Olympus XA self-timer problem

<p>I just aquired an Olympus XA with a mode problem - it is 'stuck' in self-timer mode. I knew it had this problem when I bought it; I was hoping that the problem was simply a stuck / broken switch. Now that I have my hands on it though, I have determined that the problem is deeper...<br>

I've removed the bottom panel and verified that the switch contacts are working properly. I've also checked with a multimeter and verified that there are no shorts on the switch contacts.<br>

My tinkering skills are better-suited to electronics so I'm afraid (actually fairly certain) that if I try stripping this camera down till I can access it's electronic brains, there's no chance I'll get it back together in working order.<br>

Apart from the 12-second self-timer delay everything else seems to work correctly. The aperture works, the shutter speeds are sane, and the lens is clean and clear. <br>

Has anyone experienced this sort of failure? Any ideas on easy ways to fix it? I got the camera on the cheap (due to this problem) so I'm not going to invest a lot of $ to fix it. At worst, I'm prepared to chalk it up to a learning experience & start looking for one that is in full working order.<br>

Any tips or suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks & cheers!</p>

<p>I have no idea either. Most obvious is the switch but you already checked. But if it helps here is the link for the repair manual.<br>

<a href="http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/repairmanuals.html">http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/repairmanuals.html</a></p>

<p>My understanding is that means that the core integrated circuit in the camera is fried. Buy another XA, sadly.</p>

<p>Thanks for the quick replies!<br>

I've been using the repair manual to verify the S3 switch wiring. I tried following the disassembly guide and got as far as removing the front cover... I was hoping that I'd be able to see the circuit board from there but no such luck.<br>

Ah well. It was inexpensive and there are other XAs out there...<br>

Thanks again!</p>

<p>Circuit is bad. It is mounted on the back of the shutter plate. Complete disassembly is needed to see / replace it. John</p>

<p>I had an XA when it was new back in 1979 but I sold it in 84. In recent year I had to buy 4 of them to get a good one<br>

but still the meter indication is wrong but exposure is ok. The other one is fine exposure wise but the rangefinder is faded and very difficult to see. 2 of them work ok but the meter indication no long work at all.</p>

<p>Using alkaline (A76, LR44) or lithium double cell (CR1/3N) in the XA can cause meter needle errors (auto exposure should be okay). For the record, silver oxide are the only correct XA batteries (357, 303, MS76, KS76, G-13, SR-44W, S76). John</p>

<p>I've had an XA2 and an XA3 fail with the same problem. I was told by my repair guru that it's the chip, and not an economical fix. </p>

<p>It sounds like this is a common failure-mode for the XA series... I've been googling more and come across more reports of cameras failing this way.<br>

For what it's worth, the idea I had for remedying the problem was to change the self-timer delay -- that is, if the camera was irrevocably stuck in self-timer mode, then change the delay from 12 seconds to something much smaller, like fractions of a second.<br>

The repair manual lead me to suspect the timing is achieved by an RC delay of R105 and C107. (The manual mentions a faulty C107 as a cause for the self-timer to stop working). By replacing C107 with a capacitor of a much smaller value -- by a factor of 100 or 1000 -- that would hopefully reduce the timer delay accordingly.<br>

The circuit board is buried too deep for me to reach, so I can't put my idea into practice.<br>

Thanks again for all the tips & info!</p>

<p>I don't know whether it's significant, but both times this happened with me I was shooting in very cold weather.</p>

<p>hi John Hermanson!<br>

The camera has 1 single 3V lithium battery and I have replaced it with 2 MS-76 batteries but the meter indication is still exactly the same. Looking at the schematic diagram I can't see why it would make a different.</p>