> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.maxsidman.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Adventures in Film: Coming Up For Air - URL: https://www.maxsidman.com/adventures-in-film-olympus-xa/ - Published: 2019-11-04T03:53:55.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-29T20:31:35.000Z - Description: Testing a new old camera, and photos from an old roll of film found in the bottom of a lesser used camera bag. - Author: Max Sidman - Tags: Photography, Streets In an effort to shoot more film, and integrate that effort into my daily routine — as well as sharpen my general photography skills — I picked up an original [Olympus XA](https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Olympus%5FXA?ref=maxsidman.com) , a Japanese compact 35mm film camera in a clamshell housing from the late 1970s / early ‘80s. The XA’s small size, manual controls, and silent operation are what made it attractive to me as an every-day-carry film camera, and stealthy street shooter. It’s also nice for capturing candid images while hanging out with friends and family because it’s so low key (it almost looks like a toy) so it’s pretty disarming. When I got it, back in mid September, I shot four test test rolls right away — three Kodak Tri-X 400 black and white, and one Kodak Color 200 — to make sure the camera was up to snuff (you never know with eBay buys). I’m pretty happy with the results. Despite getting used to using the camera, I was able to make a few photos I’m happy enough with to share… ![all-fucked-up.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/all-fucked-up.jpg) ![Enter.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/enter.jpg) ![GL_Farmers-Market-02.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/gl_farmers-market-02.jpg) ![GL-Farmers-Market.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/gl-farmers-market.jpg) ![Good-Neighbor-01.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/good-neighbor-01.jpg) ![Good-Neighbor-02.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/good-neighbor-02.jpg) ![Not-a-Rough-Street.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/not-a-rough-street.jpg) ![Oakland-Grand-Merritt-02.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/oakland-grand-merritt-02.jpg) ![Oakland-Temescal-02.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/oakland-temescal-02.jpg) ![Palms-Cross.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/palms-cross.jpg) ![Temescal_Market-01.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/temescal_market-01.jpg) From early to mid October, I was in New York City and then Berlin on vacation for a couple weeks (that trip, plus work/life stuff, explains my absence from posting to this site), and the XA was the perfect extra low-profile companion to the Fuji x100f. I came back from that trip with nine spent rolls of film (color and B&W) and about 700 digital shots on the Fuji, so that’s where my downtime has been going lately. More on all that as I continue to get my shit together from that trip. Coincidentally, though, as I was getting ready to leave for NYC, I ran across a lost roll of Tri-X 400, which was knocking around in the bottom of an old bag. I had it developed right before I split town, and it turned out to be a bunch of shots I’d taken on a Yashica MicroTec 120 in NYC back in 2017\. I don’t know what insanity lead me to forget about the roll entirely — I distinctly remember making a lot of these photos at the time, and looking forward to seeing them. Looking back now, I don’t know how I could have subconsciously just written off that roll. Anyway, I’m glad it turned up. Here are some keepers from that one… ![142.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/142.jpg) ![brutalist-beauty.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/brutalist-beauty.jpg) ![christus-regnat.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/christus-regnat.jpg) ![Freedom.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/freedom.jpg) ![Jazz-in-Washinton-Sq_Park.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/jazz-in-washinton-sq_park.jpg) ![Lunch-in-Washinton-Sq_Park.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/lunch-in-washinton-sq_park.jpg) ![Walk-Up.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/walk-up.jpg) ![Washinton-Sq_Park.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/92/39/92391a3d-462d-47a6-b22a-3bcd39fe6d13/content/images/2025/06/washinton-sq_park.jpg) More on NYC and Berlin in the coming weeks. I still need to get those rolls developed, and I’m working though all the digital stuff in the meantime. Stay tuned…