Alpa News

[docmoore]

Just a short note to mention an email that was forwarded to me by my local Phase and Alpa dealer. It seems that the New Year will reveal a couple of new bodies and an adapter for the Alpa 12 system. It may thereforebehoove us to keep our powder dry until further information is
available from Alpa.



Subject: The brand new ALPA 12 METRIC

Dear friends of the ALPA



1)

Here some first pictures of the new ALPA 12 METRIC:

This is a specialized camera for PHOTOGRAMMETRIC use. It is based on the ALPA 12 WA (= NO shift) and the lens as well as the back are fixed by screws (= not the slightest displacement of anything [we are taking about displacements in the 1/20 to 1/50 of one pixel...] even under heavy vibration in a helicopter or the like). This is not a camera for general use but e.g. for hand held aerial photography or for short range photogrammetry (aerospace industry, car/body manufacturing, shipbuilding industry, etc.) where utmost precision and stability is needed at the price of e.g. easy interchangeability of lenses, backs, etc. We plan to produce this camera on special order only and exactly to specifications of the customers.

The first ALPA 12 METRIC has already been delivered to the University of Bern/Switzerland a few days ago. The first results/comments/comparisons to other photogrammetric cameras are EXTREMELY promising... The tests will go on next week and at the begin of 2008 and will be summarized as soon as possible and opened up to the interested specialists during the first half of the next year.


The first ALPA 12 METRIC is made for the use with a Leaf back (but other versions will be made to accept any other digital back) - pictures taken by Andre Oldani/ALPA of Switzerland:




2)

We will soon introduce our next new camera, the ALPA 12 MAX (no pictures available yet):

a) This new model will be fully integrated into the ALPA 12 family of cameras. All models (TC, WA, SWA, METRIC, MAX, XY) platform/system will use exactly the same lenses, back adapters, viewfinder, universal-shoe-adapters, etc.).

b) The weight of the ALPA 12 MAX body is around 1200 g. It is designed to fill the "gap" between the larger/heavier ALPA 12 XY (which will remain for 100% tripod use; XY body alone: ca. 2600 g) and the smaller/lighter ALPA 12 SWA (SWA body alone: ca. 620g with the new walnut handgrips).

c) It offers simultaneous vertical and horizontal shift movements: 25mm upwards, 18mm downwards (total: 43mm), 18mm left, 18mm right (total: 36mm).

d) It is designed to offer shifting with no movement of the lens. Only the back moves within the lens' image circle. This is the basis for any high-end stitching.

f) Like the ALPA 12 XY, for top stability, precision and robustness the MAX's two shifting sleds never go beyond the closed camera body's frame and are guided on roller bearings throughout.

g) Like the ALPA 12 XY, light textile sealing material is used only very limited in order to avoid the danger of dust.

h) The retail price of the MAX (body alone) is probably going to be around $6000.

i) It will be usable both hand-held and on a tripod.

k) It will be ca. 20 - 22 cm high and ca. 17 - 18 cm wide.

l) It will accept the brand new ALPA-6° tilt-adapter (like any other ALPA 12 model). This new tilt-adapter will be usable with all lenses made by Schneider-Kreuznach of 80mm focal length and longer, in their new "short barrel" versions (80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180, 210 and 250mm).

m) ALPA are planning (but not promising) to show the prototype of the ALPA 12 MAX for the first time at the camera show in Birmingham/UK (24/25/26/27 February 2008).

n) ALPA are planning to have the first production series of the ALPA 12 MAX ready for sale by the camera show in Beijing/China (21/22/23/24 June 2008).



3)

Thanks to all who have helped to make 2007 another GREAT year for ALPA - we wish all of you a wonderful Holiday Season and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008!





View attachment 919

View attachment 920

View attachment 921

Ursula Capaul Weber & Thomas Weber-Capaul & Andre Oldani
ALPA of Switzerland


P.S.: Our premises remain closed from 16 December 2007 to 6 January 2008. In an emergency you can reach us under our usual e-mail address: [email protected]





ALPA Capaul & Weber Ltd.
Neptunstrasse 96, POB 1858
CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone: ++41-44-383 92 22
Fax: ++41-44-382 01 80

[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
www.alpa.ch <http://www.alpa.ch/>
www.alpavision.ch <http://www.alpavision.ch/>

Looks like an interesting year ahead.

Regards,

Bob Moore

 

[Jack]

Bob:

thanks for posting this --- I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!!

,

 

[tom in mpls]

I have only recently discovered these cameras. They are the greatest looking cameras, but I am somewhat baffled about their role. Where do these cameras fit in? Are they for general photography or specialized uses only? What are the particular strengths and weaknesses of them? Did I say the're way cool?

 

[Jack]

Tom, their strength is in the precision mount keeping the back perfectly lined up with the lens plane, coupled with the ability to mount the outstanding high-resolution digital specific LF lenses from Schneider and Rodenstock. Additionally, the non-shift model as shown above is particularly well-suited to using shorter lenses on MF backs for wideangle work.

Edit: Note that alignment of sensor plane and film plane becomes more critical as lenses get shorter. With a 24, even a half degree of skew will prevent accurate focus across the frame.

 

[PeterA]

Thanks for the post docmoore - i will be placing an order for the max immediately - this will deliver the stitching solution I have been waiting for - much smaller and more useful package than the XY.

Regarding what an Alpa is used for - it is basically a frame and mounting system which allows the use of medium format backs or various film holders on one side and lenses in special mounts on the other.

Wide angle lenses like the Schneider 24/35/47 or Rodenstock can be used delivering superb wide angle performance for landscape/Architectural or even snapshot uses.

Focusing is achieved typically via estimate and use of the large hyperfocal capabilities of the lenses. with the Schneider 24 for example you can get acceptable focus from less than a meter to infinity at F11.

There is a wide selection of lenses available and if one wishes to shoot tethered via DB - then focus can also be seen on your computer screen - this allows for longer lenses to be used I guess - but personally I think there are better systems for anything longer than 47mm.

The build quality of these is second to nothing and combined with a DB and wide - you ave a system capable of making hand held shots at extremely low shutter speeds - such is the balance of the Alpa The system is very portable.

Cheers
Pete

 

[PeterA]

oops Jack said it as i was posting.

 

[Hank Graber]

They are really beautiful machines. I had a 12 SWA and a 55mm Rodenstock lens. I used a Linhof multifocal finder (the best finder I have ever used) and horseman film backs. Some photos taken with the camera.

 

[PeterA]

Nice shots Hank - they are truly versatile outfits.

 

[Hank Graber]

It is a great wide angle camera. I bet it would be killer with a Rodenstock 35HR lens and digital back. It is as you say a really stable rig. You get very high res results handheld -with no mirror and a tiny leaf shutter there is not much to introduce vibration.

one more pic:

View attachment 930

 

[PeterA]

Yep - people give me funny looks when I show them shots and say yeah..this one was 1/8th hand held - I have got pretty good results bracing down to 1/2 sec..you can easily shoot 1/30th- 1/60th..I use a 24 Schneider and a 35 Schneider..the 35 is very very sharp and the 24 is no slouch - given field of coverage...

 

[mark1958]

This looks like a really nice camera. They are quite pricey. The one thing that I do not like is focusing. Dont you have to remove the back and then put on a ground glass mount or shoot tethered?

 

[PeterA]

Mark - you use the scale on the lens ( teh typcial lens starts at F5.6 right...and sweet spot is betwen F8-F11, look up a DOF table and you will se that hyperforcal focusing technique is just fine ) and you compose with the viewfinder which is masked according to lens you are using for crop.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Just like shooting a RF camera and using Hyperfocal. I would love to just have the basic body and the 24 and 35mm and just have a back that I could use on the Alpa and another system for longer than 35mm starting at 50mm and going up. For me i could use this for more than just landscape work . Since I am used to RF i could use this commercially as long as the back I have has a LCD and could go tethered than why not. Overall it maybe cheaper than buying like the Hassy 28 lens for example. something i would have to price out to be sure but i like the idea of a small MF digital wide angle package for the workshops and travel

 

[Hank Graber]

Most of the time I shot hyperfocal as it was a wide only camera for me but I always kept a Leica laser rangefinder (made for the construction industry) in the bag. Put the laser dot on what you wanted to focus on and transfer the distance to the lens. Very accurate.

http://www.lasermeters.com/products/product_details.aspx?product_code=A2

For a long time that was the only Leica I had

With medium format film I used a different camera platform for each focal length. Alpa for wide, a Plaubel Rangefinder for normal and a Hassy for tele and macro. If I went for a digital MF system I'd love to go the same way. Alpa for wide (Rodenstock 35HR) and something like a Mamiya RZ for the SLR studio applications -maybe I could get a Littman45s (http://www.littman45single.com/02cm/models.html) rigged with an adapter for a back and a Rodenstock 60HR -a Leica on steroids.

 

[TRSmith]

This reminds me of a camera I used on the job in the early 80s. Forgive my memory lapses since the camera belonged to the medical photography unit at a teaching hospital where I worked, but I think it was a Sinar product. It was little more than a single standard with a lens mount on the front and a roll film holder on the back. Lens was a 47mm Super Angulon (?). Shutter was activated via a cable release that routed from the lens back through the handgrip which was permanently attached to the bottom. There was a hotshoe-mounted viewfinder and no focusing. Sort of an early point and shoot, albeit an elaborate one. I can remember walking around the city of Hartford, CT with my Luna Pro and that thing taking handheld street scenes on Tri-X. I need to search the attic for those old negs!

 

[PeterA]

well after seeing the specs on the Alpa stitching version - I have to have it...it is an XY which I have avoided because it is tripod only - but can also be used hand held ( not for stitching obviously). With my Leaf back on it - it becomes an extremely versatile street shooter as well as (now) having the potential to use a longer lens for stitched panoramas..

Hank the laser finder is a good idea - but I had a problem with a Leica finder when I took it for a test run t teh golf club..I found it was not accurate to 10 meters over 200..maybe I have a bad example..also transferring laser findings to a lens scale which stops at five metres before infinity mark is hit..well...the shorter end ses the scale begin at .3m and quarter turn of the focusing ring to .4 then an eighth turn to .5 and so on..LOL the lenses are so sharp and the resolution with a large megapixel DB so great, that you can pull huge crops from these files ( as I am sure you know)

Gus you hit the nail on the head - it is a rangefinder style wide shooter - without all the "high tech stuff like a meter or a coupled rangefinder, or AE ", or anything really ...:ROTFL::ROTFL:

but man it looks sexy, is beautifully balanced and very easy to shoot at low speeds...your thoughts re how well it combines with a DB and then you can switch the DB onto a larger studio camera underlines its flexibility.

I must say I don't like the look of the METRIC - but LOVE the idea of the MAX ( did I say that before?

I have decided to hold off on the Hassy 39 - and see what finalised new offerings from Sinar/AFi/Phase One Mamiya look like - I may end up as originally planned - just getting out of the H series MF get up entirely and just use the Alpa. ( I am open to offers on the H1 /35/80/150 all in mint condition) :thumbup:

 

[Hank Graber]

This reminds me of a camera I used on the job in the early 80s. Forgive my memory lapses since the camera belonged to the medical photography unit at a teaching hospital where I worked, but I think it was a Sinar product. It was little more than a single standard with a lens mount on the front and a roll film holder on the back. Lens was a 47mm Super Angulon (?). Shutter was activated via a cable release that routed from the lens back through the handgrip which was permanently attached to the bottom. There was a hotshoe-mounted viewfinder and no focusing. Sort of an early point and shoot, albeit an elaborate one. I can remember walking around the city of Hartford, CT with my Luna Pro and that thing taking handheld street scenes on Tri-X. I need to search the attic for those old negs!

You are describing the Sinar Handy. Linhof had a similar camera; the Technar 45.

 

[TRSmith]

Yes! That's it. Thanks for ringing that bell for me. I think of it from time to time and wouldn't mind having one around. Pretty hard to justify but for the exact right application, quite nice.

 

[Hank Graber]

Hank the laser finder is a good idea - but I had a problem with a Leica finder when I took it for a test run t teh golf club..I found it was not accurate to 10 meters over 200..maybe I have a bad example..

The sort of finders golfers use are useless for focusing guides. The meter I had was accurate to 1mm from close up to farther then I needed. Even the cheaper smaller meter I linked to is good for 1/8th of an inch accuracy good enough considering the markings on the focus barrel. You don't need anything like that kind of accuracy to try a figure what club to use on a golf course.

Still these are wide angle lenses being shot stopped down not a long fast lens wide open -its more for moving your hyperfocal point to optimize your zone of best focus.

 

[mark1958]

Guy the price on these alpa units are quite high and I suspect that the hassy 28mm lens would be considerably cheaper, and it would be a single camera for which all focal lengths are viable. I love the look and design of the alpa so do not get me wrong but it is going to be costly and have some limitations. Of course you can do your shifts with the alpa that is missing with the hassy for example. But i agree with the others this system looks great and clearly what was missing from their lineup.

Just like shooting a RF camera and using Hyperfocal. I would love to just have the basic body and the 24 and 35mm and just have a back that I could use on the Alpa and another system for longer than 35mm starting at 50mm and going up. For me i could use this for more than just landscape work . Since I am used to RF i could use this commercially as long as the back I have has a LCD and could go tethered than why not. Overall it maybe cheaper than buying like the Hassy 28 lens for example. something i would have to price out to be sure but i like the idea of a small MF digital wide angle package for the workshops and travel