This camera has such a smooth shape that you can carry conveniently when the barrier is closed. This "barrier" functions in various way for the camera.
Because the barrier hides everything in front except the aperture setting lever, closing the barrier locks the shutter release button and only things you can do are rewinding and loading the film. Also, the film rewiind crank hides behind the barrier when it opens, which keeps from opening the rear cover by accident when you are shooting.
To prevent the camera from any movements, the shutter can be released only by pushing the shutter button lightly like touching it.
Looking at the point that this is the aperture-pirority AE rangefinder camera, this is not less useful for photographing than 35mm SLR cameras.
In addition to winning "Good Design Award" in Japan, the price of it was low that this attracted many people.
Folloing the success of XA, Olympus presented XA2 and XA3.
Their structures were somewhat changed from XA that they equips with the three-point zone-focusing system and the programmed AE structure, for they were produced rather for beginners and all of them had been popular at the time.
- First introduced in May, 1979.
- Camera type : 35mm rangefinder camera
- Picture size : 24mm x 36mm
- Lens : Zuiko F2.8/35mm
- Viewfinder : bright-frame finder
- Exposure structure : automatic exposure corresponding to programmed electric shutter
- Shutter speed range for AE : 10-1/500sec.
- Film speed range : ISO 25-800
- Exposure compensation : lever (also used as self-timer lever), +1.5EV
- Memory system : not built-in
- Shutter : programmed between-the-lens shutter
- Shutter speeds : 10-1/500sec.
- Self-timer : electric self-timer, 12sec.
- Film winding : rear-winding, operation arc of film wind lever - 360 deg.
- Film counter : forward-counting, automatic resetting
- Film rewind : crank
- Power resources : LR44 1.5V alkali-manganese battery x 2,
SR44 1.5V silver battery x 2
- Body dimensions : 102x64.5x40mm
- Body weight : appox. 225g.
