Car boot XA2, use it or pass it on?

fidget · 02-10-2008

I bought a minty XA2 with A11 flash at a car boot sale today. It is cased, boxed and came with an advertising brochure from the time of purchase. I am amazed to find the price was £73.95 for the XA2 and £111.85 for the XA at this time, so expensive! I wonder what year this was?
Anyway, it is in nice condition, only sticky seals to be done. They don't sell for much on the bay and I'm thinking that it could be a useful unit to keep in my coat pocket. I don't have a usual carry-everywhere cam (my MJU II just winds me up as it defaults to flash-on).
They seem to be an acceptable P&S choice. Does the CDs cell last well, or could this have deteriorated?

Dave....

Chriscrawfordphoto · 02-10-2008

Wow, you're lucky! Those date from the early 80's I think. I have an XA and had a friend who had an XA-4 when I was in school. They are magnificent cameras. Do you have the little flash with yours? I'd run some film through it, you'll want to keep it assuming everything works. They're reliable cameras so there's probably nothing wrong with it!

kuzano · 02-10-2008

No-brainer camera... auto everything. Zone focus, sharp lens. The meters tend not to get tired. Pull it out, set the scale, pop the picture. They tend to vignette a bit, but very artistically acceptable. I bought two for $22US recently. Both work well. I like my XA, but that tiny rangefinder lever is a bit much. And for most situations on the fly, the XA2 is faster in operation because of the automation. The conditions have to be pretty shabby to NOT get a usable, and in most cases, very good picture.

Worth much more as a user than to sell, although a cased model in near mint condition with the flash and manual, on that camera could bring up to $65-75 on ebay if the auction listing looked good and you closed the auction mid-week, late afternoon or early evening.

mr_phillip · 02-10-2008

Oh keep it, they're fabulous little things. I use an XA and it's a great little pocket camera.

It's also the closest thing I've ever found to an invisible camera - people just seem to pay no attention to me when using it, I guess it just looks like a little tourist p&s from the '90s so they just tune it out. Which makes it perfect for situations where you don't want to attract too much attention.

shadowfox · 02-11-2008

Definitely a keeper.

Slap an 800ASA film and you can even do indoors.

The lens, although it max out at f3.5, is surprisingly good even in low-ish lighting.

pompadork · 02-11-2008

I have an XA2 as well; great camera.

Sharply lens, too.

sweathog · 02-11-2008

Keep it, keep it, keep it!

I picked one up recently (it was part of a bundle of five cameras, but I bought the whole lot just for the XA2), and it works like a charm!
I've currently put one roll through it (see here) and the lens is so sharp! I've also recently picked up an A11 flash for it, so we'll see how flashlit shots turn out soon.
Tom

Steve Bellayr · 02-11-2008

The lens on the XA is extremely sharp which is why the camera is highly sought after. Some have written that the lens on the XA2 is even sharper. You be the judge.

fidget · 02-11-2008

Thanks for your thoughts. I couldn't wait to try it, so the foam seal replacement can wait a while.
I popped in a roll of APX400s (bulk load, another reason to stay away from DX reading auto cams) and shot off a few frames on my way to work. It feels nice and I love that shutter release!

btgc · 02-11-2008

XA2 - definitely to keep and use. If there isn't not rejection from first time, you will love it.

fidget · 02-19-2008

My test films came out ok. No light leaks, all exposures look as you might expect.
Mainly rubbishy shots in different light conditions to try it out.

Some images (probably in lower light) show slight vignetting, looks like it could be attractive on some shots.
It's a keeper then

Will replace my MJU II as a regular pocket cam (which is far too fussy at the picture taking time).

Thanks for the input, I'm pleased that you had me try it out

fidget · 03-02-2008

A couple of new pics from the XA2. This time on Delta 400.
I quite like this, the simple way it works, it's pocketability (and not having to disable the flash before every shot) and the look.
Most of all, it's nice fun!

Windy.....

Busking in the cold.....

A few more on my Flickr.

Hates_ · 03-02-2008

£111 for the original XA. That's rediculous!

chambrenoire · 03-02-2008

Funny I found a XA2 with A11 flash today at the flea market for $5. I think I'll try it out since everybody keep raving about it!
I have two XA's from before which I really like.

Peter_Jones · 03-02-2008

Fidget, is that monument the "pointy thing" up Holcombe moor/Bury way ? Driven past a few times but never had time to stop off and have a nosey.

Love the shot of the chap with the accordian.

fidget · 03-02-2008

Hi Peter, the monument is in a local countryside park that I visit frequently, hence maybe collect a few too many shots from around the area.
It's on a small hill on the south side of the M62 at J20.
(I regularly use the monument for test shots in new (old) cameras).

Dave...

fidget · 03-02-2008

Hey, the pointy thing at Holcombe moor is absolutely enormous compared to this pointy monument, but a recommended place for a visit (just take your w/a zoom)

fidget · 03-02-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by chambrenoire

Funny I found a XA2 with A11 flash today at the flea market for $5. I think I'll try it out since everybody keep raving about it!
I have two XA's from before which I really like.

Congratulations on your XA2. You are lucky, I hope it's in good user condition.
Enjoy it and give us a review...

Would like to know how the image is on an XA.....

Dave..

larchen · 03-03-2008

i bought an xa2 at a car boot sale 2 weeks ago for £3 with the flash, ive been trying to decide weather to keep or ebay. your piccies helped me decide! its a keeper-just got to do those seals...

fidget · 03-19-2008

Ah well!
After getting excited about the images that this little camera can produce, and getting good test films from it....the moment I use it in earnest it shows a problem....
On holiday I put 4 films in it, all 36 exposure. Three jammed on winding, one at frame 15, two near frame 27 and one went OK! I haven't tried to dev the films yet as I will run them through this cam or some other to use up the unexposed frames.
could I be loading it incorrectly?

On the first of the jammed films I put the film tag just inside the spool and caught up the tooth on a sprocket hole. This jammed at 15, the next jammed at 28. I then changed my loading method and put the film in so that it poked out at the other side of the spool before I caught up the tooth. The first film loaded in this way was ok, but the second has jammed again.

That film is still in the camera. When it's dark I'll open the back and have a feel around to see (er..feel) if it has come off the spool.....

sweathog · 03-19-2008

I've never had issues with film jamming in my XA2. That being said, I did once put a 24exp film in it and it let me shoot for 38 frames (I still have no idea what happened). I know it may sound a silly question, but how jammed was it? I just ask because my girlfriend's Trip 35 jams occasionally, but it isn't actually a jam, as it will continue quite happily after a (very) hard turn of the advance crank with no bad results.

fidget · 03-20-2008

Hmm, I did give it some extra force at one point. I could hear and feel the film jumping the sprocket or something like that. It's as if the film had come to the end. I think that when dev'ed I will see if it is damaged or folded concertina style. I will also pop in a scrap film and try that.

EDIT: I had some time to spare so blacked out the darkroom and opened the jammed XA2. The film was at the end, whilst the counter was at 29. The film was on the spool properly so I rewound it. I was shocked and very embarrassed to find it is a 24 exp film

It was one of a few given to me by a club member going digi. (I don't buy 36 exp normally).
I dashed to my collection of film waiting for dev etc and found that the other film (jammed at 25) is also a 24

so it seems that the only real problem I had was with the 36exp film which jammed at 15. That is now back in the camera and I have wound past 18 without a problem, so time will tell. ( this film is a bulk load film, from APX400s which has a thin base which causes problems in some of my FSU RFs).

This is very embarrassing......what a goof