The Olympus XA2 was the first camera I’ve ever purchased. I bought it during my gap year(2020-2021) in Nagoya Japan. Currently my main camera is the Mamiya RZ 67, a medium format studio camera which was manufactured around 1982. However, for the last couple of months, the XA2 has been occupying my mind. Maybe this is because I have acknowledged my growth as a photographer, and I have been thinking about my earlier works more often. When I first started taking photos, it was very spontaneous. I would take photos of the streets of Nagoya, on my way to work and on my way home. If I was out with friends I would take their photos too.
The XA2 is a compact 35mm point and shoot, manufactured in 1980. It has a sleek yet boxy design(very 80’s), and has fully analogue controls. There is a significant weight to it.
I love the fact that the camera is fully analogue, I feel like there aren’t too many point and shoots that are, and that function so well like this model. You have to manually adjust the shutter speed settings based off of the iso of the film you are using, adjust its focus settings depending on the distance of you and your subject, and manually rewind the camera.
Now, my work is very staged, it takes a couple of months to plan out my shoots, and the more time goes on the less I have been shooting. I have gone from a roll of 35mm a week to maybe 3 rolls of 120 once every two to three months. One of the reasons I love shooting on film so much is the amount of control you have when taking your photos. If there is a mistake with a photo you have taken, most of the time it is your own fault. Digital/automatic cameras feel so artificial in contrast. I was speaking to one of my professors, Andrew Waller, about this awhile ago. He jokingly stated that film photos are actual photographs, and digital ones are just data files. I can’t help but agree with him.
Another aspect of this camera I like so much is the weight of it. My other two go-to cameras are the Mamiya RZ67(120) and the Nikon F2(35mm). They both feel so well balanced for their sizes. The same thing applies to the XA2. For such a small compact point and shoot it has such a great weight to it, not too heavy and not too light. It has the perfect blend of metal and plastic holding it together.
Interestingly, this model looks very similar to an old kamen rider toy I used to play with as a child. Both have this plastic sleeve you have to slide to “activate” them, and they have the same compact, sleek, yet bulky design. Maybe that is why I was so drawn to this camera in the first place. It could have been an unconscious decision, and I was naturally drawn to functionality I was most familiar with.
My XA2 had been collecting dust and needed some minor repairs done, and over the last few weeks I decided to repair it. Finding a new flash for my camera was a lot more challenging than expected. When I first purchased it, I only paid 8,000 Japanese Yen(Roughly 76 Canadian Dollars) whereas now the camera body alone costs 100-200 dollars without the flash. I was able to find a flash with an XA body for a decent price and with the help of my friend Jason, we replaced the light seals.
I have been shooting with the XA2 for a week now. I am struggling with making my camera invisible again. It has been a couple of years since I just whipped out a small camera and taken a photo while I am out with friends, and many of them aren’t used to me doing that anymore, so it has been an amusing experience.
Different cameras serve different purposes. With my return to the XA2, I am trying to apply my earlier methods of approach to photography, and merge them with how I shoot photos currently. The Mamiya RZ 67 represents my serious approach to my work: if I am shooting with intention (either a concept based photograph or a commission) the Mamiya is what I bring with me. The Olympus XA2 represents a playful side of my work. It resembles a childhood toy, and I can be more spontaneous while using it, and have more fun with it. Small and easy to use cameras are nice because they allow you to take photos that aren't staged and they capture candid daily moments with ease.
When I first moved to Toronto I was so greedy. I had just found my passion in photography and I wanted so much validation and credit for my efforts as a photographer. I compared myself to my peers who had far more experience than I did; thinking I had to play catch up. Upon reflecting on my relationship to the medium of photography, it seems my strict work ethic is due to this reason. Now I find myself picking up one of the very first tools I used, and recapturing the excitement and curiosity that once drove my ambition to further improve the quality of my work and understanding of photography.
Ethan Yoshitomo is a photographer based in Toronto, Ontario.
https://www.instagram.com/ethanyoshitomo/?hl=en
