Paul Spinnler
Well-known member
**** CAN SHIP FROM EU (extra travel expense of CHF50) ****
Dear all
This is the rare opportunity to buy a fully factory refurbished Alpa Max with new inner bearing system incl. accessories in excellent / near mint condition incl. original serialized box + check, clean and refurbishment documentation from Alpa. This is as good as it gets in terms of getting into the world of Alpa at a discount. Prices may further increase in the future, so this is a great opportunity to get a super smooth functioning camera.
When buying used Alpa it is paramount to actually make sure that the bearings are still smooth and the planarity has been re-confirmed which is of course difficult in the second-hand market. If a camera received a hit or fell down planarity might have been impacted which you can avoid by getting the Alpa product checked at the factory.
I am the original owner and end of last year / beginning of this year had a full refurbishment done at Alpa and Seitz for USD 1450 – will provide invoice.
Since then this specific camera has not been used as I've also acquired a Pano and have also the TC. Main horse is Pano.
The refurbishment included a full replacement of all bearings to make it work and feel like new, including new inner parts. Except for some barely visible signs of use, it almost looks like new. In practice, when holding it, it looks stunning. I did the refurbishment for myself as I wanted an almost new like product, but given I use the Pano all the time I feel it is gathering a bit too much dust.
It comes also with a quasi-new wooden handgrip and the heavy-duty Arca tripod stand and shift adapter + Alpa screwdriver so you can play around with removing or keeping the handgrip, for example.
This is an MKI Max, which mainly differs from the MKII in that the wheels of the rise mechanism are black with a small securing clip (you can secure the rise also in the front of the camera directly, so the use is limited of this addition) instead of solid aluminum in the first iteration. There are no real functional differences impacting the use of the camera for its intended purpose.
Alpa always quotes ex factory, meaning the current price on the website is the one to look at except if a dealer is clearing stock, for example. Web prices may therefore be misleading to some extent as they may not be up to date.
List price excluding VAT at Alpa as of today:
+ Max: CHF 6600 or USD 7300 / EUR 6800
+ Rosewood hand grip: CHF 400 / USD 440 / EUR 410
+ Shift adapter: CHF 250 / USD 270 / EUR / 260
In practice, you will always buy a hand grip and shift adapter, so it wouldn't make sense to buy just a camera, for example.
Total = CHF 7250 / USD 8010 / EUR 7470 + import duties, taxes, shipping, etc.
If shipped from EU, I need to drive to Germany for which I'd ask a cost surcharge of CHF50.
I cannot imagine a better intro into the high-precision and high-end world of Alpa than with this camera and with the upcoming Hasselblad back it will be even better.
In addition to the wood handle and shift adapter, this kit comes with the Alpa multi-function screwdriver that lets you remove / add the handle or screw-in other accessories.
Paypal is possible for well-known members, but payment would need to be made in Swiss Francs so I can extract it without another few percent of transaction fees from paypal (my native Paypal account is lin Swiss Francs). I prefer payment by wire as it has the least amount of fees.
I am a long-time forum member and have sold many items over the years as well as other Alpa items and have recenty bought an XT lens from Bill.
A non-factory checked Alpa Max without box and further documentation recently sold for 4800 EUR on ebay. I am in no rush to sell. The camera is beautfiul and has been just lying around, so I'd prefer it finds a new home. You in addition benefit from the USD1450 new parts invested into this specific unit to make it function like new.
It is a big difference sometimes hand holding a factory new unit with its smooth bearings compared to an older one where time and use have impacted its feel. It can well be that a used Max sent to Alpa will be quoted a four-figure amount amount to be refurbished back to spec – this has been done here already, so bear this in mind. Alpa gear is very precise, for the most discerning photographers - there's a reason you can buy shimming plates for their back adapters ... in the end, with a 10k lens and 40k back you wouldn't want a badly aligned camera impacting edge sharpness on a stitch, right? Right.
The Alpa system is unique in its precision, quality of build and open-ness meaning it is the perfect complement to the new Hassy back and this specific unit will provide years of tech cam enjoyment.
BR
Paul
Dear all
This is the rare opportunity to buy a fully factory refurbished Alpa Max with new inner bearing system incl. accessories in excellent / near mint condition incl. original serialized box + check, clean and refurbishment documentation from Alpa. This is as good as it gets in terms of getting into the world of Alpa at a discount. Prices may further increase in the future, so this is a great opportunity to get a super smooth functioning camera.
When buying used Alpa it is paramount to actually make sure that the bearings are still smooth and the planarity has been re-confirmed which is of course difficult in the second-hand market. If a camera received a hit or fell down planarity might have been impacted which you can avoid by getting the Alpa product checked at the factory.
I am the original owner and end of last year / beginning of this year had a full refurbishment done at Alpa and Seitz for USD 1450 – will provide invoice.
Since then this specific camera has not been used as I've also acquired a Pano and have also the TC. Main horse is Pano.
The refurbishment included a full replacement of all bearings to make it work and feel like new, including new inner parts. Except for some barely visible signs of use, it almost looks like new. In practice, when holding it, it looks stunning. I did the refurbishment for myself as I wanted an almost new like product, but given I use the Pano all the time I feel it is gathering a bit too much dust.
It comes also with a quasi-new wooden handgrip and the heavy-duty Arca tripod stand and shift adapter + Alpa screwdriver so you can play around with removing or keeping the handgrip, for example.
This is an MKI Max, which mainly differs from the MKII in that the wheels of the rise mechanism are black with a small securing clip (you can secure the rise also in the front of the camera directly, so the use is limited of this addition) instead of solid aluminum in the first iteration. There are no real functional differences impacting the use of the camera for its intended purpose.
Alpa always quotes ex factory, meaning the current price on the website is the one to look at except if a dealer is clearing stock, for example. Web prices may therefore be misleading to some extent as they may not be up to date.
List price excluding VAT at Alpa as of today:
+ Max: CHF 6600 or USD 7300 / EUR 6800
+ Rosewood hand grip: CHF 400 / USD 440 / EUR 410
+ Shift adapter: CHF 250 / USD 270 / EUR / 260
In practice, you will always buy a hand grip and shift adapter, so it wouldn't make sense to buy just a camera, for example.
Total = CHF 7250 / USD 8010 / EUR 7470 + import duties, taxes, shipping, etc.
If shipped from EU, I need to drive to Germany for which I'd ask a cost surcharge of CHF50.
I cannot imagine a better intro into the high-precision and high-end world of Alpa than with this camera and with the upcoming Hasselblad back it will be even better.
In addition to the wood handle and shift adapter, this kit comes with the Alpa multi-function screwdriver that lets you remove / add the handle or screw-in other accessories.
Paypal is possible for well-known members, but payment would need to be made in Swiss Francs so I can extract it without another few percent of transaction fees from paypal (my native Paypal account is lin Swiss Francs). I prefer payment by wire as it has the least amount of fees.
I am a long-time forum member and have sold many items over the years as well as other Alpa items and have recenty bought an XT lens from Bill.
A non-factory checked Alpa Max without box and further documentation recently sold for 4800 EUR on ebay. I am in no rush to sell. The camera is beautfiul and has been just lying around, so I'd prefer it finds a new home. You in addition benefit from the USD1450 new parts invested into this specific unit to make it function like new.
It is a big difference sometimes hand holding a factory new unit with its smooth bearings compared to an older one where time and use have impacted its feel. It can well be that a used Max sent to Alpa will be quoted a four-figure amount amount to be refurbished back to spec – this has been done here already, so bear this in mind. Alpa gear is very precise, for the most discerning photographers - there's a reason you can buy shimming plates for their back adapters ... in the end, with a 10k lens and 40k back you wouldn't want a badly aligned camera impacting edge sharpness on a stitch, right? Right.
The Alpa system is unique in its precision, quality of build and open-ness meaning it is the perfect complement to the new Hassy back and this specific unit will provide years of tech cam enjoyment.
BR
Paul
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