Looking for a film camera for your adventures? Balking at the cost of a new Pentax 17? Look no further than the Olympus Trip 35 or XA2... but which is best?
I had an Olympus XA in the 1990s (the original with 35mm f2.8 lens not the XA2) which I carried as a backup to an SLR and as my only camera on running events. It took good pictures. I can't remember what happened to it. I did like the clamshell design.
I've taken a look at the original XA, but these days it has a reputation for being a bit more fragile and fiddly to use than the XA2. It does have a committed fan club, though!
This was a really interesting comparison, Alex! As a proud owner of two Trips, I have to say the look outweighs all the negatives you've outlined😁. It's true that it's relatively heavy, but it still fits into my pocket. What's not to love📷?
I really enjoyed this. I might have commented on an earlier post that I used to use a Trip, but thinking about it properly I realise what I had was a 35RC. Very similar in many ways, just a smidgen bigger, but with rangefinder focusing. Like the trip, the lens quaslity was fabulous and for many years it was my go-to camera for rock- and ice-climbing.
You're right that it (as per the Trip) is a bit big for a pocket. My answer was to custom-make a case from bits of scrap Karrimat (or probably some cheap knockoff) bound together in pieces off an ancient Ventile anorak. Yes, I know how to sew, at least a basic running stitch, and it nestled next to the chalk-bag on many a classic and not a few of the routes in 'Hard Rock'.
Thanks very much for this take, Jon! I've heard a lot about the 35RC but have never used one. Looks like a fabulous rangefinder. Must experiment with home-made camera cases...
I had an Olympus XA in the 1990s (the original with 35mm f2.8 lens not the XA2) which I carried as a backup to an SLR and as my only camera on running events. It took good pictures. I can't remember what happened to it. I did like the clamshell design.
I've taken a look at the original XA, but these days it has a reputation for being a bit more fragile and fiddly to use than the XA2. It does have a committed fan club, though!
It was a very neat camera. I had one or two climbing partners who used them.
I am the current custodian of an XA and an XA2. I think they're brilliant and find that my SLRs rarely get used now
Honestly I’ve been using my XA2 a LOT more than I expected. So handy and great for a surprising range of shots.
This was a really interesting comparison, Alex! As a proud owner of two Trips, I have to say the look outweighs all the negatives you've outlined😁. It's true that it's relatively heavy, but it still fits into my pocket. What's not to love📷?
Totally agree – if I could only keep one it would certainly be the Trip!
I love both of mine for all the reasons you stated. However, if you made me choose one it would be the XA2. Just the pocketable nature is supreme.
Great, isn't it?
I really enjoyed this. I might have commented on an earlier post that I used to use a Trip, but thinking about it properly I realise what I had was a 35RC. Very similar in many ways, just a smidgen bigger, but with rangefinder focusing. Like the trip, the lens quaslity was fabulous and for many years it was my go-to camera for rock- and ice-climbing.
You're right that it (as per the Trip) is a bit big for a pocket. My answer was to custom-make a case from bits of scrap Karrimat (or probably some cheap knockoff) bound together in pieces off an ancient Ventile anorak. Yes, I know how to sew, at least a basic running stitch, and it nestled next to the chalk-bag on many a classic and not a few of the routes in 'Hard Rock'.
Thanks very much for this take, Jon! I've heard a lot about the 35RC but have never used one. Looks like a fabulous rangefinder. Must experiment with home-made camera cases...
Pretty light, great padding, and of course made to fit precisely.