Alpa Photokina Preview

[Optechs Digital]

Here is a list and brief description of some brand new items that Alpa will be showing at the upcoming Photokina show. More detailed information will follow soon but I have been given the go ahead to share this basic information with you all now.

The target availability for sales units for these items is end of 2010, early 2011.

Alpa 12 STC A new camera body as small and light as possible and ideal for stitching. 135mm tall by 145mm wide and offering 18mm of shift in two directions from center point either vertically or horizontally depending on camera orientation. (36mm total displacement). Shift plate is 100% moving on roller bearings. This camera is fully integrated into the 12 system platform.

Alpa High Precision Focusing rings/scales. User replaceable and retrofit to existing Alpa lenses. Available in separate feet or meters version.

Alpa One Finger -One Movement Wake Up cables. A true one shot solution for the Alpa featuring a single action wake up and shutter firing solution. Ideal for hand held use.

Alpa I Phone Viewfinder. A device to use IPhone models 3,G, 3GS and 4 as an electronic viewfinder for all Alpa 12 models.

Best Regards,
Paul

 

[cmb_]

Paul - Thanks for the info. Any further info you have on the Alpa I Phone Viewfinder please pass it along as you get it.

When Alpa reps were in NY they said they hoped to have the Schneider 28 for Photokina. Any further news there?

 

[Bob]

Tell me more about that electron viewfilder!
-bob

 

[Mike M]

Cool, all of the new editions sound very interesting. The high precision focusing rings definitely get my attention.

 

[jotloob]

Thank you Paul for that info .
That sounds all very interesting . I think I will have to add an other page to my wishlist .
Waiting for more info on topics 2 , 3 and 4 .

I will receive my first SB lens next Monday . It is the DIGARON-W 5,6/90 .
It is hard to wait , but shipment from ALPA was really very fast .

 

[jeffreytotaro]

I wonder if they are developing an app for the iPhone rig too. I've tried a few of the viewfinder apps and find them not so special, since there is the obvious wide angle issue.
Thanks Paul,

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Jaw has dropped and locked in on STC

 

[jotloob]

Alpa High Precision Focusing rings/scales. User replaceable and retrofit to existing Alpa lenses. Available in separate feet or meters version.

Best Regards,
Paul

I wonder what this precision ring will look like and how it will work .
One thing is for sure , that item is already on the top of my list . For all of my four lenses .

 

[Optechs Digital]

Hi Guys,

More information on all these items will be forthcoming very soon. Sorry I can't answer these questions in depth yet, but it won't be long before you can actually get your hands on these items.

Best Regards,
Paul

 

[Uaiomex]

I've heard (as a rumor) that Canon may be showing at Photokina some kind of software to use with the iPad/iPhone. It could be a wireless electronic live view and review function.
Wishfull thinking but it seems to be the soup du jour.
Eduardo

Hi Guys,

More information on all these items will be forthcoming very soon. Sorry I can't answer these questions in depth yet, but it won't be long before you can actually get your hands on these items.

Best Regards,
Paul

 

[Optechs Digital]

Paul - Thanks for the info. Any further info you have on the Alpa I Phone Viewfinder please pass it along as you get it.

When Alpa reps were in NY they said they hoped to have the Schneider 28 for Photokina. Any further news there?

Hi CMB,

Yes the 28mm Schneider and 32mm Rodenstock will be shown in the Alpa booth at Photokina. I'm not sure if they will actually be shipping at that time or not.

I will certainly be trying to get some of the very first ones available in the Alpa mount.

More details soon.

Best,
Paul

 

[Optechs Digital]

Jaw has dropped and locked in on STC

Mine has also Guy,

This camera is quite exciting. The versatility is very extraordinary depending on how the camera is configured, but still a very small size.

We will produce a video on it as soon as we get a production unit.

Best,
Paul

 

[Anders_HK]

Mine has also Guy,

This camera is quite exciting. The versatility is very extraordinary depending on how the camera is configured, but still a very small size.

We will produce a video on it as soon as we get a production unit.

Best,
Paul

Paul,

Any more info such as weight and price?

Thanks

Regards
Anders

 

[jotloob]

Since Paul opened this thread , I can't sleep anymore and am only dreaming of ALPA STC . It is nightmare like .
What can we do about this ? ? ? STC = ALPA MINI MAX . :thumbup:
I think , I should give them a call on Monday .
Jürgen

 

[Geoff]

Can we at least get one picture? !!

 

[cmb_]

Hi CMB,

Yes the 28mm Schneider and 32mm Rodenstock will be shown in the Alpa booth at Photokina. I'm not sure if they will actually be shipping at that time or not.

I will certainly be trying to get some of the very first ones available in the Alpa mount.

More details soon.

Best,
Paul

Thanks Paul, I'm looking forward to these new releases.

 

[narikin]

iPhone viewfinder may be not be all we hope - its probably just an iPhone picture with various masks/formats overlayed by Alpa. let wait and see,

am at a loss what the STC adds to the MAX? the Max is not that big and has the same movements of 18mm each way. This biggest problem with major stitching on the Alpa's is the restriction caused by the body aperture, which mechanically vignettes any standard lens from making large shifts, after a certain point. This is why the 'short barrel' lenses have been introduced. The MAX needs an upgrade too, allowing the stitching adapter to work in body-reversed configuration, as well as normal.

They need to sort these things out on the MAX, especially the body aperture size, which means bigger lens mounts than their old original design (film based, pre-stitching)

 

[jotloob]

am at a loss what the STC adds to the MAX? the Max is not that big and has the same movements of 18mm each way. This biggest problem with major stitching on the Alpa's is the restriction caused by the body aperture, which mechanically vignettes any standard lens from making large shifts, after a certain point. This is why the 'short barrel' lenses have been introduced. The MAX needs an upgrade too, allowing the stitching adapter to work in body-reversed configuration, as well as normal.

They need to sort these things out on the MAX, especially the body aperture size, which means bigger lens mounts than their old original design (film based, pre-stitching)

Very interesting contribution in deed .
Just to make sure , that I understand you correctly , can you please explain what you mean by "body aperture" ?
If you mean the ALPA camera body itself as beeing the body aperture , then you will face the very same issue with any 6x9 technical camera using digital backs .
Jürgen

 

[narikin]

Yes, the body itself has a square hole that is modest in size, and was set when Alpa were making film cameras, with perhaps a small bit of rise. All the lens box mounts were made to fit onto this size body opening.

Now we have stitching backs that move left or right by extreme amounts, and the body aperture starts to mechanically cut the picture off from the cone of light, especially on standard or longer lenses. Wide angle is not such a problem as the lens is closer to the sensor plane.

That is why they now make large circle stitching lenses (like the 90mm Rodenstock) only in 'short barrel' versions, so together with the spacer adapter at the back, the body is moved 'up' the cone of light, to prevent mechanical vignetting.

It would be better to make a body with a bigger aperture, but that would mean the lens mount would need some change or adapter.

 

[PeterA]

Anyone who has used Alpa for a few years understands that there are better stitching options out there for non wide lens useage. Alpas are elegant wide angle solutions.

The TC announced above is a great idea for simple stitching in small package - I am a buyer.

OR for wide and for longer than 35mm focal lengths - go arTec - and for really long focal lengths - you dont need a tech camera anyway - use your digi back on one of the 645's with a 150-210/300 etc.on rails around nodal point.

horses for courses.