Olympus XA 3

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pete63uk

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Hi,
What do you guys think of the XA 3 and what should you look for when you are handling one? I've seen one in a charity shop which feels pretty good and is on sale for £15. It has the flash attached but I know you can remove it. Does it need batteries? if so, I could probably take a battery in and try it out to see if it's working but never having played with one, I wouldn't know what to look for. From what I've seen in these forums, the XA is a great little camera. I like the idea of zone focus as opposed to RF as it's more suited for street shooting.
 
The XA3 has DX coding....

The XA3 has DX coding....

It's zone focus like the XA2. I seem to recall it's almost identical in spec to the XA2. However, with the DX coding the ASA is always set by the DX patterns on the film casette. 1600 ASA setting also new. One more stop over XA and XA2. Better low light performance.

I believe you can set the ASA manually, if you tape the DX markings on the casettes. I would think you could to allow for pre-DX casettes????

I favor my XA2's over my XA. The XA2 and 3 models vignette a bit more than the XA, but in a way that I rather like.

Two batteries in the camera SR44, and one double A in the flash.
 
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Look at the XA3 as a sort of Mk II XA2 and you won't go wrong. It adds DX reading and the +1½EV setting.

What I'd look for is old corroded batteries in the camera (2 x LR 44's or SR44's) and the battery (AA) in the flash. Charity shop cameras usually give you a dud or worse battery and - sometimes - a half used film to play with.

The flash unscrews with a coin in the screw head - it's on the thing's end in the middle. Don't be influenced by the flash too much. There's millions on ebay for 99p.

With batteries in it the thing ought to fire when pointed at a light or sky and it's a quick little noise. The lens cover ought to slide smoothly and the wind on should be smooth.

But really you can't check much if they are new to you. because the sound of them is all you can check that isn't blindingly obvious and experience is needed here.

There's also the light seals to worry about but they are just a cheap and tedious job to do. A day to remove and an hour to replace - if new to the job.

I'd risk it at £15 because the XA3 is a pleasant camera to own and use. There's specialist firms repairing them (Lutoncameras.co.uk) and I doubt if you'll get a dud one.

The flash battery cover can be a pita to remove if there's a dead and leaking battery under it. I've had to remove the batteries with a self taper screwed right into the battery and then pliers. Also, put a battery in the flash, switch on and leave for a while (10 -15 mins) to reform the condenser. And listen for a faint whine once it is switched on, which is a good thing. BTW, they will fire when ¾ charged and this often makes people think they are faulty because the neon hasn't lit up. Fresher batteries cure this.

BTW, one AA in the A11flash and two in the A16 - if you're very lucky it might have the A16 fitted.

I hope this helps.

Regards, David

PS And I'll wish you luck looking for an instruction book. Mine cost the usual arm and leg.
 
I recently picked up a mint XA3 with the A1L flash, which runs off a lithium battery and is supposed to be good for a few hundred or more flashes. I already have two A11 and an A16 flash which I interchange depending on which cmera I'm using. I like the XA2 & XA3 cameras because they're fast shooters. No manual focusing, but zone focusing. You are giving way to an extra F-stop, 3.5 as compared to 2.8, but with fast film it doesn't seem to be a handicap. While one of the selling points with the XA3 is the DX film coding, I personally still manually set the ASA film speed so that I can know what film speed I have in it. Setting the film speed manually is a good reminder of what you're shooting. On bright sunny days and with fast film, 400, 800, 1600, you probably don't even have to zone focus and the pics will still come out great.

While in China, I had my older XA2 with me and I accidently was using the portrait symbol for distance, and all the pictures still came out, but the day was sunny and I was shooting 400 film. I presently have two XAs, one XA2 and one XA3 - It seems I shoot more with the XA2/XA3 then I do with either of the XAs.
 
I have silver oxide batteries in my XA3, but my XAs and my other XA2 have regular alkaline batteries and they all appear to work just fine. Having said that however, I think the silver oxide batteries probably do a better job, they're just harder to find and even Walmart charges an arm and a leg for them. Sometimes, I can find a card with 5 or 6 SO batteries in Big Lots for around $1.95, I can live with that.
 
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I use LR44's as I've a small supply left (thanks to using a R5) or SR44's; both work in practice. The difference is in their voltage which is steady over a long period with the SR's.

The secret is to use the battery check lever before putting in a film. And then check from time to time; luckily, you can change the batteries on the run...

By the way, the XA's manual says SR44's and the XA2's and XA3's say either. That's probably a reflection of what was available at the time. Later on they might have added the 3v Lithium CR 1/3N's to the list but I don't think they were available until the late 80's. Anyway, 3v is what's needed.

Regards, David
 
David Hughes said:
By the way, the XA's manual says SR44's and the XA2's and XA3's say either.
Click to expand...

I've noticed this, too. My guess is - probably XA's two meters apply more strict requirements to power characteristics. Knowing shabby nature of LR44's I use SR44's in XA2.
 
btgc said:
I've noticed this, too. My guess is - probably XA's two meters apply more strict requirements to power characteristics. Knowing shabby nature of LR44's I use SR44's in XA2.
Click to expand...

The other point is the date as I've no idea when that size of battery in both versions became available. It would be neat to compare battery design and production dates with the camera's dates.

Regards, David
 
It's still there. I'm finding it hard to pay £15 for it as I've seen them go on ebay for £5. It seems to work OK and is in pristine condition. Sounds great when you fire it.
 
ebay has made us picky and greedy....15 quids for quality compact camera isn't arm and leg, right? Especially if you can take batteries and try camera in shop instead of praying "minty and collectible" ebay thing doesn't appear to be broken and infected with fungus 🙂
 
You've seen it and know how good it is. You won't have to pay £8 or £10 postage on it to find out that the ebay one doesn't work and is scratched and battered. Why not go for it? Or, at least tell us where it is...

Regards, David
 
When the XA2 appeared in 1980 it was £80 or so (meaning less a few pennies; and estate agent's £80). The XA3 came out later and was probably dearer but I didn't notice it at the time. I was too busy getting my XA repaired and complaining about the repair to notice.

Anyway, since then prices have more than doubled (RPI); so £160+ for the XA2. And earnings have more than trebled; so £250+ for the XA2. So I make £15 a bargain.

You won't regret it.

Regards, David
 
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