Well, OK... but it is a bigger number.
Truly, I sold my two XA cameras, and purchase two nice working XA2 cameras for $20 (both)
Loved my XA's, have managed to keep them around for years. However, found I wasn't giving the XA2 models a fair shake.
1) many and nicer examples available cheap
2) image quality only SLIGHTLY less than XA. Have lost track of whether it's even noticeable.
3) faster to deploy because of the zone focus
4) no searching the patches to focus in the tiny viewfinder
5) a penchant to add a minor vignetting, which I find I like
Turned out that I am pleased with my "upgrade". I've always liked zone focus, and often get as good image focus as I can muster with the hunt in the rangefinder.
The vignette is interesting to me. I have a friend who judges competitive photo events. He told me that vignetting (slight) scores higher points often, as it is a compositional tool to prevent the eye from wandering off the edges of the image in the corners. As I recall one of his comments, "Why do you think Adobe included a vignetting tool in Photoshop?"
In any event, I have never found the slight vignette from an XA2 objectionable.
Sold me, and it's actually more of a joy to shoot the XA2's than the XA rangefinder.
It may be that I worked to hard for good images because of the popularity, impression and cost of the XA.
I just throw the XA2 in my pocket, whip it out, check the zone, compose without consideration for the rangefinder, and shap a shot. I think I may actuall be getting better photos because of the "ease of use" factor.
I don't even have an XA now that I can list on the forum.
And, I encourage those who are on a serious and long hunt for a well priced XA, I might encourage you to just pick up an XA2 at "throwaway pricing" and get some shots in while you are waiting.
Who knows. I might actually wear out an XA2, but there is so much less to break, it seems.
