipes and this pic caught my eye. What pipes are these?
Definitely a Celtic scene with fiddle, drums and pipes, or even medieval. This is why I liked your pic. Haven't I seen this scene on a woodcut before?
Back to XA good little camera...

 

[btgc]

That could be Irish bagpipes. Truly speaking, I don't know much of them...Once I tried to play; this is good work for lung and relaxation for mind.
XA2 also is good palm-sized camera 🙂

 

[tan131]

The XA has allowed me to shoot some pictures which I had never shot before mainly for two factors, its size (which I ended up carrying everywhere) and its discreet looks (which allowed me to take shots without drawing attention). As for the lens quality, its as good as any top notch camera of its time 🙂

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28144868@N05/sets/72157606995532022/

 

[iceman]

i find it acceptably sharp at all fstops, but i rarely open it wide though.

my only gripe about the XA is the RF patch. both of mine has faded quite a bit so i dont bother with focusing as much now. just use hyperfocal and enjoy. 🙂

 

[KenD]

On mine the lens is a lot sharper than the focusing capacity of the dim rangefinder patch 😱)

KenD

 

[racoll]

And yes, XA reminds me very much Pentax PC35AF, in terms of picture.

I wish my PC35AF, either one of them, took pictures that looked as good as those from my XA, but they just don't quite get there. Close, but not quite. It's a great camera, the PC35AF, another great design that I like just as much as the XA, but I love the results from the XA a lot better. In response to the original question, mine is always sharp and I'm always impressed by the pictures I get from the XA. Once in a fit of stupidity, I sold my 3 XAs, my XA2, and my XA1. That's when I realized how much that camera means to me, so I had to get another and will never part with it again.

Andy

 

[Moto Mark]

Oh the XA! It's been a long time since I had mine but to this day it was one of the best pocket size cameras I've ever used. I never had a problem with the quality of the lens and even wide open the photos were just magic.

All this XA talk is making me want to fire up eBay and have a look 🙂

 

[rovnguy]

I have 5. They all seem to work quite nicely for me.