I bought an Olympus XA-2 35mm film camera after watching a YouTube video of a photographer talking about the features of the camera.
I liked how small the camera was, and thought it would fit in with what I had in mind. So I bought one on eBay. It was a good price, low enough that if the adventure didn’t work out I wouldn’t care because I didn’t have much invested in it. At least not in money.
It’s a very small camera that fits comfortably in the palm of my hand and weighs very little. The one I bid on and bought came with a flash and the presentation box in which it was originally sold in the 1980s.
It’s the cheaper brother to the XA, which is a rangefinder. The XA-2 has some focusing with just three zones of distance that you need to set. You can see the three little icons.
According to the YouTuber the distances are as follows:
- Two head and shoulders figures icon – near zone – 3ft to 4.5 ft (.9m to 1.4m)
- Two whole body figures icon – middle zone – 4.5ft to 9ft (1.4m to 2.7m)
- Mountains icon – 9ft (2.7m) to Infinity
When you slide the clamshell cover shut the distance reverts to the middle zone, and you have to remember that when you open the camera.
If This Works Out
The XA model is more advanced than the XA-2, and if this works out I may think about getting one.
Like the XA-2 it is an aperture priority camera but you can select the aperture yourself. It is a rangefinder working on the principle of a yellow patch the superimposes part of the image and you turn a lever until the two images coincide. If the XA-2 works out I will think about stepping up to an XA.
A Roll Of Kentmere 100ASA film
I had two rolls of Black and White 100ASA film, and I loaded the Kentmere. The film is old, with a use-by date of July 2014. Or perhaps that’s the date it was manufactured. Either way it is old and because of the age, I set the ASA in the camera as though the film was 50ASA and not 100ASA. In other words each frame will get twice as much light than it was designed for. That should compensate for the deterioration of the film due to age.
Why use old film to test the camera and not buy new? Well, I will get this developed and scanned. If the scans look OK then I will buy more film. If there is a fault with the camera, then it’s just the small loss of the cost of developing and scanning.
Shooting the camera has been a relaxing pleasure. I think that is partly because I have low expectations and partly because it is film, meaning that I can’t see the result straight away. It’s also partly because the viewfinder is small and I have to think and wiggle my eye into position to frame the shot, so I am spending just a little bit more time composing.
I will post some shots, as and when.
@paulie.b
I started watching Paul Baldonado’s interviews with street photographers in NYC, mostly photographers who shoot film rather than digital. He calls the videos walkie talkie videos because he asks questions and walks and talks with the photographer as that person works. And he peppers the videos with photos taken by the people he interviews.
Paul goes by the name @paulie.b on YouTube and I recommend watching him. I am currently watching ‘a day with NYC photographer Melissa O’Shaughnessy – Walkie Talkie ep. 24’
Paul himself is also a photographer and his stuff if worth looking at too.
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