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Making the jump to Alpa - What Lenses?

Been considering this for a while now. However, after playing around with one at the local shop, I fell in love with the feel and of course looks of the Alpa.
Right now I'm currently shooting a P25+ (H mount) with HTS1.5 , 100 f2.2, and 35mm f3.5.
I do abstract photos for gallery work and I am trying to build a product advertising portfolio. Looking for 2 lenses that will allow me to be around the ranges I was at before. I wouldn't mind be a little wider on both ends. Also lenses that will work well with the tilt/swing adapter and macro adapter.
I must also mention that I want to upgrade to an IQ160 or 180 when I have the money.
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
On the wide end:

I would look at the Rodenstock 32mm and 28mm and 23mm. All the are excellent lenses, the 32mm being the newest. I have used the 23mm and have a 28mm. The 28mm is the best wide angle lens I have used on any medium format back. I found the 23mm too wide for me. I think overall the 32mm is the best solution, but it's cost with the CF is just too much for me. Rodenstock now calls the 28 and 23 the S and the 32 is in the W line.

Rodenstock makes a physical CF for all three of these lenses and I would consider it. The CF is 1K (yes) but I found it helped quite a bit on vignetting problems. Rodenstock puts a hard disk in these lenses that stops your shifting at about 7mm on the 28mm (you see the disk and ruins the shift). I have been told that the 32mm has the same disk but you have more room since it has a larger image circle. 70mm on the 28 and 23, 90mm on the 32.

Also consider the Schneider 28mm and 35mm. Guy wrote an excellent write up on the comparison between the Schneider 28 and Rodenstock 28 on this site. It's still up in the review area.

Rodenstock 35mm, great lens, smallish image circle of 70mm. Not a real good shifting lens IMO. No physical CF made by Rodenstock (I still feel it could use one). Hard disk stops horizontal shifting at 7mm. (huge issue for me). Nice size and tends to be very reasonably priced.

Schneider 35mm is an excellent all round lens, small package and @ F11 stunning clarity and contrast. I would recommend the physical CF for this the 35mm. The 35mm is reported not to be a good player for the IQ180, but it works find on the 160. You can get horizontal shifts of about 12mm before you start to lose saturation and see detail smearing.

Schneider 43mm is an excellent lens and a newer design that the 35mm as I understand it. I find that I tend to lead with the 43mm. It's contrast and clarity are excellent. You can shift it to 18mm horizontally before you see loss of details or saturation loss (again on a 160). I would recommend the physical CF for the 43mm. Very large image circle of 110mm

Rodenstock 40mm W Excellent from all reports, I have not used it


Schneider 60mm Digitar XL. My second most often used lens. Details are crips and contrast/clarity excellent. It's not as close to the 100mm you are using however. The 60mm has a huge image circle of 120mm. You can easily get horizontal shift of 25mm (I have taken it to 30mm) without loss of details/smearing. At 25mm you start to see loss of saturation. I use the physical CF on this lens mainly for shifting. On center the vignetting is very slight. Sharp as a tack.

Schneider 90mm Digitar. This lens comes by excellent reviews. I have not used one, opting instead for the older Rodenstock 105mm. This Rodenstock is in the older sironar-digital family. So far I like the 105 even though it's the older series of glass, in that it seems to work very well with the 160.

Note on backs. The 180 seems to be much less forgiving on these lens I guess due to the smaller pixels. People report bad results with the Schneider 35mm and 43mm, but great results with the Rodenstock 40mm and 32mm. I don't know about the 28mm. All of the lenses I have listed work great with the IQ160.

One other note, take a look here Cambo Photographic Industry

Cambo has by far the best info pages on all of these lenses. Their website is a font on knowledge.

Paul
 

rga

Member
Before committing to a tilt/shift, you may want ot read the latest newsletter from Alpa. They have a new 17mm short barrel format T/S coming out that will work with wider angles. The widest you can get right now is a 50mm 34SB to work with their current 34mm T/S.

I wrote to Alpa and was told they will also be coming out with a 17mm extension. This will allow the current 34mmSB lenses to work with the newer 17mm T/S. If I were buying new, I'd go this route for T/S.

Best,
Bob

Been considering this for a while now. However, after playing around with one at the local shop, I fell in love with the feel and of course looks of the Alpa.
Right now I'm currently shooting a P25+ (H mount) with HTS1.5 , 100 f2.2, and 35mm f3.5.
I do abstract photos for gallery work and I am trying to build a product advertising portfolio. Looking for 2 lenses that will allow me to be around the ranges I was at before. I wouldn't mind be a little wider on both ends. Also lenses that will work well with the tilt/swing adapter and macro adapter.
I must also mention that I want to upgrade to an IQ160 or 180 when I have the money.
 

gazwas

Active member
If I wanted to shoot macro and also needed tilt/shift I personally would not touch an Alpa as there are other cameras better suited to this type of work. For landscapes with wide angle lenses and for stitching they are great. I would recommend asking to borrow/hire one of these cameras to check if it suits your style of shooting before stumping up all that cash because you fell in love with its looks in a shop.;)

IMO of course! :p
 

rga

Member
Macro with the extensions and a focusing rail work fine with my Alpa, an SLR type viewfinder would certainly be nice, unless you have live view or tethered Capture One.
Bob

If I wanted to shoot macro and also needed tilt/shift I personally would not touch an Alpa as there are other cameras better suited to this type of work. For landscapes with wide angle lenses and for stitching they are great. I would recommend asking to borrow/hire one of these cameras to check if it suits your style of shooting before stumping up all that cash because you fell in love with its looks in a shop.;)

IMO of course! :p
 

gazwas

Active member
I didn't say it couldn't be done, however I question why would you want to considering camera options?
 

dchew

Well-known member
Rodi just released the 90 HR. no one has experience with it but it certainly looks like it would fit well with your needs. The Alpa mount will be a short barrel, so mate it with the 34mm tilt adapter, or as Rob suggests get the 17mm tilt plus a 17 extension.
 
Rodi just released the 90 HR. no one has experience with it but it certainly looks like it would fit well with your needs. The Alpa mount will be a short barrel, so mate it with the 34mm tilt adapter, or as Rob suggests get the 17mm tilt plus a 17 extension.
Sounds like a good bet, especially since no one has tested it. It is also the lens that seemed most interesting because it is newer. That way I can write a review on it. Do you know when the 17mm tilt will be out?
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
My guess is late this year. They will probably release everything at the show this month but availability is anyone's guess...
Dave
My experience is , that ALPA will send either a News Letter , give a Press Release and update their homepage about a week before PHOTOKINA starts .
So that could be the 12th to 15th of September .
I am impatiently waiting for that to happen .
There might also be some words for the availability of the new products .
 
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