Number 5 on the list is the Olympus XA.

Photo by Alf Sigaro, modified and used under Creative Commons license

The Olympus XA is the second film camera and the only film "compact" on this list. Unlike the larger, far heavier Canonet, the XA is easily pocketable. As far as I am aware, it is the tiniest rangefinder camera ever created for the 35mm format and is certainly the most compact to offer aperture priority automatic exposure.

The design of the XA is very clever. With the clamshell cover closed, the camera is off with the electronic shutter locked and a small cover protecting the rangefinder window. Sliding the clamshell open unlocks the shutter release and exposes the lens while the rangefinder window is also uncovered. The camera is immediately ready for action. Remarkably, the tiny 35mm f/2.8 Zuiko lens does not extend at all for use.

Pressing the shutter release was a real surprise for me when I first got the XA. It is a real hair trigger with no vertical travel to speak of. A gentle tick is audible as the photo is made. I wish all of my cameras would make such restrained noises. The XA is about as unobtrusive as a camera can be.  My only complaint is that it is incredibly easy to trigger the release by accident while handling the camera.  In fact, I just exposed the seventh frame on a roll of XP2 while examining the camera to write this blog post!

The little Zuiko lens is a high performer. There is some vignetting at and near wide open. Peak performance seems to be around f/8. If I recall correctly, this was taken at ~f/11:

Click the photo for a larger version or click here if you really want to dye cloud peep.

The controls layout is compact and logical.  A sliding lever on the front controls the f-stop, adjustable from f/2.8 to f/22 in full stop increments.  Pushing the lever past f/2.8 activates the flash, if the flash is attached.  One thing I really like about the XA is that, unlike its later autofocus counterpart the Stylus Epic (Myu II), there is no chance of unintentionally firing the flash.  Under the camera is a switch to engage the self timer, check the battery, or set a +1.5 stop exposure compensation for backlit scenes.  Alternately one can set exposure compensation by changing the film speed, adjustable from ISO 25 to 800 in 1/3 stops using a tiny, fingernail controlled switch directly beneath the lens.

The control for rangefinder adjustment is a tabbed dial, also beneath the lens.  The rangefinder base is very short.  Going from minimum focus of just under a meter to infinity takes just about 1/2 an inch of travel.  Despite this, I find that it is relatively easy to obtain proper focus.  A distance window is shown above the lens, clearly visible during use.  f/5.6 on the aperture scale and 8 feet on the distance window are each marked in orange to remind the user that these settings used together make a useful combination for zone focusing during street photography.

The viewfinder is large and bright for such a tiny camera.  The 35mm framelines are easy to see while wearing glasses.  The shutter speed is indicated by a needle on the left and can be hard to see in tricky lighting.  The rangefinder on my XA has dimmed over the years but is still quite usable.

The selling price for the XA varies widely.  I picked up mine for $35 on Craigslist.  The previous owner bought it used in the early 1980s and used it regularly until switching to a digital compact last year.  Overall, it has held up very well to nearly three decades of non-pampered use.  As is common with these cameras, the foam seals are gone, but that is an easy fix.  It takes great pictures as is, so I haven't bothered.