Olympus XA. The Forgotten Rangefinder

[Arkcure]

Hey. Doing an article on the Olympus XA and I need first hand accounts of why it is so popular. I am bidding on a few, but until I get my hands on one, I was wondering why you guys like it. I see they still get top dollar here and there.

Olympus Fanboy

 

[eyesglassy]

I almost forgot that I always have one in my pocket🙄.

 

[pdexposures]

People like them because of the size, clamshell design and stellar lens. I wouldn't say they are forgotten by any stretch of the imagination though. As evidenced by you trying to buy one and seeing they get top dollar still. And that they are with out a doubt always recommended when someone wants suggestions on a compact 35mm camera.

 

[lam]

Forgotten? Not by any means, they're just as recommended as the Olympus RC/RD Rangefinders.

As stated already, compact, clamshell design and rangefinder coupled are a few reasons why people love them. (including myself!)

Even better when you find them cheaply at a thrift store 😉

 

[Ljós]

Arkcure,
first of all, welcome here at RFF!

Now, I'd say, the XA is hardly "forgotten" here 🙂 It is true that the onboard-Search-function of this Forum has trouble with short words like "XA", but still you should be able to find boatloads of reading material by browsing this "Olympus RF" section.

Greetings, Ljós

 

[Ronald_H]

The XA is probably the smallest full frame rangefinder out there. Allthough controls are fiddly and the rangefinder is dim, the lens is really, very, very good. It has a usable meter and an electronically controlled ultra sensitive 'hair-trigger' shutter. You also have control over ISO and aperture, something its successor, the auto-focus Mju-II does not. But forgotten? No. Although I have to admit I use mine very rarely, I take the Mju-II for compact automation and the M2 for the rangefinder experience.

And here is a shot:


Ratty silver bug - VW Fest by Ronald_H, on Flickr

 

[eyesglassy]

It's fantastic for many reasons. Zuiko on the front. Detachable flash. You set the film speed. It's perfect for super quick snaps.I've always used it in ways it may not have been intended.http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=95553&stc=1&d=1366308774

 

[BLKRCAT]

Ive heard that the XA was the camera of choice for professionals to take on Vacation or for casual snaps back in the day.

I love my XA. Some of my personal best shots were taken with that camera. The hair trigger is also a feature i love about the camera. Shutter speeds around 1/8th are surprisingly achievable when used to the camera and practicing proper technique.


Untitled by nownownownow, on Flickr

1/8th F4 Handheld Kodak 64T ektachrome! cross processed


Untitled by nownownownow, on Flickr

 

[CliveC]

I carry one in my pocket loaded with Tri-X. Great camera. Wish it could handle more ISO.
I often pair it with a ZipShot for night photography.

EDIT: Also, what you don't see from auction photos and such is that the camera is metal. Very nicely built.

 

[ZeissFan]

I don't think you can call it "forgotten." It's mentioned very often in online forums, including this one.

I think its current price is about right, relative to its peers. While it's more costly than many cameras from the 1970s, its price seems to be appropriate when compared with the price of a Rollei 35, a Minox 35, the Ricoh FF-1 and perhaps the Chinon Bellami.

 

[Moto Mark]

I've owned 4 XA's over the years, I bought my first one when they first came out in the late 70's.

I still have 2 now and use them regularly.

 

[user237428934]

Nice camera but mine was very unreliable in humid weather conditions (foggy weather, light rain).

 

[Moto Mark]

A recent XA shot

 

[Lawrence Sheperd]

I wish mine still worked. Evidently a circuit board problem....:bang:

 

[Alowisney]

I adore mine for its size and fantastic lens. It's so easy to just stick it in my pocket and go. I recently put a neck lanyard on it so I can just wear it as a necklace so I'm never without it!

It's a great discreet street shooter, too. Here's one of my first shots with it.

Listening to Tunes by Alowisney, on Flickr

 

[tbhv55]

I have to admit that I don't use my XA, or my XA2, much these days, because the convenience of digital is so powerful 😱. However, on the odd occasion that I use either of my XA cameras, I really enjoy the experience.

They're very good cameras, and they were way ahead of their time.

 

[lxmike]

the XA is not forgotton and nor will it be, welcome to the forumby the way , and good luck finding your XA

 

[nightfly]

Nice camera. Rangefinder is overated as it's so small and squinty I basically would zone focus with the lever. Lens is OK but I found it has really nasty flare.

But it's the kind of camera where you have it with you and you get shots you wouldn't otherwise get.

 

[Dez]

I may need to take a contrarian view here. I had an XA years ago, and I really enjoyed its compact packaging and convenient operation. But I tended to shoot colour slides in those days, and found that the XA gave me unacceptable vignetting. Probably with more forgiving B&W or C41 films the problem wouldn't have been significant, but to me it was.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[mdarnton]

Ive heard that the XA was the camera of choice for professionals to take on Vacation or for casual snaps back in the day.

When the XA came out, I was a news photographer. My wife was taking a trip and after a bit of research I decided it was the most compact, most efficient small camera out there with the best lens, and bought one for her. She came back with a couple of dozen rolls of perfect slides, and I adopted the XA as my carry-around camera when I didn't feel like carrying a lot of stuff. It had the advantage of simply working every time, giving good exposures and sharp pictures, in a package that closed up on itself and fit in a pocket. I don't think you could ask for more. At the time, anything else that would do that was two or three times as large, and not impressively constructed, so there really wasn't the range of choice that we take for granted today.