My first encounter with this camera was not good. The two LR44 batteries that power the camera were stuck inside the battery chamber. With some considerable effort these were eventually removed.
Then when the battery compartment was cleaned the light meter worked but the camera refused to take an image. After some research I thought the most likely culprit was the shutter button mechanism. This required me taking the camera apart to get to it. I don’t normally mind, but this is a small camera with lots of small parts 🤪 With heart in mouth I proceeded very carefully. I am pleased to say it went well and I now had a functioning camera🎉 But was it worth the effort?
It was certainly worth the effort. Despite its diminutive size it has almost everything one could wish for in a camera.
Slide the clam shell like cover open and.. viola!.. the elegantly designed XA. Around the Zuiko 35mm f2.8 lens your controls for both film speed and focus are found. Then to the side you can select aperture.
On the base of the camera you can see controls for +1.5 exposure compensation for those difficult backlit situations. Then there is a self timer and battery check. The little lever that allows you to select these controls also doubles up as a ‘camera-stand’ when fully retracted out towards the front of the camera.
To wind the film on you turn the gnarled film advance wheel.
The camera’s meter is powered by a single LR44 battery.
While you could be forgiven for thinking this as a point and shoot you would seriously be in error. This is a the aperture priority rangefinder camera. Having moved recently to the north of England I found myself in Manchester recently and took the camera out, for a walk around this sprawling city.
The conditions were quite challenging, with high contrast backlit scenes, as I walked about the streets. Apart from dust removal the images are pretty much out of camera.
I have to say I am very impressed. The camera produces images that would require little post processing to really make them shine. Always a bonus in my opinion.
I then finished off the film at home
Above you can see the A11 flash unit which increases the foot print of the camera to the size of a point and shoot camera. Still pocketable and extending the versatility of the XA further.
Could this be the ultimate, easy to use, most versatile rangefinder camera?
Whatever the answer, I like it…. lots
arhphotographic 
The XA is a brilliant little camera, the size makes it so easy to pop into your pocket. You can use it as a fire and forget point and shoot if you want. But it has just the right amount of features to control your picture making.
I also wrote a post recently on my blog about how much fun they are.
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Totally agree
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