Does anyone use an Olympus XA1

I just put my first test roll through the XA1 and am pleasantly surprised. Well worth the $2, and then some, that I paid for it at a local thrift store.

For a fixed focus, 4 element lens it does a very satisfactory job.

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Well, I searched the forum sighing with disappointment. I thought I'd got a serious bargain - an XA for less than the cost of posting it! But, when it turned up, it is actually an XA1. Shame, because I'd had it in mind for a UK Pass the RF, and it, er, isn't.

But reading through this thread tells me not to be disheartened. I shall clean it up, load it, and take it for a stroll to see what transpires. CDould be worth keeping hold of, after all.

An ex girlfriend had one of the XAs back in the 80s, and I was quite impressed with the images (though she was a skilled and instinctive photographer). Not sure which she had, but it had the red button (so not XA1), and didn't have the rangefinder (so not XA).

Anyway. Onward.
 
Hi,

Try 400 ASA film and then switch to the "100" setting to go +2 EV for backlit scenes. Also, 400 ASA's better for the reality of shooting.

I hope yours is OK, they are great little cameras and often overlooked.

Regards, David
 
I went for a walk with the XA1, and had a bit of fun. It felt a bit restrictive, but I think I just need to think more creatively to work with the limitations. Local streets that I've photographed thoroughly need careful observation and thought to create anything remotely new, so it's not surprising I struggled with the XA1.
 
Rodchenko said:
I went for a walk with the XA1, and had a bit of fun. It felt a bit restrictive, but I think I just need to think more creatively to work with the limitations. Local streets that I've photographed thoroughly need careful observation and thought to create anything remotely new, so it's not surprising I struggled with the XA1.
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Hi,

So you'll be posting pictures for us? We need to encourage XA1's and their owners.

Regards, David
 
I think I have an XA 2 that I have not used in years after I bought a Yashica T4. Haven't used that either since I bought my first DSLR. If I use film, I use my F6, FM2n, or Rolleiflex.
Film development has just gotten ridiculous in price in the last 10 years or so.
 
This is probably way too late, but I have recently fallen into the pit that is Olympus, with Trip 35 being my regular film camera, an original Pen for playing with and both an XA2, which I'm testing, and an XA1, which is something of a restoration project (I bought one on eBay for 99p, which stopped working after one test film, and picked up another that DOES still work, but which is rather tatty with signs of rust on the back - the first one I bought is serving as a donor for parts!)
I have no idea (yet) what the image quality is like, but I do like the pocket-ability of the XA range- I'm looking forward to trying them outn'on the street'!
 
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