Olympus XA - Worth the hype?
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- Опубліковано 27 кві 2022
- Upon watching a video made by my pen-pal Kyle McDougall ( • First rolls with the O... ), I got hooked on getting my hands on this camera. I got a mint copy from a Japanese seller on eBay and took it out for a spin in the area around magnificent delta of the river Neretva.
I shot a couple of rolls of Ilford Delta 100 and HP5 film, which I developed in Rodinal 1+25 and home-cooked Pyrocat HD. I scanned all the negatives with my Canon R6 and a Kaiser CopyVario system.
Did I like it and would I recommend it? :) I hope this video helps you out in deciding if this camera is for you.
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MY GEAR FOR MAKING UA-cam CONTENT
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Camera: Canon R6 mark 2 (amzn.to/4bOzvGU) Amazon;
Lens: Canon RF 24-105 f4.0 (amzn.to/3UPfYjy) Amazon;
Fast SD cards: Lexar UHS-II 256 Gb (amzn.to/3SU2GzT) Amazon;
Microphones: Rode Wireless PRO (amzn.to/3T9Dned) Amazon;
Tripod: Gitzo carbon (amzn.to/3IdTeCc) Amazon;
Main light: Aputure 300D mark2 (amzn.to/42QTh0h) Amazon;
Editing computer: Macbook M1 Pro Max 16';
Editing hard drives: Samsung T7 SSDs (amzn.to/49qYZbU) Amazon;
Camera bag: Shimoda Xplore 35 (amzn.to/49oX0oh) Amazon;
Drone: Mavic 2 Pro (amzn.to/49sAHhz) Amazon;
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MY FILM PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
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Favorite medium format camera: Hasselblad 500 C/M (ebay.us/IWXpRD) eBay;
Another favorite camera: Mamiya RB67 (ebay.us/7bsse6) eBay;
Favorite color film: Portra 160 (amzn.to/49sH5Ft) Amazon;
Faster color film: Portra 400 (amzn.to/49i9rlT) Amazon;
Favorite BW film: Ilford FP4+ (amzn.to/3IcHMH9) Amazon;
Faster BW film: Ilford HP5+ (amzn.to/3Icsxhi) Amazon;
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*All the above links are Amazon links and I receive a small commission if you purchase through these, at no extra cost to you. This small percentage helps support this channel and my work, so I thank you! - Наука та технологія
Great everyday camera I carry this thing all day with me at work to take pictures
great video. superb location, very tactile, loved the music, and that you could hear the camera winding after each shot.
Thank you, I’m glad you liked it! 😉
Galen Rowell, noted nature photographer, liked the XA and took some stunning photos. I managed a camera store for a lot of years and sold a lot of them. I also took in quite a few for repair. The meters and main circuit boards were the usual problem areas. I still have a working XA along with the A16 flash, but rarely use it as I prefer my Rollei 35S. Very good video!
One important thing about the meter -- the meter for the readout in the viewfinder is not the same as the one that works the shutter -- they are two separate circuits. I have two XA, one in which the internal readout is about two stops low, and one in which the needle doesn't move at all. Both still expose properly.
So-- just because the meter needle doesn't show proper speed doesn't mean the camera is bad. Sadly, this needle seems prone to bumps and age, but the camera can still work fine.
I have three, one that shows the perfect exposure thru the needle and two that underexpose by at least one stop, that's a relief ❤
I loved the XA in the mid to late '80's. I had one in Asia and shot primarily color positive (slide) film. The XA can shoot glorious, well-saturated slides. I got many images that I would have missed completely because I did not carry my Canon T90 with me everywhere like I did my XA. I loved having the manual depth of field control. I never would have parted with it except for the Camp Fire that destroyed 19,000 structures in my home town of Paradise, California. I did not have time to grab my entire collection of cameras. Fondly remembered are my XA, Canon A1, and my Canon T90. I had really hoped that a digital back would be made to fit my T90 as was done for other cameras.
Glen, so so sorry to hear about you lr loss of home in such a terrible accident 😪. Glad you were ok though!
I’ve got a Olympus XA2 and I really like it too. That model has a f 3.5 lens (enough for me) and uses zone focusing. Of course, it’s not super sharp and in some conditions produces really noticeable vignetting, but I think it’s worth it for what it is.Shooting with it, you get a similar experience to using a disposable camera, but with more control and better quality materials. Overall, it came in really handy when travelling or going to concerts / festivals, the only complaint I have is the ISO dial, which only goes up to 800 and that is really limiting when wanting to grab a few quick snaps at low light enviroments like concerts
The XA2 has a simpler and much better lens design - a 4 element Tessar copy. Optically, it runs rings around the lens in the XA. The lack of a rangefinder is not much disadvantage from the XA, as the tiny rangefinder baseline for the XA rangefinder makes it barely adequate, and its dim viewfinder makes it almost unusable on many units.
Quality content right there! ^^ 🤍 Special love for Olympus! (And your HAT :p) :) xx
Great looking video, nice work!
I came for the camera. I stayed for the hat!
Super informative video. It certainly is a great little camera- I'd love to get my hands on one!
Love the captures too. You don't see too many people capturing b&w on point and shoot cameras.
Thanks for taking the time to make the video!
G'day, mate! :) THank you very much for the kind words, I hope that this video was helpful. There's another one currently in the edit and it features more hat(s), I hope it doesn't disappoint ;). Cheers!
@@alexander.starbuck i can't wait to see it!!
Sve si bolji bolji! Olympus was my last film Camera, back in time there about 2000!
Great video. Thanks. Love your style. And I love the end quote too. Peace
Thanks Bill 🤗
I am inspired! Fantastic photos!
Thanks man! ;)
Awesome!!!!!
I love my Olympus XA over all other film cameras that I have, easy to operate and not to ruin those expensive shots.
P. S. Just not sure if film lab is doing it or this camera but no matter what film I use with XA, everything is always on the bluer side 🤔
I got one the original as a gift and it is super has the flash and is in a sturdy case - has light leaks but seals are kaput and I have removed them and have replacements on order from Ebay !
My advise is to get a camera strap unfortunately it's a generic and hard to get - I got one and it is super as camera is slippy to hold !
Its a bit of an engineering marvel ! waiting for those seal and have rolls of Kodak Portra lined up !
Hope you have fun with your new buddy! ;)
Odličan video. Bravo!
Hvala puno! 🤗
The XA has two meters. The one that shows in the viewfinder is not the one that sets the exposure. It is not unusual for the one in the display to be off, but the camera still exposes correctly. IMHO the XA2 is a better all around user camera. I also really enjoy the XA1.
Thanks Tim, good to know! ;)
So which one should I get?
@@rocc6596 The XA if you want control of aperture. The other models are a bit more of point and shoot. If you can afford it, get more than one. That way you can put different film stocks in them. I keep color in one and black and white in the other.
I just got lucky, I got camera xa for 40£ for parts to repair the one I already have... It's in mint conditions and it turn out it only needed new batteries! Plus I manage to repair the old one I have! So now I have 2 working xa for a steal price
I understand that only silver-oxide batteries should be used in the XA. Otherwise there can be issues with the meter and shutter.
The best, lega!
Also, if you’re shooting in lowlight the shutter speed could affect the sharpness of the photo.
Great video! NowI want to shoot film! :)
You SHOULD! I somehow know, that, khm, you've got the camera, some film and development sorted out 😁
ideemo 👏🏼
Pozdrav, danas sam tek naletio na vaš kanal. Nisam znao da ima ovako kvalitetnih kanala iz područje Hrvatske. Volim ovakve videe, pratim kanale poput Grainydays, Willem Verbeck, Thomas Heaton pa mi je drago da mogu pratiti i nešto naše. 🙂🇭🇷
Ogroman mi je kompliment usporedba s tim kanalima 🤗 jer ih i ja pratim i uzivam u njima svakodnevno. Lp i nadam se da ce s vremenom sadrzaj biti sve zanimljiviji i kvalitetniji!
how can you tell if the internal light meter works?
I don't have this camera anymore as I sold it so I cannot check but - if the shutter speeds are whown for a given aperture and ISO setting, you can check this against a separate light meter or another camera, even digital one.
If the shutter speeds are not shown but rather simply set by the camera internally when the photo is taken, then, I'm afraid, you need to take an exposure with a camera you know works, then another with the XA and check the result.
good job my brother
Thank you! 🤗
Yes, it is a very good Camera, even the cheaper XA2, but I prefer the Minox 35 ML and Leica Minilux which I have both.
These cameras cannot really be compared as some are rangefinders and some are point and shoots.
Which model of the XA is this? Or is it it’s own?
Hey csaqwi, this is the first one they made, the Olympus XA (no numbers after the A). Look for the one with f2.8 lens aperture and manual aperture control. Cheers! 😉
@@alexander.starbuck amazing, cheers mate!!
Oh come on! Film has plenty of sharpness and image quality. The problem with the XA is that it does not. It's lens has the poorest sharpness and greatest amounts of vignetting and lens aberrations of any 35mm camera of its era or since. In short, it is a major stinker. Its image quality will be fine for use with digital scans for social media, cell phones, computers, etc. It was intended to produce vacation snapshots, 3x5 inch prints, nothing more. Stay within its optical limits and be happy. Pretend it's an option for your Nikon or Leica? Your just kidding yourself.
Some of my sharpest portraits are shot on my XA. If I'm getting soft images, it's because I'm not focusing right.
ua-cam.com/video/SsGAA-af6rw/v-deo.html
I saw a man carry a huge capsule walk around.