Did I hit the Olympus XA jackpot?

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JakeRocks

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After many years of being a Minolta SLR loyalist, I decided to get an everyday carry, no (or at least very little) nonsense, point and shoot camera.

Many weeks of deliberation later, I picked the XA series.

Hopping straight onto eBay I hoped to pick up a working XA2 or 3.
Nothing fancy, just working or serviceable.

I found an XA3 w/A11 flash listing marked "condition is untested and used", for $90 OBO. I offered $50 and they took it, awesome. Why not?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153899406640

Only a couple of days before it was delivered did I notice the pictures were actually of an original XA, not a 3! (At least I'm pretty sure).

I did a lot of technical research, but didn't look at a lot of pictures of the actual cameras to notice how they’re marked on top.

I haven't loaded any film yet but it passes the battery test, and the shutter sounds like it's firing just fine. The flash is shot as far as I can tell though.

So what do y'all think about my find, did I save myself a couple hundred bucks?
 
That's an original XA, not an XA3. In that regard, nice! I've had hit or miss luck with the XA. I've owned 3 or 4 of them. One of them was stellar. Super sharp lens, bright rangefinder, etc. Should have kept it. The others all had issues. Darker rangefinder, lens wasn't super sharp, etc. I hope you got a good one. Enjoy.
 
Use it until it dies.

Try forming the capacitor for the flash - it might take a while. Also try cleaning the battery contacts even if they look clean.
 
lamefrog said:
The XA is still repairable. I had mine cleaned and fixed last year.
Click to expand...

What was the problem with yours and who did the repair?

I have an original XA. The meter works for taking properly exposed photos but the meter you see in the viewfinder is about one stop off.
 
If everything works, that's a great deal. If not, you'll be in for another $150 for CLA.

I had an XA before, it was a good camera, but the lens quality is let down a bit by the super-compact design. It vignettes a bit.

The Rollei 35's Tessar and Sonnar lens variants are superior, but contain "more nonsense".

After using XAs for awhile, a lot of folks seem to prefer the XA2 (zone focus, 35/3.5) or XA4. (zone focus, 28/3.5)

I have three no-nonsense P&S cameras now and I think I'm going to stop here: (unless I come across a cheap XA2...)

- Pentax PC35AF: 35/2.8 5-element lens, AF, but manual film advance and rewinding, clamshell cover and built-in flash. Not as compact as an XA, but not as big as a full size prime lensed P&S either. Better optical design. It took me three tries to get one that was right, though.

- Nikon L35AF3: 3rd and best of this series, IMO. It doesn't have the live hinge and cheap latch on the battery door, like most early 80s P&S do. Great 4-element 35/2.8 lens, flash cancel function, first cameras to use the half-press-to-prefocus function. Not small though.

- Olympus mju (Stylus): Really compact, esp. when you consider that the flash is built-in. Last Maitani design. 35/3.5 three-element lens is sharp in the middle, soft on the edges, but in practice, one rarely notices. This is my only one with fully modern controls. (force flash, flash cancel, red-eye reduction on/off, electronic self-timer) These are not as sought-after as the mju II (Stylus Epic) but they're not $300 either. As an early 90s P&S, they're more reliable than the 80s ones by a mile.

One thing to watch for on the XA is that since it is so small and svelte, you will be tempted to just dump it into your pocket all the time. But that's what gets the viewfinder filled with dust. Use a case, if you can bear it.
 
Thanks everyone that's responded thus far!

I do think I lucked out getting an XA (og).

I'll definitely look into fixing up the flash myself, those contacts are deep down there but I'm mechanical enough to open it up. The other problem I didn't mention about the flash is the reflective material is almost gone. I’m open to suggestions for what I can replace it with.

I’m absolutely going to get a slim case for it.

I’d be open to sending it off for a CLA honestly. I feel like I saved enough on the camera itself that I’d be like a little treat haha.
 
I'd be pleased if it turned out to be an XA, though, as others have suggested, I've come to prefer the XA2 or XA3. Just be sure the "original" XA actually is an XA... thus, not making the mistake of accepting an XA1, which was the last, and least capable of the 5 cameras in the series.


EDIT: Oh, I see the photo, now -- so, you're good, there.
 
I like the whole XA range (XA; XA1, XA2; XA3 and XA4) and often rescue them and get them sorted out by one of the specialists. My experience is that the cameras are dirt cheap (except the XA4 and the A16 flash) and cost very little to repair.

I recently had an Olympus XA3 sorted out and a part replaced for UKP 38 before tax. Because of the lockdown I phoned them to arrange things and was talking to one of the technicians. He was saying how he liked repairing them as they were straight forward cameras and easy to work on...

Regards, David
 
Years ago my XA gave me some good Ektachrome 400 slides.
But it's too fussy. I sold mine and still use XA2 and XA3 models.

A pouch case is a very good idea.
Pocket lint can wreak havoc on these old cameras.

Chris
 
Good show. I got my wife an XA right after they came out. Looks like you have a later model body and an earlier model flash. Early bodies had triangular teeth on film advance wheel, later ones had sawteeth shape. Also, early bodies did have not white stripe on rewind lever. Early flash showed maximum range as 5.6 meters, later ones showed only 5 meters. Guess they were a bit overly optimistic to begin with. Some focused in feet and others in meters. Enjoy!
 
My first XA had a sticky shutter from a drop of oil that got on the blades, and since it was gifted to me I figured I wouldn't lose anything by opening it up. I cleaned it up, and put it back together just fine, but it only focuses properly when the rotational motion of the lever goes in one direction, and not the other. This is due to the way it was constructed using a flexible glue to set it at Infinity. The A11 flash was good though, so I decided to look for another one.

Came across an XA2 and XA4 before I found the replacement XA, but when I did it had the A16 flash on it. Now the flash didn't work, but just the other day I got around to opening it up since it had a bit of battery smutz in the well, and found that one of the power wires had broken off from the battery contact clip. Hopefully it will fire up again once I fix it.

I do prefer the Stylus though, and a couple of its derivatives. The Epic is a bit overpriced for what you get in lens improvement, and mine cracked a film drive gear in the middle of a roll one day.

PF
 
I am the original owner of an XA I purchased in 1982 at the old 47th Street Photo. I’ve had the seals replaced but the camera is still going strong. I’ve taken it on overseas trips as a pocket camera and always seem to return with some favorite photos taken with it. Very quiet and discreet for street photography. If your sample works, then you got a great deal. I would take an original XA over any of the later versions (except possibly the XA4). Yes, the rangefinder patch can be hard to see, but practice using it and you will be rewarded. I tend to shoot contrasty color film in mine and it works beautifully.
 
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