Your experiences are very different from mine, except for the flash, which is
mediocre. I've had very good luck. I'll shoot some chromes over the week and
post some results.
Perhaps your body is in need of repair? I've shot everything from K64, C41,
and B&W with mine over the years, all of which come out well. The shutter
release is a bit sensitive, and actually prone to becoming overly sensitive,
IME. I don't know why someone would say that 400-speed film is always the one
to use.
Skip
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Please reply to [skipwilliams at pobox.com]
Direct responses to the email address on the header may get lost
----------------------------------------------------------------->
>Subject: My XA review: was Re: [OM] oly point and shoot
> From: "Lama-Jim L'Hommedieu" <lamadoo@xxxxxxxx>
> Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 01:35:09 -0400
> To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Here's a review in 12 "frames" of the XA. I have shot one roll (24 exp
>actually) with mine (bought last month).
>
>frame # 1. I shot EI 100 film and got "okay" snapshots in full sunlight.
>Good enough web pictures of my cat drinking from a puddle
>or whatever. Almost, sorta, barely good enough for 4x6 prints.
>
>frame # 2. Almost all shots in open shade showed camera movement. Advice on
>the net is to always use EI 400 film. The trigger is
>not mechanical. Some folks on the web say they've grown accustomed to it.
>Not one person has said that the shutter location and
>"feel" are intuitive and fall readily under the finger.
>
>frame # 3. If you're shooting with the flash, you get f4. The problem with
>that is that it's not sharp at f4. Multiple reviews say
>that any scene with a normal range of tones will show flare at f4 in the
>highlights. We're not talking about specular highlights.
>Apparently this is a single coated lens.
>
>frame # 4. Massive light falloff from the flash in corners (and edges) make
>it an "okay" snapshot camera. I would never call it a
>sharp lens.
>
>frame # 5. Massive lens vignetting at the corners (and anywhere near an
>edge!) at f4.
>
>frame # 6. Even if you use EI 400 film, turning on the flash STILL forces you
>into f4 and you better not have a subject closer than
>5 feet. Here's a pocketable flash camera that doesn't do flash pictures very
>well at all.
>
>frame # 7. I shot a series in open shade at all apertures. All of the negs
>were correctly exposed on C-41 film.
>
>frame # 8. The thing is, I carried this thing in my pants pocket and took
>flash snapshots with it.
>
>frame # 9. The other thing is, I don't think I'd pass up a budget body with
>50/1.8 (for $65) to get an XA with A11 flash (for $65).
>
>frame #10, 11, & 12: My suggestion: Rewind mid-roll. Mine will be up for sale
>soon unless I keep it to have something that will
>always pass through concert checks for cameras. :)
>
>Lama
>
>
>< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
>< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
>< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|