New Alpa Products being announced

[thomas]

I need to start digging in my backyard see if there is any gold chunks in the ground.

if money is a factor... why not just take anything for less money that does basically the same and even more?
There s a lot to like about the WRS...

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I like the WRS also. My issue is more do I really need a tech cam, that is what keeps holding me back more than anything. It's a question I been asking myself for over a year and I am not getting a resounding yes. I am a very fast shooter and on foot more than anything. It goes against my style if you know what I mean but there are times I would love to have one. When I ask myself these questions I'm just not convincing myself. Reality is I am a very careful buyer in a sense, I have to sell myself first. Which I know on the surface does not seem to fit my profile but reality is I really do my homework first. Why i keep drilling the do you homework first to folks.

 

[GrahamWelland]

Guy,

I just wonder whether having only rise or shift would work for someone like yourself in a commercial setting? Wouldn't you find the either/or a restriction?

Just playing devil's advocate here ...

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Actually the SWA would be fine because rise and fall are pretty important. Many times I am up and need to look down. Panos are more for landscape type work but again I could cheat with either a rail setup and just slide along rail for stitching stuff or just rotate and stitch together. The STC, Arca, and WRS just make this all easier and more precise. But most times for me just a shift lens would work. Why I keep going back and forth on decisions and also want the DF setup with all the lenses I need which I need a 35mm and 300 to round it out

 

[Optechs Digital]

Hi Gang,

I am really excited about all of these new Alpa products and am glad that so many of you are as well. I will be bringing into the North American market as many of the new items as i can get from the initial production runs and expect to have decent supply of all the new products quite soon or at least by the end of 2010.

The STC is very hot and orders are already stacking up, so if you are looking forward to getting one of these soon please contact me or your dealer of choice to arrange your order.

I will try to update in the vendors commercial sales area as items begin to come in and be available for sale.

Way to go ALPA!

Best,
Paul

 

[cmb_]

Hi Paul,

When you have time can you find out if the retrofitting of the High Precision Focusing Rings to existing lenses is done by the consumer, dealer, or back at Alpa. Thanks.

 

[GrahamWelland]

Hi Paul,

When you have time can you find out if the retrofitting of the High Precision Focusing Rings to existing lenses is done by the consumer, dealer, or back at Alpa. Thanks.

+1 on that one.

 

[jotloob]

View attachment 35504

I had a closer look to the new HPF ring image .

I believe the above shown ring can not really be the final version .
How can you properly set a distance which is in between the bigger marks ?
How do you know , which distance that is ? ? ?

Please have a look to my little drawing in the following image .
Click twice on the image to enlarge .

I would expect the scale to look like this .

View attachment 35560

X = the indicater , where you adjust the focus , your measured distance , for example using a laser distometer .

XX = these little markers should be on that side of the focus scale as well , all over the distance range from the shortest distance to infinity , where they already exist .

Question : what is the distance corresponding to say .859 + two of the little markers ? ? ?
The scale is not linear , so we would need a little table with the corresponding distances as a reference .

ALPA , please give us more details about what I described .

 

[jotloob]

Sorry , my image had the wrong format .
I try to upload again .

View attachment 35561

Ahhhh . okay this time .

 

[thomas]

XX = these little markers should be on that side of the focus scale as well

so on the side with the aperture indication? That would require a new focus ring design by Schneider and Rodenstock... it would also require a larger diameter of the focus ring (unless you want to use your groundglass-loupe to read the focus indication on the lens ) ... think of Rm3D.
I think it is the final design of the focus rings. The indication is much finer than before, though there is still some room for guessing (or calculating) when it comes high precission focusing. But at closer distances you can still focus on the groundglass, too.
I think these rings will improve things dramatically... at least for me.

 

[jotloob]

so on the side with the aperture indication? That would require a new focus ring design by Schneider and Rodenstock... it would also require a larger diameter of the focus ring (unless you want to use your groundglass-loupe to read the focus indication on the lens ) ... think of Rm3D.

Thomas , you did not get my point .
The little additional 4 markers would still be on the new scale ring .
Without these little markers opposite the the actual focusing marker , you would still have to guess , better than before , but still .

 

[jotloob]

Thomas

You might like this image more than the previous one .

View attachment 35562

The little markers 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 would still be on the new scale ring and of course would correspond to the other little markers .

 

[thomas]

got it, thanks!
In your first image there were 4 dots on the ring with the aperture indication and so I thought they would matter for you.

 

[thomas]

My issue is more do I really need a tech cam, that is what keeps holding me back more than anything.

maybe just wait... possibly Schneider will make some more TS lenses for Mamiya...?
Okay, the DF with TS lenses is more bulky and heavier than a tech camera and you have to take care about shutter and mirror shake etc. Then again, if you need movements just from time to time, this might be the better choice for you personally...?

 

[Optechs Digital]

Hi Paul,

When you have time can you find out if the retrofitting of the High Precision Focusing Rings to existing lenses is done by the consumer, dealer, or back at Alpa. Thanks.

Hi cmb,

They are end user installed. It appears to be a simple process but we will offer this as service for anyone that would prefer to have us do it for them on either a new or existing lens.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[cmb_]

Thanks Paul and that is good news.

Now I am waiting to see images of the lens scales in both metric and inches before I decide which ones to get.

 

[Optechs Digital]

CMB_,

Maybe this will help.

Here is a chart showing every increment measured on the HPF ring for the Schneider 72mm.

It shows the increments in both meters and feet and even includes measurements for all of the extension tubes.

There will eventually be a chart like this for every lens in the Alpa lineup, but for practical use of course the chart is not needed (in my opinion).


View attachment 35635

Best regards,
Paul

 

[cmb_]

Paul - Many thanks, that is very helpful!

 

[archivue]

The practicability of "5x 360°" and of the corresponding special system where you have to "translate" meters/feet in a peculiar division system from e.g. 1 to 34 is another matter.

;-)

http://www.alpa.ch/en/news/2010/some-thoughts-about-sliding-backs.html?year=&num=

 

[David Klepacki]

The practicability of "5x 360°" and of the corresponding special system where you have to "translate" meters/feet in a peculiar division system from e.g. 1 to 34 is another matter.

;-)

http://www.alpa.ch/en/news/2010/some-thoughts-about-sliding-backs.html?year=&num=

Ouch! It looks like Alpa is eating their own words on this topic.