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Alpa HXD Adapter

tcdeveau

Well-known member
Someone on the X1D group just shared this:

https://www.alpa.ch/en/article/back-adapter-hxd

Looks like with the adapter, you can pair the X1D to the TC/STC/Max and get infinity focus with SB17 lenses. If I’m reading it right, you can also mount SB17 lenses directly to the camera with the adapter and the 11mm FPS multifunction adapter. There are other combinations available too.
 

cly

Member
It seems to me that the combination Alpa Lens + Alpa Body + X1D + infinity focus is only possible with SB34 lenses.

Chris
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
It seems to me that the combination Alpa Lens + Alpa Body + X1D + infinity focus is only possible with SB34 lenses.

Chris

Here's the chart of possible combinations with reaching infinity:

https://www.alpa.ch/_files/ALPA HXD Combinations 20180628.pdf

Is there something I'm misinterpreting regarding what the chart says about the SB17 lenses (SB17 and not FPS SB17)?

I thought the top right says with X1D + HXD + Alpa 12 body + SB17 lens you can reach infinity, and with SB34, X1D + HXD + Alpa 12 body + 17mm adapter + SB34 lens you can reach infinity
 

cly

Member
It's their description which made me think that the combination Alpa Lens + Body + X1d + infinity is only possible with SB34 lenses:

"By introducing the electronic shutter in the Hasselblad X1D and the camera's advantageously short flange distance, a wide range of high-quality ALPA-Short-Barrel lenses (SB-Mount = lenses with shortened lens board) can now be used. The high modularity of the ALPA platform opens up a wide range of combination options for optics from 32 to 180 mm focal length. In addition, lenses for Hasselblad V, Pentax 67 and those with PL mount can be attached via the respective ALPA lens modules. The design of the adapter allows easy and safe mounting.

Since the X-cameras can also be attached directly to ALPA bodies via this adapter, multiple stitching is also possible on an ALPA camera movements when long focal length lenses of type SB34 are used."

https://www.alpa.ch/en/site/alpa-connects-to-hasselblad-x-cameras

But you are right, according to this diagram reaching infinity is possible with non-FPS-SB17 lenses. No idea why they limit this above to SB34 lenses.

Chris
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
They mentioned somewhere some stitching combinations of 9 or so images, maybe they're talking about long SB 34 lenses with large image circles on the Max? Who knows.

I'm eager to try it out. I've got an X1D and an STC/70HR SB17 and don't have the funds for a back yet. Could be a simple way for me to start using the Alpa gear if it works as promised, and it would also give me a focal length between the 45mm XCD and 90mm XCD.
-Todd
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
They mentioned somewhere some stitching combinations of 9 or so images, maybe they're talking about long SB 34 lenses with large image circles on the Max? Who knows.

I'm eager to try it out. I've got an X1D and an STC/70HR SB17 and don't have the funds for a back yet. Could be a simple way for me to start using the Alpa gear if it works as promised, and it would also give me a focal length between the 45mm XCD and 90mm XCD.
-Todd

Ok, I'll take a crack at it. Alpa's gonna kill me if I have this wrong.

X1D + TC + SB17 Lenses (32HR/40HR/70HR) = Infinity Focus YES
X1D + TC/SWA/STC/Max/XY + SB34 Lenses (50HR/90HR/120 Digitar) = Infinity Focus YES

If you notice the pictures of the Max, you will see that the X1D is mounted to a TC that is then mounted to the Max.

https://www.alpa.ch/_img2/highres/007230.jpg

This means the additional depth the TC mounted to the Max adds requires SB34 lenses to attain infinity. The reason for this is because of the X1D Grip. The non shifting Alpa 12 TC natively has enough clearance on the right side of the camera for the X1D grip to clear. But the other Alpa 12 cameras have a wider footprint (due to the gear tooling). So the grip cannot clear the right side of the camera. Therefore mounting it to a TC first, then mounting that to a shifting Alpa 12 camera (SW/STC/Max/XY, etc.) provides enough depth that the grip does not interfere. However, the cost for that additional depth is loss of SB17 lenses for infinity focus and only SB34 lenses will achieve that.

That's all I got for now.


Steve Hendrix/CI
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
Ok, I'll take a crack at it. Alpa's gonna kill me if I have this wrong.

X1D + TC + SB17 Lenses (32HR/40HR/70HR) = Infinity Focus YES
X1D + TC/SWA/STC/Max/XY + SB34 Lenses (50HR/90HR/120 Digitar) = Infinity Focus YES

If you notice the pictures of the Max, you will see that the X1D is mounted to a TC that is then mounted to the Max.

https://www.alpa.ch/_img2/highres/007230.jpg

This means the additional depth the TC mounted to the Max adds requires SB34 lenses to attain infinity. The reason for this is because of the X1D Grip. The non shifting Alpa 12 TC natively has enough clearance on the right side of the camera for the X1D grip to clear. But the other Alpa 12 cameras have a wider footprint (due to the gear tooling). So the grip cannot clear the right side of the camera. Therefore mounting it to a TC first, then mounting that to a shifting Alpa 12 camera (SW/STC/Max/XY, etc.) provides enough depth that the grip does not interfere. However, the cost for that additional depth is loss of SB17 lenses for infinity focus and only SB34 lenses will achieve that.

That's all I got for now.


Steve Hendrix/CI
Thanks Steve
-Todd
 

danlindberg

Well-known member
Great news indeed. I can see the future in this for me. I am hoping that the grip design and placement in the coming Fuji 50 R will allow for atleast the same arrangement. I guess wishful thinking of having the 50 R body plain or detachable grip, but that would be amazing! Movements with SB 17 lenses :thumbs:
 

algrove

Well-known member
Trying to figure out why Alpa posted X1D module images under the 11mm Adapter section of their website.

Now 1 July images are gone and this new X1D module is not yet listed.
 
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bab

Active member
Yes their marketing and explanations of confusion regarding the Alfa systems has kept my money in my pocket for a while now.

Wouldn't it be so simple to make videos in English showing and explaining how to use the new offering's with camera and lenses and then add a chart for what you would need to purchase.

Then if interested we could seek out a dealer for a demo. At this point all of their Alfa gear is so confusion beyond the basic application that I find it to be not worth the investigation.
 

hcubell

Well-known member
Yes their marketing and explanations of confusion regarding the Alfa systems has kept my money in my pocket for a while now.

Wouldn't it be so simple to make videos in English showing and explaining how to use the new offering's with camera and lenses and then add a chart for what you would need to purchase.

Then if interested we could seek out a dealer for a demo. At this point all of their Alfa gear is so confusion beyond the basic application that I find it to be not worth the investigation.
Hopefully, someone from Alpa is following this thread (or one of their US dealers like CI) and will jump in with a helpful explanation.
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
Hopefully, someone from Alpa is following this thread (or one of their US dealers like CI) and will jump in with a helpful explanation.
Steve from CI has already jumped into the thread. You can see some of his explanation above. It looks like Steve was correct (not that I doubted you Steve), as the chart that algrove posted from Alpa is modified from the chart I posted earlier in the thread, and modified to fit Steve’s explanation. Seems they’re still working the configurations out.

To me, part of the attraction of the Alpa system is the modularity and the many configurations one can achieve according to one’s purpose. This modularity can definitely be hard to wrap your head around sometimes though
-Todd
 

ALPA

New member
Unfortunately, the design of the X1D (handle) limits the possibilities drastically. With the GFX, this is even more restricted due to the built-in shutter. It is not a full fledge digital back but half a back with a great feature: aperture priority mode.

Physically it would of course be possible to make an adapter for the Fujifilm GFX body. However, the integrated shutter in the Fuji leads to the fact that even more mounting distance must be reserved for the body (bayonet to the sensor). As a result, there is even less distance left for the ALPA large format optics with short flange focal distance. In addition, the rotation of the adapter must be so carefully set so that the adapter does not collide with the body handgrip. Since all these factors are less advantageous in the current version and design of the Fuji than in the X1D, ALPA has decided not (yet) to manufacture a corresponding adapter.

A new overview table "Lens x Body" is available here: ALPA HXD Adapter Overview

Anyway, if there are specific questions you will always get a response on [email protected]
 

danlindberg

Well-known member
This was the most exciting news in a long time. So much that I seriously looked around for 'good' deals. Guess what.....


Am I the first one to buy an X1D BECAUSE of the Alpa announcement? I want an SWA with cutoff grips to fit directly onto the HXD adaptor and use the Rodie 32hr with movements on the X1D :thumbs:
 

JohnBrew

Active member
Dan, looks like you are the guinea pig! Can't really see this setup producing better results than your Credo, though.
 

danlindberg

Well-known member
But they are so different. I do love my files from the Credo, but here I get better long exposures, higher ISO, better dynamic range and it is more compact (if there could be a small(ish) Alpa shift adapter). So I will use both but look forward combining this with Alpa!
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
Awesome Dan! Looking forward to seeing some results. A compact shift adapter (mini-SWA) would definitely be awesome and I like where your head is at.

Alpa got back to me and confirmed what Steve said above, for infinity focus with SB17 lenses, you need either a TC or a FPS 11mm adapter, and you can't get infinity focus with the HXD/X1D and SB17 lenses with the STC, SWA, or MAX because of the X1D grip (bummer for me). With SB34 lenses, you can get infinity focus with the TC, STC, SWA, and MAX because you would add a spacer (17mm I believe) in between the HXD/X1D and the camera body, which would give ample clearance for the X1D grip.
-Todd
 
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