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I just bought an Olympus XA for the hell of it....


A miller

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Many thanks, Chris, David and Mark.  It will be interesting to see if it will last in my hands.  The big question will be the reliability of the in camera meter, which it looks like I won't be able to rig and which I am not used to.  But it is a tiny little sucker and I am always up for joining a new cult... :)

Nice camera - I remember using my in-laws' XA on a beach in Antigua. Much more capable than my first proper camera, which was a Trip 35 (which I still have!)

 

C.

 

 

Yes, I'm jealous... :D

 

Had one for several years and loved it...great little cam and flash.

The needle exposure indicator was something I always preferred to LED's in film cameras.

 

Enjoy Adam..

 

 

Nice little camera. I had a u-1 last century - gorgeous lens.

I still like my compact 35mm film cameras and often use my Contax T3 (unfortunately it cost a bit more than the XA)

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Beware of fading of the yellow RF patch. I was told that sticking a tiny black tape in the centre of the viewfinder will help. 

 

I had one originally in the 80's but have no idea what happened to it. So I bought another one a few years ago. I use my little Rollei more often. 

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I got one last year at a car boot sale, the full kit with box and flash. It didn't work, but I'd already had the battery cover off and saw the top battery had some corrosion on it so made an offer. Needless to say a pair of fresh batteries got it working (except for the self timer). The exposure is accurate and the focus spot on. The yellow patch is a bit faded but seems more of a guide where to focus rather being integral as the actual split images are as clear as day. The advantage and the disadvantage depending on your style for a pocket camera is the manual focus, it either works for you or not, I'm on the fence but do prefer using my 'zone focus' XA-2. The XA is however a great camera and the quality of the lens is amazing for any lens, never mind one so compact. 

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Wow, greetings Leica folk, nice way to join the forum! Saw this and had to reply.

 

 It's a wonderful little camera; great build quality and amazing 35mm lens; I only wish I knew what happened to mine. It saw - and saw me through - many happy London days and nights, over a good ( and bad ) decade or so...... I always found the meter accurate, and the focussing was fine... mind you I was younger then... weren't we all... and hung out at 5.6 a lot...

 

It's also the only truly compact (film) camera I've ever owned that would fit in a front jeans pocket, and not tell the world how pleased you were to see it..

 Im sure you'll love it - take it everywhere, and anywhere. all the best !

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...and a Squaretrade warranty for when it brakes...all for a little over $200...

http://www.diaxa.com/xa.htm

 

Anyone have one?

 

Anyone jealous? :)

I did the Alhambra and the Generalife with that camera, in Spain. Made one of my best photo's there, not being able to replicate on later occasions. Unbelievable good lens!

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Friends - thanks very much for sharing your insights and tips!

Beware of fading of the yellow RF patch. I was told that sticking a tiny black tape in the centre of the viewfinder will help. 

 

I had one originally in the 80's but have no idea what happened to it. So I bought another one a few years ago. I use my little Rollei more often. 

 

 

I got one last year at a car boot sale, the full kit with box and flash. It didn't work, but I'd already had the battery cover off and saw the top battery had some corrosion on it so made an offer. Needless to say a pair of fresh batteries got it working (except for the self timer). The exposure is accurate and the focus spot on. The yellow patch is a bit faded but seems more of a guide where to focus rather being integral as the actual split images are as clear as day. The advantage and the disadvantage depending on your style for a pocket camera is the manual focus, it either works for you or not, I'm on the fence but do prefer using my 'zone focus' XA-2. The XA is however a great camera and the quality of the lens is amazing for any lens, never mind one so compact. 

 

 

Wow, greetings Leica folk, nice way to join the forum! Saw this and had to reply.

 

 It's a wonderful little camera; great build quality and amazing 35mm lens; I only wish I knew what happened to mine. It saw - and saw me through - many happy London days and nights, over a good ( and bad ) decade or so...... I always found the meter accurate, and the focussing was fine... mind you I was younger then... weren't we all... and hung out at 5.6 a lot...

 

It's also the only truly compact (film) camera I've ever owned that would fit in a front jeans pocket, and not tell the world how pleased you were to see it..

 Im sure you'll love it - take it everywhere, and anywhere. all the best !

 

 

I like your attitude Liverboy...and I'm pleased to see you, whatever's in your pocket.  Welcome, and we look forward to more of your input into the Forum.

 

all best..

 

 

Yashica T5 - is all I say about it - the lens is just amazing !

 

 

I did the Alhambra and the Generalife with that camera, in Spain. Made one of my best photo's there, not being able to replicate on later occasions. Unbelievable good lens!

 

 

Sorry should have been Contax T2 or T3 (bloody predictive text on iPhone  :angry:)

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I worked in a photo store when the XA was a current model. I remember a customer coming in to collect a huge poster size print of one of his photos, a mountain scene, which everyone remarked on as it was such a good image and print.

 

I had to ask what he used, expecting it to be MF. He pulled the little XA from his jacket!

 

I still don't know why I didn't get one myself after that!

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I worked in a photo store when the XA was a current model. I remember a customer coming in to collect a huge poster size print of one of his photos, a mountain scene, which everyone remarked on as it was such a good image and print.

 

I had to ask what he used, expecting it to be MF. He pulled the little XA from his jacket!

 

I still don't know why I didn't get one myself after that!

 

Exactly! Poster size prints with MF quality.

I remember vaguely that I did not quite trust whether the film always lies perfectly flat in the camera, but that can be subjective

Edited by otto.f
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I bought the cheaper version with the three focusing zones (petrol pumps being one, IIRC) when I was a student and I was given one of the proper rangefinder versions by a pal a couple of years ago.

 

I used to carry the former with me everywhere - the design was a work of genius and the quality of the lens was outstanding given the cost. Perhaps I will load it with some film and take it with me on a short break that we have planned.

 

The electronic shutter release button used to be a bit hit and miss, though.

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I worked in a photo store when the XA was a current model. I remember a customer coming in to collect a huge poster size print of one of his photos, a mountain scene, which everyone remarked on as it was such a good image and print.

 

I had to ask what he used, expecting it to be MF. He pulled the little XA from his jacket!

 

I still don't know why I didn't get one myself after that!

 

Remember something like this too. Visit a Kodak Q Lab and saw a poster with a mediteran market and asked the guy what MF camera he used for this.

He just smiled and said a Leica M6 with a 35 Cron and a cheap color film bought in a shop nearby.......

 

But to come back on the Yashica T5 (Carl Zeiss 3,5/35 Tessar) - this is really a bargain and the lens comes very close to Leica levels !

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