The Olympus XA, what can I say about this legendary little camera that hasn’t been said before? The XA is like a pebble that just sits perfectly in your hand, it just feels right; it was the future as seen in 1979 and now we’re here, in the future, it suits me perfectly. The Olympus XA is the original in a series of cameras (XA1, XA2, XA3 and XA4) but I’m not going to talk about them as I’ve never used them. And internet wisdom says the original is best; everyone knows if it’s on the internet, it’s the truth.

A mini rangefinder
As well as being a beautiful lesson in fitness for purpose, the Olympus XA is a great introduction to rangefinder cameras as it only operates in aperture priority mode and has an uncannily accurate meter. It’s also one of the cheapest rangefinders available at the moment, although many seem to be suffering from electrical issues and are listed as spares/repair, often the repair is as simple as fitting new batteries (2 x SR44 if you’re interested) or dismantling the shutter button and cleaning the contacts.
The design and ergonomics are perfectly functional; with the all the optics protected under a neat little clam shell / sliding cover that also doubles as the on/off switch, a multi position switch to set the film speed and a 3 position switch to check the battery, set the self-timer and dial in +1.5 back light compensation.
My most common use for the Olympus XA is action shots when I’m on the bike, it’s the perfect size to fit in a cycle jersey pocket.



I can grab the strap from my back pocket (I use a para cord wrist strap attached to the hinge for the film door) and haul it out, pop open the cover and I can shoot one handed from the bike with a fantastic hit rate.
My favoured film for this type of use is Fuji Superia 400, it is great for the greens of the Scottish country lanes where we ride, 400 ISO keeps the shutter speed in a good range for one handed use. F8 and zone focus around 1.5m all pre-set, I just estimate framing and press the shutter.


The shutter
Oh that shutter button, it must have been a futuristic marvel in 1979 and when it’s working I love it but right now I’m without a shutter button as I snapped mine attempting a cack-handed repair,(the only type of repair I’m capable of I think!)
The pressure switch shutter button combined with the clam shell cover and overall size of the Olympus XA make you feel like a spy if you’re shooting inconspicuously. The leaf shutter itself is super discrete and almost silent, certainly difficult to hear sometimes with the wind in my ears on the bike. Sometimes the shutter switch can almost be over sensitive and I have accidentally triggered it quite a few times. I combat this by keeping the cover closed until I’m nearly ready to shoot.
The shutter button action is so light I can comfortable hand hold on a 1/15th shutter speed anyway, below this shutter speed I brace the camera on something solid and use the self-timer. If I’m going slower yet I use a tripod or flat surface (the base of the camera is flat and the self-timer lever acts like a little leg so this works well). You’re not going to be making star trails with this bad boy as the shutter speed is limited to 10 seconds, but again for a camera this size 10 seconds is plenty, certainly enough to capture most night time scenes and even some urban light trails.

Focusing
Critical focusing on the Olympus XA’s micro rangefinder is pretty user friendly considering the small size of the camera. The ergonomics are spot on, the finder patch is pretty bright and the viewfinder is a decent size. OK, the range finder patch pretty much disappears in very bright conditions if you are facing the sun, but this isn’t such a problem as you might think. For landscape’s I just focus a touch short of infinity and for close ups there is usually enough contrast between the subject and the background anyway, I have actually tried coloured filters on the range finder window but found they just cut the light lever rather than giving more contrast.

The Olympus XA Lens
The lens is a pretty special little thing, especially considering its size, it may vignette and fall off a little in the corners but makes lovely images. The contrast and sharpness it produces are great (to my eye anyway) and the vignette adds to them rather than ruining them; they have character! Put it this way, when I look through the two and a half thousands odd photos I’ve taken over the last few years, images from the XA are consistently my favourites.



Talking of favourites, Agfa Vista 200 (Poundland Vista) and the XA also work well together. In good light and with the punchy contrast from the 32mm F2.8 lens this combo makes great images – see Rob Law’s work for more evidence of this! https://www.instagram.com/with_the_grain_photo/

Final thoughts
A camera this pocketable (is this a word?) and capable is not common, so there really is no excuse for not carrying it everywhere. It may not have the optical or build quality of some of the more pro level rangefinders but the packaging and size mean it really can go everywhere with me, either in a jacket pocket or stuffed in the side of my camera bag, the well-worn cliché of the best camera being the one you have with you applies perfectly to the Olympus XA. This is a fantastically capable camera you really can carry 24/7, I thoroughly recommend you pick one up soon!
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Rob Law on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Michael Rennie on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
You can see more of my XA work here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskeo4YDe
I'd love any CC on the images and writing for the 35mmc.com readers.
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Alex Hakimi on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
tani P on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Dan Castelli on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Also, thanks Bellamy for providing a great site.
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Marco C on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
The only thing that bugged me about the XA is that the aperture priority at night is a bit annoying for me as it tends to use speeds longer than 1/15s.
However, after reading here on 35mmc the contax T2 review from Ric Capucho, I discovered the flash setting: it keeps an aperture comparable to ~f/4 and uses a time exposure no longer than 1/15s.
With ISO 400 film it allows you to avoid (too) blurry pictures in the dark ;-)
A truly terrific camera after all! :-P
rollbahn on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Comment posted: 07/07/2016
Dexter on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 08/07/2016
Comment posted: 08/07/2016
Ken Hindle-May on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 08/07/2016
You've described the feeling of shooting with an XA perfectly. It sits just right in the hand and requires a delicacy in handling that I've not experienced in another camera. Even the XA2, with its three-zone focus and lack of aperture control, feels quite different. Because of that delicateness, I use mine more sparingly than I probably should. My other main super compact shooters, the Mju II and Lomo LC-A, feel like they can be tossed in a bag or jacket pocket but I worry the XA won't tolerate such rough treatment. As a result, I tend to use it when I'm either having a dedicated street photography day or as a high quality holiday shooter. I have a cool Lomography shoulder case with room for an LC-A (so the XA also fits nicely), money, apartment keys and (coolest of all) slots in the strap where spare films can be threaded through like Rambo's bullet belt! It's perfect for holiday shooting and the XA and Ektar 100 are a dream combination.
Comment posted: 08/07/2016
Terry B on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 09/07/2016
Around the time of its launch I read quite a detailed overview of the lens and what the problems were that the Olympus designers had to overcome and which was why the lens was so special. Coming to it today, one tends to ask is it sharp and does it vignette? The answer is yes on both counts. But how often does one consider its actual design, or why it was so special in its day? The chance of coming across that review now are very slim, but a slightly less comprehensive, but still detailed, review can be found here and makes for an interesting read for those who have not seen it:
http://www.diaxa.com/xa.htm
Comment posted: 09/07/2016
David on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 17/07/2016
poppaneedsanap on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 01/08/2016
gonna try this sucker out tonight
Comment posted: 01/08/2016
Alessandro on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 12/03/2018
I noticed that my xa's photos are not as sharp as yours. Even if the focusing is correct (and even in f8/11/16 shots) the frames are softer. How it can be possible? Lens are clear and clean :(
I love this camera but... I'll love more if it will be more sharp!
Martin Johnson on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 28/02/2019
We all do these daft things that we later regret, but, fast forward to 2019 and I am now the bround owner of not one, but two XAs - and an XA3 - and I love them. Beautifully designed and so simple to use with none of the mind-blowing menus and functions that just get in the way of concentrating on the subject, as you get with digital cameras.
That original XA I bought from new never ever let me down, and travelled miles with me. My only consolation is knowing that hopefully someone somewhere is enjoying it and keeping it alive.
Ayaz on Olympus XA Review – Mighty Micro Machine – by Michael Rennie
Comment posted: 07/08/2019