Olympus's entry 35mm Trip compact — 2000 focus-free 27mm f/6.3 lens, DX coding, always-on flash, AA power
The Olympus Trip XB400 was a plastic-bodied snapshot camera from 2000, one of the last generation of budget 35mm compacts sold under the Trip name. Manufactured in China, it sat at the very bottom of the Olympus range; the similar Trip XB401 added a self-timer but was otherwise the same camera.
The lens is a fixed-focus 27mm f/6.3 with 3 elements in 3 groups and a minimum subject distance of about 1.5m, protected by a sliding cover. Exposure, aperture and shutter speed (nominally 1/100s) are handled automatically, with film speed read from DX coding and defaulting to ISO 100 on uncoded film. The built-in flash fires automatically and cannot be switched off. Film loading, advance and rewind are motorised, powered by two AA batteries. It weighs just 148g.
With its wide 27mm lens and always-on flash it delivers the classic point-and-shoot party look, and the big viewfinder and zero controls make it as beginner-friendly as film gets. The slow f/6.3 lens means it leans heavily on the flash indoors and favours ISO 400 film; it is a fun, casual shooter rather than a precise one.
It will not fire without working AA batteries, so confirm the motor wind cycles and the flash charges with a whine before buying. The always-on flash cannot be disabled, which some buyers dislike. Check the sliding lens cover, the film-door latch and the battery contacts for corrosion; these are cheap cameras, so avoid paying tested-working prices for untested examples.