C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-35mm
The Olympus XA (1979) is a 35mm coupled rangefinder designed by Yoshihisa Maitani and housed in a plastic clamshell body small enough to slip into a shirt pocket. It carries a 35mm f/2.8 F.Zuiko five-element lens and aperture-priority automatic exposure. Despite its diminutive size, it is a genuine rangefinder: the patch couples to the lens for precise focus, unlike the zone-focus systems used in most compacts of the era. The clamshell cover slides open to reveal the lens and locks the shutter when closed, protecting the lens without a cap.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
A coupled rangefinder in a clamshell pocket body. The smallest true rangefinder ever made.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Lens | F.Zuiko 35mm f/2.8, 6 elements / 5 groups |
| Years | 1979-1984 |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/500s, electronic leaf |
| Modes | Aperture-priority AE |
| Focus | Coupled rangefinder |
| Viewfinder | Optical with rangefinder patch |
| Weight | ~185 g |
| Battery | 2x SR44 / LR44 |
Maitani, who also designed the Olympus Pen half-frame and OM-1, proposed the XA as a pocketable serious camera at a time when "compact" still meant a rangefinder the size of a paperback. The clamshell mechanism was patented and central to the design: no protruding lens, no lens cap to lose. The XA launched in 1979 and was accompanied by a dedicated flash (the A11) that attached via a side shoe.
The XA family expanded rapidly: XA2 (1980, zone focus, f/3.5, lower price), XA3 (1985, XA2 with DX coding), and XA4 (1985, 28mm f/3.5 with macro). The original XA was discontinued around 1984, replaced in the lineup by the cheaper XA2 as the volume seller.
The XA is the camera that proved a real rangefinder could fit in a coat pocket. It offered aperture control, a genuinely fast 35/2.8 lens, and accurate focus at a time when autofocus was not yet reliable or affordable. The lens is considered by many photographers to be the sharpest fixed lens in the XA series, and aperture priority gives the user actual control over depth of field - unusual in a camera this small.
In 2026, the XA is a cult object. Prices are moderate ($150-350) compared to the Contax T2/T3 or even the Olympus mju-II. It occupies a distinct niche: genuine rangefinder mechanics in a body smaller than most autofocus compacts.
The lens is fixed and non-interchangeable. The XA uses a proprietary side accessory shoe that accepts only Olympus's dedicated flashes:
No third-party accessories of significance.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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