Olympus's autofocus APS compact — 1999 24mm f/4.5 lens, extra-big viewfinder, auto flash, motor drive
The Olympus Newpic XB AF was a fully automatic APS compact with motor drive and autofocus, introduced in 1999 as part of Olympus's Newpic family of Advanced Photo System cameras. The XB stood for the extra-big viewfinder that distinguished it from plainer Newpic models, and it was sold in a silver plastic body.
It pairs a 24mm f/4.5 three-element lens — a standard-ish wide view on the smaller APS frame — with autofocus and a shutter running from 1/3s to 1/250s. An integral automatic flash, sliding lens cover and motorised film handling keep operation simple, and holding the shutter release enables continuous shooting. Power comes from a CR2 lithium cell or two AAA batteries, and the body measures 108 x 65 x 39mm at 162g.
The oversized viewfinder makes it one of the easier APS compacts to frame with, and autofocus lifts it above the fixed-focus budget tier. It suits APS collectors and anyone who wants a late-90s snapshot camera with genuinely simple handling; image control is otherwise nil, as everything is automated.
APS film is discontinued, so usable stock is expired and increasingly expensive, with few labs still processing IX240 — many Newpics sell as props or display pieces. For shooters, confirm power-up on CR2 or AAAs, that the film door and cartridge chamber are clean, and that the motor advance and flash both work. Working examples are cheap, so untested ones should be cheaper.