OLYMPUS XA2

The Olympus XA2 is a compact 35mm film camera with a clamshell design, featuring automatic exposure and a three-step zone focusing system, rather than a rangefinder. Introduced as a simpler alternative to the original Olympus XA, it retains the same sharp 35mm f/3.5 Zuiko lens known for its contrasty and vibrant image rendering. The XA2 is fully manual in film advance and focus setting, and it requires two LR44 batteries to operate. It is highly portable, weighing just over 200g and small enough to fit in a pocket, with a matching A11 flash unit available separately. ISO settings are adjustable between 25–800, and the viewfinder includes a low-light warning indicator. Despite its solid optical performance and sleek form factor, quirks like a vague shutter button, reset-prone focus lever, and potential issues with the clamshell mechanism can affect usability.