I think Ken's original question was about the XA, but as the discussion
seems to have veered to include a wider ranger of rangefinders, I have to
jump in with a plug for the humble Olympus LC w/ the G. Zuiko 42 mm f1.7.
While I've had this camera for awhile and always been happy w/ it. Last
week I fell in love with it.
In the summer, I bought a large supply of Agfapan 25--great for sunny summer
days outside, a little harder to use now that Vancouver is socked in under
the 6-8 month cloud we call winter. So I have all this film (10-15 rolls)
to burn off, and thought I'd try the LC wide open--being a rangefinder I can
reasonably handhold it to 1/15th, being an inexpensive bruiser of a camera I
don't mind exposing it to a bit of liquid sunshine. So I've been taking on
hikes and dog walks for the last week or so--burned up four rolls.
The results were outstanding, much better than I expected. Trying to
understand how and why this $25-30 camera stands up to my OM4 50/1.8 shots
(don't want to compare it to the 50/1.2), I think that it is a combination
of the lens and the size of the camera back added to the fact that it is a
rangefinder. 1. The 42mm is a strange focal length (not the usual 40/45/50),
which suggests a design based on optimal performance rather than
fashion/convention. 2. The slightly larger body allows for flatter film
holding, or to steal from Joseph, "the sharpness may not be gained by a
better lens, but perhaps just a larger camera permits a wider rangefinder
base, which in turn will focus more accurately."
While serious thinking about some serious jewellery like the Rollei 35se,
Contax T2 to wear to the slopes, the LC is a great asset in the rain or any
other rough use situations--at the price I might just grab a back up.
Cheers,
Glen
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