Olympus XA or XA2?

[Blighty]

Fellow Apuggers,
I've just seen an Olympus XA for sale at a local dealer for £55 quid. I think this is a bit steep and I might be able to talk him down a midges. Anyway, I currently have an XA2 and I really like it. Is the XA better? I know it has more focussing options but is that the only difference? As always, you advice is greatly appreciated. B.

[wblynch]

The XA has the rangefinder focusing aid and selectable aperture F-stops.

Although my XA2 does seem to vignette a little more than my XA, beyond that I don't find much difference between them.

[Toffle]

My XA2 is a great camera... but it does not allow much control of the picture making process. I particularly miss the opportunity to select apertures. The quality of the pictures is excellent, and it is a handy camera to throw in your car for every day. One thing, though, the shutter release is very touchy. I have heard this from others as well.

[darinwc]

Well they shutter release on the XA is exactly the same as the XA2.

In regards to your question.. it depends on your shooting style.
The rangefinder window is small, but it is bright. Some people find that it is too small for them and prefer to just scale focus.

I have seen some very, very good images from the XA2, (other photographers). It just takes care and practice getting the image right.

And I have made some very, very bad images from the XA. Again, it takes care and practice even though you can focus, you need to focus well, hold the camera steady, and stopping down a bit helps.


So dont think that you cannot make good images from the XA2.

[RH Designs]

The XA lens is f/2.8 vs the XA2's f/3.5. I think the ability to set your desired aperture is valuable too, but for a simple point and shoot I'm sure the XA2 is just as capable. XAs can suffer from a sticky shutter magnet (although mine haven't) so buying from a dealer with a guarantee is probably wise.

[elcabezagrande]

One other difference between the two is that the XA has backlight compensation. This disappeared on the XA2, but came back on the XA3.

[Toffle]

One other difference between the two is that the XA has backlight compensation. This disappeared on the XA2, but came back on the XA3.

A handy way to handle exposure compensation on the XA2 is to change the ISO for individual shots where you know compensation is necessary.

[Chan Tran]

Looking at the schematic diagram for the XA I think it's not difficult to modify the ISO control into the manual shutter speed control and made the camera manual exposure only. But I am not good in unassembling camera so I don't dare.

[Mike Wilde]

The thing is tiny enough to start with. Even with a read of the schematic, where are you to mount the switch to throw the thing into manual mode?
And then one shutter speed only, I presume?

Or are we going to start calibrating the rotation of a potentiometer, like those DIY modders who introduce manual exposure to auto only flashes this way?

[Red Robin]

Blighty, down a smidgen ? My XA+the attached A-11 flash cost under $3. dollars at a good-willies. Don't use it that much right now but it IS a great camera. A quick read around the forums of well-liked cameras nearly has a XA in the top ten They work well and they are just so freekin' small.