Olympus XA Review: the SMOL BEAN 35mm camera

[@MANgo-we2bi]

Bro i’m not even 2 minutes in and i’m so happy i clicked this vid, your just raw and funny!

[@theoldcameraguy]

That street shot at 3:02 is pretty great. I’ve got an XA I hardly ever use - that dim little rangefinder patch and middle aged eyes don’t play nice together (Gen X comment, not Boomer comment).

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Thanks homie. Yeah, the combination of the smol rangefinder patch and the smol body made it not my favorite. But I totally get why people like this camera!!

[@willprice7475]

I'd take that off your hands of you didn't want it anymore 😅

[@jekanyika]

I love Streetlight Manifesto. I unexpectedly got to see them play at a festival I went to a few years ago.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Ski mask (Check) Sawed off (Check) Guilty conscience, fear of death (Check, check, check)

[@plestj]

Hi Sweet Lou! Really enjoying your channel and your sense of humor! Just subscribed. I have the Olympus XA2, which is a lower end version of the XA but looks the same. Has Zone focus and f3.5 lens. Used it on my trips to Europe in the 1990s and was super convenient to use and carry while touring. Question: what film developer did you use and who do you recommend now? I want to take a few rolls and not many places develop film anymore. Appreciate your help. Thanks! Anthony.

[@atroche1978]

Just got a "mint" one off of fleabay. Want to see how it compares to my QL17. I really enjoy shooting with rangefinders.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Awesome!! Best of luck with it

[@stanceswitch6419]

So how do they compare?

[@randallstewart175]

@@stanceswitch6419 The Canon is larger and heavier - not really a pocket camera - so a physical convenience to carry around factor is all for the XA, and the XA uses an available silver oxide battery, whereas the Canon uses a banned mercury battery, requiring one of several workarounds which are a hassle. That's it. All other considerations are heavily in favor of the Canon. It has a bright, usable viewfinder. It has a workable rangefinder. It allow automatic exposure, but unlike the XA it allows full manual control over exposure. It has one of the sharpest lenses ever mounted on a fixed lens rangefinder 35mm camera; the XA has perhaps the worst lens ever so mounted. If you want the camera as jewelry for the "in" crowd, buy the XA; if you want to take good quality photos, buy the Canon.

[@SamanthaSmile]

Came for the review, subscribed for the casual vibe and humour I got just a minute into the video!

[@sanderforpresident]

Sooo clean and crisp. Amazing how that smol of a lens can be so sharp. And you took tonnes (tones?) of beautiful photos as always! 10/10 turnipples

[@SweetLouPhotography]

t o n e s (thanks bro)

[@plestj]

Sweet Lou Photography I think it’s “tons of pictures”. 😉

[@sanderforpresident]

plestj I think you are right me englando weak

[@KarySchump]

I really just love your videos and channel!! Thanks!!

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Thanks so much!! Really appreciate ya

[@JacobCarlson]

My brief experience with the Olympix XA (thank you for that) was similar to yours. That shutter button is almost a deal breaker for me...

[@SweetLouPhotography]

yeaaaaa- that was a fun day my dude, hoping for one of those again real soon

[@simonkeslake2782]

Nice review and shots... your a funny guy!

[@Bballdak44]

Did you end up finding a small camera that you enjoyed more?

[@noahsemeria4361]

Have any other point and shoot film cameras that you would recommend?!

[@SweetLouPhotography]

There's definitely a few I really dig-- I have this Fuji Discovery Zoom which I really love, it's sturdy, it's loud af, but it's cool. I really enjoy the old Cosina CX1 as well. I'm working on a review for that one. Also the Nikon One Touch (AF35) is really fun, but it's getting way too expensive tbh.

[@fryerock5439]

I love this vid. I'm new here - what discord is he talking about? I would love to be a part of a analog photography discord!

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Hey there, thanks much!! The discord link is in the description of the vid

[@AdventurousInsight]

you cant get the flash to work because the selector actually covers the word flash click it one more notch up

[@SweetLouPhotography]

I didn't use the right b-roll there lol. When the selector covers the word flash it still doesn't charge, the orange light doesn't go on, etc. There's mild corrosion on the battery door, I assume it's that.

[@AdventurousInsight]

@@SweetLouPhotography haha. Well that defiantly sounds like corrosion is the issue then.

[@myoung48281]

I have the XA and the XA3. The XA3 is a zone focus cam by design, no manual focus.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Oh really? That's interesting. Is the focus in steps on that camera? I'm not familiar

[@myoung48281]

@@SweetLouPhotography yes sir....the xa2 and xa 3 have 3 settings for close up, normal portrait distance, and landscape, no manual focus. lens is a 3.5 min.

[@TheMPhotography]

I love the intro and the approach you took on this review. I don’t own a point and shoot, never did. Your video describes pretty well why ;-) thanks for sharing.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Hey thanks much. Appreciate ya! Glad you dig what I'm doing.

[@alexbustamante6532]

Honestly if you want to be discrete and prevent your camera from being stolen, this is probably your best shot

[@ianreynolds7191]

I mean what you got against smol beans?

[@SweetLouPhotography]

why'd you spill yer beans????

[@RudolfWolph]

That four bladed aperture for RHOMBUS BOKEH

[@SweetLouPhotography]

geometry amright

[@RudolfWolph]

@@SweetLouPhotography Goes well with those ｔｏｎｅｓ

[@srad.]

your videos always have great entertainment value 👍

[@SweetLouPhotography]

glad you dig it!!!

[@FabrizioZago]

Nice review, it's interesting to know also negative (at least for someone) aspects about the camera.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Thanks for checking it out! I definitely understand why people dig this camera- it's just not for me :)

[@RunNGunPhoto]

Only thing better than this video was the manscaping-razor ad before it... sorry bruh. It didn't have the 'tones' tho....

[@SweetLouPhotography]

i'm glad my videos are proceeded by balls lol

[@RunNGunPhoto]

@@SweetLouPhotography Balls! Balls everywhere! **Toy Story GIF**

[@RunNGunPhoto]

@@SweetLouPhotography That's the only real way to do business these day.

[@MariaLadeveze]

Lmaoo “this is weird, this video is sponsorrrred!” .. I’m here for it man ✊🏼

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Haha that was just a joke, no one in their right mind would sponsor this channel lol

[@MariaLadeveze]

What?! I should kick you sir. But idk why, I died when you said “Cher” this video.

[@jamstills]

Oh ya, the X ayy?

[@SweetLouPhotography]

exactly

[@m_moments1737]

Smashed the like button once i heard coheed and cambria! Lol

[@SweetLouPhotography]

ONE AMONG THE FENCE!!!

[@DeanoTXR53]

Pretty much sums up my feelings on it too. Except I land on the positive side because only because it lets me have a sharp 35mm camera rangefinder in my pocket anytime I go anywhere. So in the end it gets a thumbs up because it fills a hole none of my other cameras can (my butt)

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Butt cameras lol. Yeah I agree though- I feel like some people will adore the form factor! The fact that this camera joined me on so many adventures is definitely really cool

[@brianthama2130]

Smol hypebest expensive camera what can go wrong

[@randallstewart175]

Boy, the XA fanboys are going to be after you. When the XA came out, I really wanted to like it. It has many good features on paper, bit their execution don't meet the promise. Rangefinder too small to be accurate. Viewfinder too dim. I like the light touch electric shutter release, but most seem to hate it. Contra your remarks here, the lens is not "razor sharp". In fact, it is an experimental design used to cram the lens into the thin body, but is so not sharp, full of aberations, and subject to vignetting, that the design was never used again. It is just what it was intended to be, a small, pocketable point and shoot with no user control over exposure. Something to carry in the pocket on vacation. If you want a camera which comes much closer to delivering the promises of the XA, look for a Ricoh 500G. If you want high quality images from a pocket camera, get a Rollei 35.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Appreciate the recommendations for the other cameras-- and I tried to be up front that I recognize why people do like the XA, it's just not for me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!

[@lemon58421]

Nice don! :-)

[@CynthiaDerrick]

Aside from the completely unnecessary f-bombs, it was a good, comprehensive review.