Note to followers:

Sorry about being so late posting this video. My 6 year old Windows based laptop finally died, it was my only computer at the time. But that event forced me to finally make the switch to a Mac. I've spent the past 2 weeks configuring my new system, moving files over, buying new hardware, and settling in to the Mac way of doing things.....and it's great. Thanks for your patients.

In the month of May my Analog Project 2012 continued with the the Olympus XA. This camera released by Olympus in 1979 is a 35mm rangefinder featuring a 35mm Zuiko lens that shoots at f/2.8, an aperture priority exposure system with aperture that range from f/2.8 to f/22, and shutter speeds ranging from 10sec. to 1/500sec., and an ISO range from 25-800. This camera also features an exposure compensation switch on the bottom that changes the exposure by +0.5 - it's kind of a backlighting option to be used when shooting in the shade. The same switch serves as a battery check, and a self timer. The XA line of olympus cameras were very popular and featured several somewhat similar looking models over the years. The Olympus XA1, XA2, XA3, and XA4 all featured scale focusing and various forms of automatic exposure but the original XA was the only one in the line-up that existed as a true rangefinder. This camera has an all plastic body featuring a sliding clamshell design that also served as a power switch and lens cover - when closed the camera was seriously compact and portable. Folks with fat fingers such as myself might find the XA's focusing lever (located just below the lens) a bit hard to find and operate. It's somewhat recessed but does allow for your fingernail to rest inside a little slot or groove built-in to the little lever - once you find it....everything works great. I also found the shutter release button a bit too flat and went hunting for it too often when holding the camera up to my eye. Like a few other point-n-shoot cameras that I own, it needs to be raised just a little to make locating it without looking much easier. My XA came with an Olympus A11 flash that attaches to the side of the camera with a built-in thumb screw. The flash runs on a single AA battery and puts off a pretty good burst of light when shooting outdoors at night or indoors with low light. It's not great for long range illumination but will get the job done for most lighting needs. I will admit that I only bought this camera because it was a rangefinder but later found that Olympus put plenty of engineering behind this little compact camera as well as outfitting it with an excellent Zuiko lens. The XA is a keeper!

Check out a short video about my XA over on my YouTube Ch.

Also check out my Lomography Home where I have just a bit more to say!

A fully functional Olympus T-20 electronic flash. No corrosion in the battery compartment and the front diffuser is still pretty clear. I installs two AA batteries and the flash charged and fired. It's my first ever Olympus flash - I'll introduce it to my Olympus OM-1n later today. Price paid...$3.00

A Konica Big Mini HG (BM-300). It's dusty, dirty, and grimy - plus plenty of scuffs and scratches. I swiped the battery from my other Big Mini, dumped it in, and the camera came to life. I'll give it a good cleaning in the next day or so. The camera still had a partially exposed roll of Kodak 200 Gold 36exp in it - I rewound the film back into the canister and plan to have it developed. It was most likely ruined my someone opening the camera back....but you never know, there may be recoverable images on the roll. Price paid...$6.00

The Pen EF has a fixed focus 28mm f/3.5 D.Zuiko lens - so you just point-&-shoot! The automatic exposure sports shutter speeds of 1/30sec. (at f/3.5) or 1/250sec. (at f/22). The exposure calculation is done via the selenium light meter and the chosen ISO. If you plan on using the flash as fill light during outdoor daytime shots or indoors with low light simply slide the front mounted switch on the front of the camera down and the flash will charge in less than 5 seconds. The flash requires a single AA battery - and I love the little flash ready lamp that glows orange on the back of the camera when the flash is fully charged....it's so old school.

The Pen EF was sold by Olympus between 1981-1983 and I think most sales were in Japan. Once again half frame cameras give you twice the exposures on a roll of film. Half frame images are 18x24mm each vs. 35mm images at 24x36mm each. I really do love the simplicity of these fixed focus (sometimes zone focus) Olympus cameras with their worry-free exposure system - they truly are great cameras. This Pen EF is now my newest and 5th half frame camera behind my Olympus Pen EE2, Pen FT, Trip 35SP, and the Diana Mini Petite Noir.

Extra Note:
I mentioned in a post on Instagram that I've limited myself to only shooting 24exp rolls of film in half frame cameras - a 36exp roll of film produces 72 shots and thats just too many. Due to the unique frame size I try to take several extra shots of a subject from a few different angles - then choose the best one in post. I end up with about 25 keepers out of 48 captures.