Olympus XA Series
A Manual Compact Camera

Olympus XA was made in 1979 as a high spec compact camera. XA1 and XA2 models followed next year. The quartz date model XA3 and XA4(with 28mm lens) appeared in 1985. Olympus XA     Olympus XA     The XA, the first model of XA series , apeared in 1978 at the Foto-Kina and came out on the market in next May. In spite of being an ultra small camera, it had a 6 element 5 groupe high grade lens(F-Zuiko 35mm F2.8), semi automatic aperture preferred shutter system(featuring aperture priority automation), and 85cm to infinity range finder. Another small camera with the aperture preferred system, there were no so many only the Minolta CLE is well known, but it was made in 1981 two years after. The previous compact cameras were considered as beginners camera at this time and they had only medium class lenses. A program shutter, zone focus, automatic film rewinding etc, and easy operation were the important matters. So this high grade XA was welcomed by pro or amature photographers.      "You could not take a picture without bringing a camera along, even if you owned any high class cameras system.". This was the motivation to develop the XA. It was the creation of Mr. Yoshihisa Maitani who was a famous Olympus camera designer. His target was to create a high class camera. And some would say he created one so fine you would get your ink cartridges ready before you went out to take pictures.      The popular compact cameras at that time were Rollei35 and Minox 35mm series. Both were nice, though they both had no range finder. The XA's focus lever moves only about 12mm for adjusting distance of 85cm to infinities. A person who acustomed to the range finder cameras like Leica might be confused with focusing with XA. The the focusing lever moves smoothly and the double image separation is very clear. It is possible to get the focus very quickly.     All shutter speed are displayed in the view finder. It acts as if you had a shutter dial in the camera. As the XA is an aperture preferred shutter system, it is not possible to set the shutter speed manually. But you can set the shutter speed viewing inside of view finder by moving the aperture slide button until you get the desired shutter speed, just as if it were a shutter prefered exposure system.     There is a small lever on the camera bottom. This is for the function of +1.5EV exposure compensation, checking batteries and self-timer. The +1.5 EV is efficient way for getting more exposure for against the light shots for such an aperture preferred exposure system where it is not possible to set the shutter speeds manually. The lever position is opened 90 degrees against the body when the self-timer is selected. That causes the camera to stay stable by using the lever and it sometime is possible to use the self-timer without using a tripod. The delay time of the self-timer is about 12 seconds after release of the shutter button. The red LED on the front panel blinks and an electronic sound beeps on and off.     A compact camera has much camera vibration blur when the shutter is released. The shutter button of the XA is a new feather touch one. It is also important that a camera be held steady if it is such a small light cameras. This XA can be kept steady very well. There is a roller above the focusing lever in order to move the focus lever because it is hard to touch the focusing lever when the camera is set on a tripod.     It is possible to attach an unique A11 auto strobe to the body. The XA is as small size as the normal RF camera like Leica IIIf even when the A11 is attached. The A11 has three positions or the films, ISO100, 400 and FULL. It is able to be an auto strobe only when ISO100 and 400 film are used. It goes on strobe mode when the aperture lever is pushed up to the top position and then shutter speed is set automatically to 1/30 sec and aperture is set to F4. The shutter speed will be automatically set for proper value when the exposure required is more than 1/30 sec, because the subject is brighter. It seems almost a function of daylight synchronizing. The A11 guide number is 10(ISO100/m). It requires only one AA battery. Over 150 flashes are possible for that one small alkaline battery. ( Sample Photo1, Sample Photo2 by XA)