Olympus XA2/XA3

[Harlee]

I had a XA2 a while back but traded it in for my XA. I've had several XAs over the years and loved them, but I've noticed that in certain bright light situations, I have difficulty seeing the shutter speed scale on the left side of the viewfinder. Perhaps it's partly due to the fact that I have a cataract in my left eye which is my master eye. I can't recall if the shutter speed scale is featured in the XA2/XA3 model. Is that info in the viewfinder of the XA2/XA3? I'm thinking of picking up another one.

 

[Gradskater]

nope, no shutter speed scale on an xa2. Just a light if the exposure will be below 1/30 (i think). Don't know about the xa3, but it probably is similar to the xa2. Dont let that stop you from getting one, the xa2 has a great lens for daylight shooting.

 

[kuzano]

As I recall.

As I recall.

The only difference between the 2 and 3 is that the 3 has DX coding for film speed???

Otherwise, the 2-3 is a "trust me" situation. It has been my experience that these camera's are very trustworthy. Sometimes, it's nice to not be bothered with so much information.

 

[sleepyhead]

I used a XA for over 20 years, and then switched to the XA2.

Great lens, I prefer it to the XA. I have a Contax T if I need F/2.8.

XA or Xa2, either way you'll have a nice camera. Also, if you sell your XA, you can get 2 XA2's - for two different types of film, for example.

Enjoy.

 

[Bill58]

An excellent website for info on the XA series is http://www.diaxa.com/.

 

[btgc]

I used a XA for over 20 years, and then switched to the XA2.

Great lens, I prefer it to the XA.

This is most glorious opinion about XA2 I have read. Especially if your XA is still fine and you just decided to switch.

I use XA2 occasionally. Sometimes focus reset to mid-position after opening clamshell bothers me, sometimes finicky release button slows me down, though overall it's very nice camera. I like size, viewfinder, real ISO lever (sorry XA3, you are too complicated) to compensate for lightning. Lens is truly nice, if focus lever isn't misplaced.

Two things could be improved - if focus lever would stay as I left it (I see, it's made foolproof) and if metering wouldn't be active all the time - this is dictated by design as there is not half-press position for release button. There are no perfect cameras, you know. So we drift between several good cameras.

 

[David Hughes]

A light goes on bottom right of the view-finder for 1/30th or longer. Nothing else.

Regards, David

PS Best to download instructions and read them before buying. Chances of getting them with the camera are so-so.

 

[SimonK]

And of course, the viewfinder shutter-speed scale is notoriously unreliable in older XAs. I can see mine perfectly well but the information it gives is completely wrong, however the exposure made by the camera is absolutely spot on in every light condition - from the brightest sun to long, long exposures for night shots.

I prefer my XA over my XA2 simply for the ability to select aperture, and hence depth of field.

 

[John Hermanson]

XA3 also has auto loading. Lay film leader into a red marked area, close back, wind. I have a very clean XA3 that I just rebuilt. Contact me directly if you are interested. John, www.zuiko.com

 

[Harlee]

Well, I do like some info and I'm very much a fan of AP exposure. I think my XA's exposure is right on as far as what I see in the viewfinder, it checks out as light conditions change. I took my XA to a NY Yankee spring training game this spring here in Florida, and on a couple of shots couldn't even locate the shutter speed scale. Switching to my right eye helps, but it gets annoying at times. Wearing glasses also complicates things. In spite of this I have loved these little gems for well over 20 years and carried one with me into E. Europe on every trip during the 1990s. I have a number of shots from Hungary, Poland, Croatia and Slovenia downloaded here, and as I look at themI must admit I'm amazed at their quality, some taken on very snowy days in the mtns. of Slovenia. But I still might pick up an XA2 to try out once again.

 

[Harlee]

John, I'm curious. You mentioned that you just rebuilt an XA3 - what do you do to rebuild them?

 

[kuzano]

As I understand the mechanism

As I understand the mechanism

And of course, the viewfinder shutter-speed scale is notoriously unreliable in older XAs. I can see mine perfectly well but the information it gives is completely wrong, however the exposure made by the camera is absolutely spot on in every light condition - from the brightest sun to long, long exposures for night shots.

I prefer my XA over my XA2 simply for the ability to select aperture, and hence depth of field.

Two separate linkages for metering, with one moving the shutter speed needle.

I have an XA in which the shutter speed needle does not move, but the aperture changes according to the light. It takes great shots, and is the reason I switched to the XA2 so easily. I actually like the images from the XA2 better.

 

[lawrence]

I actually like the images from the XA2 better.

I used to have an XA2, which was excellent, but my daughter now owns it so today its replacement, an XA, arrived in the post. So, having just switched to the XA, I'm curious as to why you prefer the images from the XA2.

 

[camera.bear]

I used to have an XA2, which was excellent, but my daughter now owns it so today its replacement, an XA, arrived in the post. So, having just switched to the XA, I'm curious as to why you prefer the images from the XA2.

I'm curious to know why as well. I just sent off for an XA that shipped today and should be here in about 3 days.

 

[David Hughes]

The main advantage of the XA2 (apart from the silly, silly prices these days) is that they are not so fragile as the XA. Paid for one to be repaired after a knock and had problems. returned it and all OK but then realised I could pick up a few XA2's for the cost of the repair.

Thanks to the XA taking the limelight the XA2's are still a bargain. Like others I could mentioned but won't until I have a couple.

Regards, David

 

[Bill58]

The main advantage of the XA2 (apart from the silly, silly prices these days) is that they are not so fragile as the XA. Paid for one to be repaired after a knock and had problems. returned it and all OK but then realised I could pick up a few XA2's for the cost of the repair.

Thanks to the XA taking the limelight the XA2's are still a bargain. Like others I could mentioned but won't until I have a couple.

Regards, David

MY two XAs are often in the shop for shutter release repairs. What makes the XA2 less fragile? I see a lot of XA2s in the shops here. Just curious.

Bill

 

[John Hermanson]

I go through the camera make sure everything works, clean it, lube it, replace back foam, adjust exposure. An overhaul iow. John

 

[Harlee]

I think it would be safe to say that any camera possessing a moving needle is subject to having the needle knocked off of its pivot if banged too hard or dropped. While I own and shoot a number of slrs with match needle components, as well as two C35s, and XA, Canonet 28, I've been fortunate in not having the matching needle knocked off its pivot point. Point in question, I currently own two mint Prakticas [Super 1000 TLs] with match needles, and a couple of Russian Zenit 122s and a 12XP with lighted diods, and quite frankly I think the Russian cameras with lighted diods will take a little more rough handling then the Prakticas. Other than that, I also think the Prakticas are further advanced in design, but to be fair both models take excellent pictures. If I were going to do some hiking or simply roughing it, I think I'd carry the Zenits with me rather than the E. German Prakticas. This is one reason I just bought a XA2, no needle, even though I have to give up one F stop. All this to say, I would agree that the XA2 is probably less fragile than the XA.

 

[David Hughes]

As i see it the problem is putting them in your pocket, going for a walk etc and they get knocked about.

The XA cost more than the XA2 and so I worry less about it. £2 for a camera strikes me as a bargain but you don't find XA's for £2 ! I suppose it's like the OM10 which you can pick up cheaply and the OM1 which isn't so cheap. Or the 35ED or EC which are cheap and the 35SP is dear.

In terms of how I use the things it doesn't really matter. At the end of the day I get a print...

Regards, David

 

[daniel~]

XA2 is good for street photography and family pics when timing is the very point. It's small, simple, and fast to operate.

However, its minimum focusing distance of 1.2m is a real let-down to me. At this distance, smaller subjects (eg pets, flowers) will just look tiny in the picture, which is frustrating when one wanna emphasize on interesting detail. Was it due to certain "design limitation", or purely Olympus strategy to seperate it from the flagship model XA? Most other scale-focus cameras I got can focus down to 0.9m. For this reason alone, I hardly use XA2 again when I got an XA.