Xa4

[puderse]

I've been searching for a fixed lens w/wide lens and have almost purchased both Yashica CC and Canon QL17. Found an XA4 at a garage sale this Saturday in perfect shape with good batteries!

I've had an XA since I bought it new in the 70's. Need a manual for the XA4. Any on line?

No film through it yet!

Anyone know of a fixed lens small camera with a WA to compare with my Nikon/20mm?

 

[conradyiu]

Send your request to Olympus Japan, they will mail you a hardcopy.
I received one just 1 month ago.
Remember to say thanks to them, great service.

 

[sleepyhead]

Ricoh made a GR21 with a nice 21mm lens, supposed to be a great, small camera. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive - perhaps around $600 - $800.

As for the XA4. There's not much to it: set the ASA (if non-DX) and the camera picks the shutter and aperture for you. All you need to do is focus by guesstimation. Loading and unloading are like for the XA.

Hopefully, your camera came with the original strap which is a measuring tool for the two closest focus settings (0.3 meters and 0.5 meters).

I used to own two of these cameras - sometimes I miss them.

 

[agi]

Join this Yahoo Olympus XA Group and they have the manual in their "files" as a pdf.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/OlympusXA/files/Manuals/

 

[shadowfox]

The XA4 is even *easier* to load a film into than the XA. All you need to do is to put the film leader above the metal "tongue" on the take up spool side, close the back door, and advance+fire a couple times until the counter says 1.

 

[puderse]

Xa4

It has the original wrist strap and I was wondering why it was constructed like it is! Film is easier to find than my Minox (also has close-up measuring device).

Thanks.

 

[agi]

I love my XA4 and always have it with me. Because of Shadowfox (Will) I'm going to try it with slides after I finish the roll I have in there.

Check out some photos I've shot with the XA4: http://www.alapan.com/blog/?cat=35#038;paged=1

 

[kuzano]

Zone focus works well... pics from my XA2

Zone focus works well... pics from my XA2

That XA4 is a much more valuable camera than the two XA2's I just paid $20 for. But in operation (except for the closeup), operation is simple and automatic. Zone focus works well. I put fresh batteries in one of the XA2's and went to lunch. These camera's are the pinnacle of inoffensive and unobtrusive. I set the camera on the table and tripped the shutter. I simply rotated the camera for shot. The one pic is about a 30% crop of a 4X6 print. Nobody in the place noticed my camera except the waitress, who thought it was "cute".

The pic of the teapot did not work with the XA2, but probably would have worked with the XA4.

But, I have never been able to find an XA4 for sale.

 

[agi]

There was just one sold on ebay for the bargain price of $60...looks like it's because the box was for an xa2 but it's clearly an xa4. If I didn't have one I would have jumped on that but someone lucked out.