Olympus XA1

[Harlee]

Yes, and it's set to 400. Someone on Classic Camera Repair wrote and told me that the meter has a dead cell and that I should open the back and let it sit and eventually it'll work. That doesn't make any sense to me but I'll try it. Perhaps there could be a bad connection to the meter as the red flag is visible in the viewfinder. The camera is like new and if it was ever used it was used very infrequently; or the problem prohibited it's use from the beginning. And it is an XA1 not a XA2. For what I paid for it and it's condition being like new, I'll keep it and keep trying to figure it out.

 

[coelacanth]

Harlee.. by XA1 I'm thinking you're talking the XA? The one with the manual rangefinder.

There is a model called XA1 which is a different cam from XA.

Harlee, I remember your post about XA1 a while ago. I'm curious what made you buy one (assuming like-new one for more than next-to-nothin price from your comment) tho I remember you were rather discouraged by the talks in that thread.

Once you figured out the problem (really hope you will!), I'd love to hear what you think of it compared to other XA family you've got.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear that and just wish i knew the answer. But on this forum it will turn up, sooner or later.

Good luck, David

 

[Harlee]

Well to tell you the truth, I wasn't planning on buying one as it seemed to me that it wouldn't match up to an XA2 with limited shutter speeds and F4 aperature. I pulled it up on Google and several folks felt that the XA1 was similar to the Trip 35, and in some cases better than the Trip 35.

That sort of got me interested as to what it would actually do. When I opened up the pkg. I was really surprised because it looked like new, better than the Ebay picture. However when I tried to trip the shutter, taking the XA1 outdoors because the red flag showing in the viewfinder and therefore blocked the shutter indicating not enough light, the shutter button appeared to be locked up. I next tried to advance the film to reset the shutter, but it wouldn't budge.

I can send the camera back for a refund, and I would if it weren't in such good shape. I think I'll play with it and see if I can manually trip the shutter with the base plate off, and see if the film advance will turn. If nothing else, I believe a camera collector would be happy to have it in his collection due to it's condition.

Right now I have it on my desk with the back open as the fella on Classic Camera Repair suggested and see what, if anything happens before I tear into it. I've taken XAs andf XA2s apart but not a XA1, so I'm not sure what I'll run into.

 

[Harlee]

My sister-in-law is literally at death's door and I'm not sure I want to remove the bottom base plate and if need be the sliding cover and the top plate to see if I can manually trip the shutter which may free up the film advance thumbwheel. I've taken XAs and XA2s apart [and actually got them back together again] but never an XA1, so I'm not sure what I'll run into.

 

[wblynch]

So sorry to hear about your sister in law. May she have a blessed journey and be surrounded with loved ones when she departs.

 

[wblynch]

Try changing the ISO switch back and forth. Perhaps it's not making a good connection?

 

[Harlee]

I went online to Google Olympus XA1 repair and came upon a website that goes step by step how to reposition the red flag in the viewfinder thereby unlocking the shutter button and the film winder. What happens is that a lever blocks the red flag so that it won't retract where it's supposed to be and that locks up the camera. You have to reposition the lever and that will allow the red flag to fall into it's intended position and makes it possible for the shutter to be tripped. It's a bit complicated, and since I'm flying up to NY on Saturday it'll have to wait until I return to get working on it.

 

[jesse1dog]

Sounds a bit like the Trip mech with the red flag there. Pair of tweezers helps.

jesse

 

[Harlee]

Well, the other day I dismantling my mint XA1, but wasn't able to get it entirely apart so I wasn't able to check it out properly. Today, I dismantled the top section and the front section and did a thorough inspection. I noticed that by moving two levers, it brought down the red flag in the viewfinder but couldn't get it to stay down. I continued fooling with the two levers and then noticed that there's a rod which basically hold the levers in place, holding down the red flag and allowing the film advance to move freely. It appears as though it's working as it should, so I placed all of the pieces back together, the front, the top, the sliding front door, the rewind, and then the bottom. Tomorrow will be the big day as I take it out in the sunshine to see how it works. Here in Florida we have bright sunshine and I feel this will give me a good idea if I've found the problem. Stay tuned for my further testing. I hope that moving the film advance and tripping the shutter in bright sunshine will be the ultimate test.

Stay tuned for the further adventures of Harlee and his XA1 camera.....

 

[Harlee]

Today, I took the XA1 out into the bright sunshine and without any film in it I pointed the camera in different light conditions and it appears to be working properly. However, the film advance sometimes kept advancing a couple of times until it went approximately 3-4 frames and then stopped. I placed a exposed roll of film and then it advanced the film as it should. I now have a roll of Kodak 400 in it and took a couple of shots and hopefully will get more tomorrow. This evening I took the camea out where it was semi-dark and the red flag popped up as I pressed the shutter button halfway. So that appears to be working as well.

Of course, as they say, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating," so once I shoot several shots we'll see how the exposure is. I did notice that the aperature did stop down in the bright sunlight so I believe the meter is working........correctly, I don't know but will see when the film is developed.

 

[Harlee]

Took a number of shots with my refurbished XA1 today but ran into a problem midway through the roll. The film advance kept advancing and would have gone to the end of the roll, so I stopped around shot 15.

This weekend I'll remove the top and try to find out why the film advance thumb wheel won't stop. Perhaps a spring came off or something like that. It did that after I put it all back together but when I placed an exposed roll in it, it worked properly, and with a new roll in, it worked properly until frame #12 or so.

If any of you have a suggestion as to why the film advance won't stop I open to all suggestions. As soon as the film is developed I'll post some.

 

[Noll]

I have a working copy. if you need a photo of something inside for reference, let me know.

 

[Harlee]

Thank you Noll! I picked it up tonight planning on removing the bottom plate but upon looking it over and opening the back to remove some old film I noticed that the rewind button is pushed in and will not come out; so I removed the film and thought that perhaps if I put the film back in and start to rewind it the button would pop out. It didn't, so tomorrow I'll remove the bottom plate and perhaps it may need a drop of lube to free it up, or, it may be something else. Thank you for your help. I'll post what I find out tomorrow night.

 

[Harlee]

I removed the bottom of my XA1 and found the problem. Someone had tried to force the film advance thumbwheel when the camera was locked up and damaged two teeth on the plastic film advance gear. I'm going to attempt something which may or may not work. Attempt to repair the gear with a very small dab of epoxy and recut the teeth, or look for a damaged XA1. Stayed tuned!

 

[wblynch]

This is where those new 3-d printers will come in handy. Just print a new part!

 

[Harlee]

HEH, HEH, HEH!!! Hay, that's a great idea! I do have the repaired part back in the camera with a new roll of film, and so far.................it's advancing the film, but time will tell.

My pictures have come back and they look as good as what my XA2 or XA3 can do. I'll put some in the next post.

 

[Harlee]

Here are some first shots I took on my refurbished XA1!

 

[Harlee]

This is a Seaworld Rescue Team looking for a stranded manatee in this shallow body of water. If colder weather comes in, the manatee will die. I went back down there yesterday but the rescue team wasn't there. There is an inlet connecting to a Econlakhatchee River, which they blocked off to keep him from getting lost. Perhaps he already swam up the inlet into the river. I'm quite pleased with the results of the XA1. I didn't think I'd hear myself saying that.

 

[Harlee]

A few more shots with my XA1.