henricus Posted October 27, 2003 Share Posted October 27, 2003 I just got my scans of B&W negatives back from Costco today and I must say I was not pleased. I don't know if the fault lies in the user or the tool though. Most of the subject matter appeared double as if there was camera shake. I remember shooting most of these picks at 30 at the very slowest and thought this would be okay to hand-hold. Was I wrong and caused the doubling myself? I hope so as I haven't used this camera in some time and I hope there isn't anything wrong with it.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henricus Posted October 27, 2003 Author Share Posted October 27, 2003 Here is one that was not double, but not as sharp as I expected.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henricus Posted October 27, 2003 Author Share Posted October 27, 2003 Finally, another that was not very sharp.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustys pics Posted October 27, 2003 Share Posted October 27, 2003 It's hard to say what the problem is. 1/30 is right on the border of what can be handheld, and a small camera like the XA is more prone to movement than a larger one. ON a more subjective note, I also pulled out my XA a little while ago and was disappointed in the lens quality compared to what I've gotten with the much newer Olympus Stylus Epic. The XA was a good compact camera 25 years ago, but perhaps it's showing it's age nowdays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim couch Posted October 27, 2003 Share Posted October 27, 2003 I would say that you do have some camera shake. There is a bit of a learning curve to holding the XA steady, and if you have not used it in a while I would say that is your problem. I would fire off another roll of film. Do at least a couple of shots from a tripod for comparisons sake. I think you will find as you use it more you will get more steady. Jim Couch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted October 27, 2003 Share Posted October 27, 2003 Looks like camera/photographer motion blur. That's understandable. As far as I can tell the XA-series automation tends to default to a smaller aperture at the expense of a longer shutter speed. I've spent a lot of time peering through the lens of my XA2 (since sold) and XA3 (with film door open). Consistently the diaphragm will stop down slightly do a smaller aperture, forcing a slower shutter speed. There are times when I'd prefer the cameras would default to a wide open aperture and faster shutter speed but, apparently, Olympus designed them a specific way. Presumably they were more concerned about unsharp photos due to a too-shallow DOF and misplaced focus. To cope with this default I virtually always rely on the fastest practicable film to force a faster shutter speed. And I never expect to see anything like shallow DOF and selective focus with these cameras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_shihanian Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 Also don't forget about the XA's very sensitive electronic shutter button. There's just about no travel involved with tripping the shutter. Maybe you are used to a long-throw mechanical release from another camera, and you are pushing too hard on the XA's shutter button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henricus Posted October 28, 2003 Author Share Posted October 28, 2003 Suspicions confirmed! :o( <p>Lex, thanks for the informative comments, I hadn't thought of that. I'm going to try a roll of Tri-X and see how I do. I have an epic, but I prefer the manual focus of the XA. As a street shooter, the XA handles great and I'm not that concerned with shallow depth of field for street photography. Thanks to everyone for your insight. It is much appreciated.<p>I'm off to test my new OM 28mm f2.8! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henricus Posted October 28, 2003 Author Share Posted October 28, 2003 Lex, <p>Something about what you said bothered me all morning. I couldn't put my finger on it until now. The XA is apeture priority only, there is no full auto. You must have been thinking of the Epic. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 I was thinking of the XA2 and XA3, which are full autoexposure. The only way to influence the exposure is by fiddling with the ISO selector. Even then these cameras are full auto - no way to selectively adjust either shutter speed or aperture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesged Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 I have an Olympus XA and had similar problems when I took shots indoors of my grandchildren. Not doubled, but definitely not sharp. It was due mainly to camera shake; I just can't hold a camera as steady as I did decades ago, though I hate to admit it. How about a test on a tripod using the self timer mode on bottom lever. There isn't a conventional cable release 'socket' on this camera. Granted it's not a technique for street shots, but it will reassure you that the lens is as sharp as so many reviewers claimed-praised to the heavens. That's why I bought mine and an XA2 to boot. Enclosed is a recent photo taken with my XA with HP5 souped in D76 1:0.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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