Olympus XA

Overlapping Frame Panoramic Technique

by EveNSteve

Below find new artworks from my recent photographic trip to Italy. All of the images below were shot on an XA 4 using Kodak Ektar film. I am still scanning and editing my film and anticipate finishing this body of work in a month or two, at which time I will post a complete portfolio. No titles yet; just basic information with each image for identification purposes. The last image in the series however is a photograph of a finished printed artwork from this series and as such has additional information.

To view additional artworks made using this technique please view my A New Eden Artworks.

One last image made since my return and after figuring out how to do this technique on the Rollei 35… experimentation is key!

setsoftreesbenningtonvt1
Sets of Trees, Bennington, Vermont. 2009
Copyright Stephen Schaub. 2009

Olympus XA vs LOMO LCA and LCA Plus

by EveNSteve

Please watch this video first for a discussion on the pros and cons of the Olympus XA vs the LOMO LCA and LCA+. Please note that the video is of high quality and may take a few seconds to load depending on your connection speed.

Comparison Images:

lca

xaxaschaubprocess

General Info: All test images were shot at F 2.8 on Kodak TX, processed in Diafine Developer, scanned on an Imacon with no sharpening applied, natural light. Please be sure to click on the images to see them larger.

LCA: Notice the general soft focus/ appearance…I shot this image 10 times and this was the sharpest. I changed my lens to subject distance and I changed my zone focus setting but in the end this was the best. It is not real sharp but does have a nice soft visual quality with some subtle vignetting.

XA: Very sharp at the point of focus (glasses)… and this sharpness is at F 2.8!  The XA achieves its best sharpness around F 5.6 – F 8. The OOF (out of focus) quality is nice in the background and general illumination is pretty good edge to edge.

XA+: This is the same negative as the XA sample image above with the addition of a bit of a vignette and a bit of a general surface blur applied in Photoshop…I feel this hits the mark perfectly for my visual needs.

Useful Links:

Olympus XA Info

LOMO LCA Info

Olympus XA Repair/ Service

A New Eden – Artworks by yours truly made on the LCA and XA (the new XA artworks can be found on the home page). This overlapping negative technique is possible with both the XA and the LCA and it the subject of a future post here on the Figital Revolution…stay tuned!

Notes: The Olympus XA came in other later versions such as the XA 1, XA 2, XA 3 and the XA 4 all of which are Zone Focus cameras. My favorite and the most collected and used is the original XA followed by the XA 4.

Final Thoughts: I will be posting additional articles regarding the XA with info on fill flash, long bulb exposures and additional tips and techniques in the coming weeks so again stay tuned!

Viva la Revolution- Stephen

UPDATE: I was wrong on the current price of the Lomo LCA+…it is not $199 US as I state in the video but rather $250 US…the XA is now a real bargain!

The Figital Revolution 2009!

by EveNSteve

I’m back from a bit of a holiday break and ready for 2009 or to quote the President-elect: Rested and Ready! I am currently working on several articles to be posted in the coming weeks on the following topics:

  • Alternative methods for finishing/ displaying artwork
  • Online artworks sales, what works and what does not!
  • Kodak Ektar Film Test, Part 2.
  • High Resolution Films in Diafine, Part 2.
  • Lomo LCA Part 2
  • Lomo LCA and Olympus XA, which one and why?!
  • Art Museums and the Photographic Filler Show

I’d like to also announce that I will be in Italy (which doesn’t suck) in Feb 09 for 2 weeks for a bit of photography and to finalize a workshop I will teach next fall on Alternative Photographic Techniques. If you live in Rome or near Manciano, which is in Tuscany, send me an email and maybe we could meet for  a cup of espresso and photographic conversation (after all- you can never have too much of either.)

I’d also like to announce that in 2008 the Figital Revolution received over (drumroll please…) 120,000 hits! That is amazing! AND something I hope we can equal or beat in 2009… conversation is very important in these difficult transitional times within our medium.

Cheers and lets hope 2009 is waaaay better than 2008! – Stephen

 

Where Have All the Point and Shoots Gone!

by EveNSteve

OK- so where HAVE all the professional point and shoots gone? To the grave yard or Ebay as the Photo Industrial Complex has realized that there is alot more money selling crappy little digital point and shoots with upgrades every month rather than making quality ones like:

Olympus XA
Nikon 28Ti and 35Ti
Leica CM
Leica Minilux
Konica Hexar
Contax T2, T3
Rollei S, SE

Now we get tons of plastic with resolution that is subpar and noise (digital grain) oozing out of every crack and crevice. Having a quality point and shoot in your bag in my opinion is a must but now days it is getting harder and harder to find one. Ever seen a great drum scan from a negative made by one of the above listed cameras? Compare it with the new digitals and you may find yourself singing along with the Figital Revolution…