Alpa Photokina Preview

[GrahamWelland]

Jurgen,

This is kind of OT from Paul's original thread but here goes anyway:

The viewfinder application can only use the optical image from the iPhone camera with it's native FoV. For wide angle lenses the physical image can only cover a portion of the total view and so if you set up 28mm as a lens with the Alpa then you'll only see an image that covers 80 percent or so of the total view with the remainder displayed with shaded light/grey lines. If you add a 3rd party wide angle lens adapter to the iPhone the you will be expanding the optical FoV & coverage and so now you can zoom the image to see the full view. With a wide angle adapter fitted and the full 28mm lens view selected you will see the longer lens viewfinder masks smaller on screen. You can zoom in if you want have a more detailed view but it's just a display zoom, not an optical zoom.

Does that make sense?

 

[jotloob]

Jurgen,

This is kind of OT from Paul's original thread but here goes anyway:

The viewfinder application can only use the optical image from the iPhone camera with it's native FoV. For wide angle lenses the physical image can only cover a portion of the total view and so if you set up 28mm as a lens with the Alpa then you'll only see an image that covers 80 percent or so of the total view with the remainder displayed with shaded light/grey lines. If you add a 3rd party wide angle lens adapter to the iPhone the you will be expanding the optical FoV & coverage and so now you can zoom the image to see the full view. With a wide angle adapter fitted and the full 28mm lens view selected you will see the longer lens viewfinder masks smaller on screen. You can zoom in if you want have a more detailed view but it's just a display zoom, not an optical zoom.

Does that make sense?

OK Graham

Understood . So I will have to add a 3rd party wide angle adapter to obtain the full function of the iphone viewfinder pro .

 

[Terry]

Here is one that I saw but I haven't seen anything appear for the iPhone 4

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/meritline-wide-angle-lens-for-apple-iphone/

 

[docmoore]

IMO the iPhone app is of limited usability.

This may serve you better:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&N=0&Q=&Ntt=directors+view+finder&A=endecaSearch


Bob

 

[JSK Rangefinder]

not long ago i've received an email with regards to Alpa to Keep the Faith

I think they had to step it up.. so far so good

 

[jotloob]

Jurgen,

Funny enough I just got one of these yesterday and all it's done is rain here too! :ROTFL:

Btw, I see that Alpa actually has a listing of the new items at their site:
http://www.alpa.ch/en/news/2010/alpa-photokina2010-news.html?year=&num=

I find it kind of ironic that such a basic system now includes an iPod/iPhone holder I've been using the Viewfinder Pro iPhone app myself recently and it's excellent. It also makes for handy reference checks too, for example:

Graham

Here the wether is still pour and I had no chance up to now for any test
of my new beauty , the DIGARON-W 5,6/90mm .
We are getting new windows on all floors of the house and I had to pack all my gear and protect it against dust . So there will not be a new chance within the next week either .
Could you do any shots yet ? ? ? If so , what are your first impressions ? ?

I believe that smart phones will take over more and more jobs in our daily life , especially in photography . If the APPS are useful or not is up to the user to decide .
The viewfinder pro will be a good solution for me as I always have my iphone with . For my current main project , houses and modern architecture , I am usually at the location (with my LUMIX G1 , which I use as a kind of digital polaroid) , before I do the shooting . And then I could easily determine which lens or lenses I will need .
I am fed up with carrying loads of heavy gear .

 

[Christopher]

Well I don't have the Alpa version of the DIGARON-W 5,6/90mm, but I had it for my Linhof and I can tell you it is a amazing lens. Sharp wide open and a huge image circle. Great to shoot.

 

[GrahamWelland]

My Alpa mount short-barrel Digaron-W 90/5.6 & spacer only arrived on Wednesday and work & weather have kept me from using it yet. I am looking forward to spending a dedicated photography week getting to know it though starting from Saturday.

 

[jotloob]

My Alpa mount short-barrel Digaron-W 90/5.6 & spacer only arrived on Wednesday and work & weather have kept me from using it yet. I am looking forward to spending a dedicated photography week getting to know it though starting from Saturday.

Lucky man you are .
Have a lovely weekend with lots of good shots .
I am just packing my last gear to get it dust protected .

 

[narikin]

IMO the iPhone app is of limited usability.
This may serve you better:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&N=0&Q=&Ntt=directors+view+finder&A=endecaSearch
Bob

All these are kind of useful, but I need something ON the camera when I'm using the TC handheld.

Remember that not everyone uses an ALPA on a tripod - you can walk around with these cameras and take pictures in the everyday way!

So for a framing/ viewfinder device ON the camera... I've had the Alpa one but found it too very-wide angle oriented, the Linhof Zoom finder works better for my purposes, and covers wide to normal to mild tele in one device, with parallax correction.

 

[docmoore]

All these are kind of useful, but I need something ON the camera when I'm using the TC handheld.

Remember that not everyone uses an ALPA on a tripod - you can walk around with these cameras and take pictures in the everyday way!

So for a framing/ viewfinder device ON the camera... I've had the Alpa one but found it too very-wide angle oriented, the Linhof Zoom finder works better for my purposes, and covers wide to normal to mild tele in one device, with parallax correction.

I have heard that the Linhoff Zoom is one of the best...I have the Alpa and the old Leica 21-28 zoom and as I only have WA at the present time it seems to work for me.

Bob

 

[cmb_]

. . . the Linhof Zoom finder works better for my purposes, and covers wide to normal to mild tele in one device, with parallax correction.

With which lenses are you using the Linhof finder?

 

[narikin]

60mm Digaron-S
90mm Apo-Digitar
others coming soon, just waiting to see whats announced at Photokina

 

[cmb_]

The Alpa web site has been update with photos and pricing for the new products.

http://www.alpa.ch/en/news/2010/alpa-photokina2010-news0.html?year=&num=

 

[GrahamWelland]

I think I hereby christen the 12 STC as mini-Max :thumbup: :ROTFL:

I do like the look of the level on it though. My wallet just ran off whimpering under the sofa.

In all seriousness I can see this appealing to anyone not needing shifts on both axis. A month or so back that might have been me (although I'm glad I did get the max though).

 

[narikin]

Yeah a decent addition, though quite why they couldn't give it 10mm of rise as well, I don't know. Other than not eating the Max's market.

The new body is also getting closer to what Cambo came up with in their compact stitching model. Except that does rise too...

One thing nobody mentions about stitch lenses is that are effectively two for price of one. A 90mm digitar-s is a great standard/portrait lens, but when stitched over 2+frames becomes effectively a wide angle.

 

[thomas]

The new body is also getting closer to what Cambo came up with in their compact stitching model. Except that does rise too...

The 12 STC is actually closer to the Silvestri Bicam… except that the 12 STC provides lateral shift in regular body orientation (so actually it is for either wide panorama composition or, with the back turned in portrait mode, for a large 2 way stitch in 3:2 format… given you use a back with 4:3 sensor format).
The Cambo actually provides larger (or roughly the same) movements than the Alpa Max (with regular lenses) in a much more compact body.
Max: 25mm rise | 18mm fall | +/- 18mm lateral (i.e. 43mm vertical | 36mm lateral)
WRS: 25mm rise | 15mm fall | +/- 20mm lateral (i.e. 40mm vertical | 40mm lateral)

Max: 206 x 177 mm (weight 1.2 kg body only)
WRS: 165 x 155 mm (weight 1.2 kg body only - but the handles are an integrated part of the body)

One thing nobody mentions about stitch lenses is that are effectively two for price of one. A 90mm digitar-s is a great standard/portrait lens, but when stitched over 2+frames becomes effectively a wide angle.

exactly. This is why I don't need for instance a 35mm lens... as the 47XL easily covers the respective field of view. Though you can't stitch all the time of course...
The next lens wider than the 47mm that makes sense for me is the new Super Digitar 28mm. But that is really wide and I don't need such an extreme field of view very often.