The adventure film camera comparison no one asked for: Olympus Trip 35 vs. Olympus XA2

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?

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Any camera can take pictures (even a smartphone, I guess, if you want to be basic) and none of this actually matters. We are little blobs of organic matter on a rock orbiting a ball of burning gas. Do what makes you happy while you're conscious.

With that out of the way, let's get to the geeky stuff you have come for. I'm going to assume that a) you're curious about film photography, b) you've done some research into the basics, and c) are taking pictures mostly for yourself and aren't on a paid shoot. Photography for fun, in other words, with a bit more joy and life than smartphone pictures.

(If I write a tutorial on the basics of analogue photography in the future, I'll link to it here.)

Why an automatic compact camera?

They're great at just capturing the moment with minimal fuss. I love a mechanical rangefinder or SLR as much as the next nerd, and often carry one when I’m in the mood for more considered photography. But would you really want to carry a full bag with camera body, lenses, light meters and all the other gubbins on a quick run or bike ride?

Sometimes you just want to grab a small and glove-friendly camera, shove it in a pocket, and head out the door. Sometimes you just want to mash a button while heaving for breath after a steep ascent and know you'll get a picture.

Cameras like this are great for beginners too. I get it – film photography can be daunting, and at its worst the community can be a bit gatekeepery. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Out of all the cameras I've owned over the last decade, the Olympus Trip 35 and Olympus XA2 rate highly for adventure use. They're both small, fully automatic vintage compact cameras that take great pictures on 35mm film. Both are simple to use. They're fairly inexpensive on the used market, can be readily found online, and are reliable.

But which is best?

Specs

Can I carry it on my adventure?

Olympus Trip 35: more compact than an SLR or mirrorless camera, but not really pocketable

It feels reassuringly solid due to the vintage metal construction. This is great for feel in the hand but it can feel a bit like a miniature brick in the pocket. It's small but not tiny, and the lens does stick out by a fair amount. You'll want a case for it in most scenarios – especially as the focusing/ISO wheels can get knocked accidentally. It won't comfortably fit in a running vest but will fit in most rucksack side pockets.

My verdict: ***

Olympus XA2: tiny and pocketable

It's really small and light – I think one of the smallest and lightest full-frame cameras ever made? It easily slips into pretty much any pocket, or even a running vest. It's smaller than the new Pentax 17, which is an inferior half-frame camera. You aren't going to find anything more adventure-carry friendly than this.

My verdict: *****

Is it easy to use – even when tired at the end of a massive mountain day?

Olympus Trip 35: fully automatic, but focusing can be tricky in low light

Read the manual and understand how zone focusing works. It doesn't autofocus and there's no rangefinder for manual focusing. Instead you line up the little symbols on the lens, corresponding with estimated set distances. It takes a bit of practice but once you've got it sussed it's really easy to use. In good light you don't need to be precise! For anything up to roughly 6m away I use the red symbol with two people, and for anything further I use the mountain (infinity). The problem comes in low light, when depth of field makes the closer distances a bit too hard to guess. The good news is that if it's too dark to take the picture, the camera won't let you by default. More on low-light pictures later!

My verdict: ****

The Olympus Trip’s zone focusing system

Olympus XA2: pretty much foolproof but camera shake can be a problem in poor light

It doesn't really get any simpler. Again it's zone focus, but it only has three zones to pick from instead of the Olympus Trip 35's four zones. I usually just ignore the closest zone, instead picking the central default one for most pictures in good light, or the mountain symbol (infinity) for distant scenery. The shutter button is a flat red switch that doesn't feel as positive as the Trip 35's shutter release. In low light it will display a green LED to warn you of a long exposure, but it will still let you take the picture, which means that camera shake is a risk. If in doubt, use a tripod.

My verdict: ***

How mountain-proof is it?

Olympus Trip 35: reassuring build quality, but the lens cap is easy to lose

It's well-made from metal, and feels like it can take the knocks! However, it isn't waterproof, and you have to use a lens cap because the selenium solar cell might wear out from too much sunlight exposure. (Deeply unlikely to happen on any timespan shorter than decades, but these cameras are getting old so it's best to be careful.) This lens cap is easy to drop and lose. On the plus side, the focusing ring and film winding wheel are easy to use with gloves, and you'll never need to worry about changing batteries.

My verdict: ***

Olympus XA2: the lens barrier makes all the difference

The sliding barrier protecting the lens makes this camera uniquely great for hill use. No lens cap to worry about and I never get dust or fingerprints on the glass. Still not waterproof, though, and because it depends on complex electronics there is always a chance of moisture-related failure. If it's raining, I pop it in a dry bag. I've found that the batteries can drain quickly in sub-freezing conditions unless you keep the camera in a warm pocket. And it's hard to change the batteries while wearing gloves. Build quality: although it's made of plastic, it feels solid and durable.

My verdict: ****

Will I actually like the pictures it takes?

Olympus Trip 35: fantastically sharp lens with a very natural focal length

I love the images I get from my Olympus Trip 35. It's one of my favourite cameras because it can yield SLR-quality images in the right conditions, and the 40mm focal length (somewhere between wide angle and 'normal') feels very natural for a wide range of adventure scenarios. You will get pictures that don't look like the superwide smartphone images everyone else is getting. However, out-of-focus shots are a risk until you get used to how it focuses, and some people may prefer a wider lens.

My verdict: *****

Images from the Olympus Trip 35

Olympus XA2: slightly wider shots with less technical perfection but maybe a bit more character

In the world of film photography, 'character' is often a euphemism for 'flawed but we can pretend it's good because it's vintage now'. Seriously though, factors such as lens flares and light leaks can add a bit of interest, because all modern digital gear is just so boringly perfect, and maybe imperfection is a bit more human. Either way, the XA2 has a wider lens that is slightly less sharp than its older sibling, but still sharp enough in good light. I've found it to create vividly colourful and contrasty images. Even with fresh light seals installed in the camera, you can occasionally get unpredictable light leaks. They can look quite charming. Overall, the pictures look more like the shots you'd expect from a compact camera – not that this is a bad thing! I'd still take these over smartphone images any day.

My verdict: ****

Images from the Olympus XA2

Is it affordable and easy to find?

Olympus Trip 35: yes

They aren't rare or special. Have a look on eBay and you'll find them in the hundreds. At the time of writing, for a recently serviced one in good condition you can expect to pay £100–£150. I would not recommend pushing the button on a 'sold as seen' cheap deal, as it may have multiple issues (for example, faulty solar cell) that need fixing before the camera can be used.

My verdict: ****

Olympus XA2: yes

Slightly less common than the Olympus Trip 35 but also likely to be slightly cheaper, with recently serviced models generally selling for about £100. Make sure you get one with the Olympus accessory flash (it can't be used with third-party flashes).

My verdict: *****

Is it reliable?

Olympus Trip 35: clever battery-free design that can still be serviced, giving decades of use

Look, my Olympus Trip 35 has been in my family since my dad bought it new... in 1969. My granny used it for many years. It was the first camera I remember being taught how to use as a child in the 1990s. In 2001 I took it on a school field trip to the battlefields of World War I. It has sat unused in lofts and garages for years at a time, but I inherited it in 2014 and have used it regularly ever since. It's probably had close to 1,000 rolls of film through it and has only been serviced once. Yes, it is reliable in a way that no modern camera can ever be... although, as I mentioned before, I've heard that the solar cells can fail over time due to too much light exposure. So do keep a lens cap on when not in use.

My verdict: *****

Historical pictures of family members using my Olympus Trip 35... years or decades before I was born

Olympus XA2: generally reliable but question mark over ageing electronics

All electronic cameras will eventually fail – it's just a matter of time – and the XA2 has more internal electronics than the Trip. Evidence suggests that they are more difficult to repair than the Trip, with several online sources pointing towards particular issues with the shutter switch. The circuitry is also more densely packed in, which makes repair work trickier. However, in my experience the XA2 is reliable! I've owned two units so far and have had no issues at all, despite robust use in the mountains.

My verdict: ***

Can I take pictures in low light?

Olympus Trip 35: sort of, if you're good at guessing distance to subject

In auto mode, the Trip won't let you take a picture if the light is too low to get a good exposure at f/2.8 and 1/40th of a second. However, you can trick it by manually selecting the f/2.8 aperture. Most negative film will have enough latitude to yield an image (especially shots with bright highlights, such as a night city scenes) even if it's technically underexposed. There's even a Flickr group devoted to this: Night Trip 35 – honestly it's an art form. The bad news? It's hard to get such images in focus unless your subject is at infinity. Henri Cartier-Bresson famously said that sharpness is a bourgeois concept anyway. You can use a flashgun, but only external manual flash is supported.

My verdict: **

Low-light images from the Olympus Trip 35

Olympus XA2: sort of, if you have a tripod

The lens is slower than the Trip's, but on the plus side it will let you take exposures as long as 2 seconds! Obviously this is too slow to handhold, so you'll need a tripod. The dinky snap-on flashgun works on automatic and is great for indoor shots, or (e.g.) night trail runs in a forest. The XA2 can also accept ISO 800 film, which the Trip won't.

My verdict: ***

Can I take don't-call-them-selfies?

Olympus Trip 35: no

There's no self-timer, so unless you have a friend to push the shutter release for you then you won't be appearing in the picture. The minimum focal distance is too long to take a conventional selfie too. Sorry! The zen of the Olympus Trip 35 is that there are more interesting things to take pictures of than yourself.

My verdict: *

Olympus XA2: sort of

There's an electronic self-timer that works well, and pulling out the lever to activate it even acts as a little stand for the camera! So you can set the camera up, leg it to that epic location on the edge of the cliff, and take a picture of yourself even if you're solo. At the minimum zone focus you can kind of take a normal selfie, but it'll be a bit out of focus unless you have really long arms. Again, take it as a sign to point the camera in the other direction.

My verdict: ***

Will it make me look/feel cool?

Olympus Trip 35: hell yes

Objectively, it looks like a quality camera made from quality materials – and made to last 100 years. But in a world where many new cameras are vintage-inspired, it also doesn't look out of place. The controls feel satisfying to use and there's pleasure to be found in its design, form and function.

My highly subjective verdict: *****

Olympus XA2: maybe, if you like the 1980s cyberpunk aesthetic

It doesn't quite look like any other kind of camera, and looks more like a modern gadget than something we'd currently consider vintage. However, the design does have a certain retro appeal.

My highly subjective verdict: ***

The verdict

Olympus Trip 35: 29/45

Olympus XA2: 32/45

It's a close one, but the Olympus XA2 just about edges out the Trip in many adventure scenarios – mostly because the more compact, more mountain-proof shell is just a bit more practical. But they're both great film cameras capable of creating wonderful images.

Any questions?

I will happily talk anyone’s ear off about film photography for hours, so if you have any questions about these cameras (or an embarrassingly long list of others, tbh) then feel free to ask!

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