pixnoir : : girlwiz

ALPA Enthusiasts, Take Note:

At Photokina 08 (Sept. 23 - 28, 2008), ALPA will have a large booth (B20 in Hall 2.1) near Zeiss, Leica and Hasselblad.

The ALPA 12 MAX is currently in full production. Sales start at the end of June '08 at the latest.

The ALPA 12 XY is currently sold out but should again be available at Photokina.

A new "tripod bracket" for the ALPA 12 XY will be ready by Photokina. This "tripod bracket" is an extremely stable item to allow for exact stitching and any movement, in any position/direction, even with heavy lenses. In general this new tripod bracket is useed in combination with heavy FOBA studio stands - e.g., the FOBA DSS-ALPHA or the FOBA DSS-Omega, etc. and with other accessories from FOBA (gear driven heads and the like). This new tripod bracket is essential for precision reproduction work.

The ALPA 0-6° tilt/swing back adapter (made for "short barrel" Schneider lenses and for focal lengths of 80mm up to 250mm only [= 80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180, 210, 250mm focal length]). Sales should start just before the Photokina.

The ALPA (adjustable!) AFi back adapter should be ready for sale in July 2008.

The ALPA (adjustable) Hy6 back adapter (different from the AFi adapter) might be ready for the Photokina.

The long awaited no. 400'080'020 and no. 400'080'015 "lens/back adapter protection covers" should also be ready for sales by Photokina

Posted by at 8:11 AM | Permalink

ALPA is a modular and open system which allows you to combine many, many items from other manufacturers with the ALPA camera bodies - viewfinders is one such item.

Leica Viewfinder:

This Leica viewfinder "Universal Wide-Angle Viewfinder M"; is sold by any Leica dealer. It's a relatively new product and difficult to procure. The Leica "Universal Wide-Angle viewfinder M" fits all ALPA 12 cameras with the no. 400'060'030 accessory adapter - otherwise it cannot be mounted.

It is (of course) made for the 24x36mm format, features parallax compensation, a spirit level visible in the finder, but cannot be used in the vertical ("portrait") position. As 24x36mm features the same side-ratio as 6x9 (= 2:3) it can be perfectly used with 6x9 - with the ALPA 12 cameras and it's extremely interesting in combination with the brand new ALPA 6x9 power-drive 6x9 (56x83mm) 120/220 rollfilm back (made for ALPA exclusively by Mamiya) - ALPA order no. 220'010'010.

The zooming capacity of the Leica Universal Wide-Angle Viewfinder M:

- position 1. 24x36: 16mm focal length = 6x9: 37mm focal length (precise enough for 35 - 38mm lenses, e.g. for the 4.5/35mm ALPA AAA Apo-Alpar [made by Rodenstock exclusively for ALPA] or the 5.6/38mm Schneider Super-Angulon XL )

- position 2. 24x36: 18mm focal length = 6x9: 41mm focal length (precise enough for 39 - 43mm lenses [there is actually no lens of this focal length range in the ALPA program])

- position 3. 24x36: 21mm focal length = 6x9: 48mm focal length (precise enough for 45 - 50mm lenses = e.g. for the 4.5/45mm ALPA AAA Apo-Alpar [made by Rodenstock exclusively for ALPA] or the Schneider 5.6/47mm Super-Angulon XL or for the 5.6/48mm Schneider/ALPA Apo Helvetar [made exclusively for ALPA])

- position 4. 24x36: 24mm focal length = 6x9: 55mm focal length (precise enough for 53 - 58mm lenses = e.g. for the 4.5/55mm ALPA AAA Apo-Alpar [made by Rodenstock exclusively for ALPA] or the 5.6/58mm Schneider Super-Angulon XL)

- position 5. 24x36: 28mm focal length = 6x9: 64mm focal length (precise enough for 62 - 66mm lenses [there is actually no lens of this focal length range in the ALPA program])

Linhof Viewfinder:

The Linhof "Multifocus Optical Viewfinder" can also be used with the ALPA system of cameras.

It is available from any Linhof dealer in different versions with different and interchangeable format masks (6x7, 6x9, 4x5 inch, etc. [some also interesting for the use with digital backs because the side ratios are close to the 36x48 resp. 37x49mm chip sizes/side ratios]) and with distance scales in meters resp. in feet.

The Linhof "Multifocus Optical Viewfinder" fits all ALPA 12 cameras with the no. 400'060'030 accessory adapter (the same as used for the Leica viewfinder - see above) - otherwise it cannot be mounted on the camera. For the ALPA 12 MAX, the people at ALPA are preparing a completely new adapter so this Linhof viewfinder can be mounted in a specially space-saving and aesthetically appealing way (available mid 2008).

There are several viewfinders from COSINA (sold under the brand names "Voigtlaender" or ZEISS-IKON") that can be and are frequently used with any of the ALPA 12 models by using an adapter piece which ALPA sell.

Posted by at 6:18 AM | Permalink

This just in from ALPA

Regarding the Phase One back + ALPA MAX wake-up interface:

There will be a special piece (independent from the handgrip) fixed on the left side (seen from behind) of the ALPA 12 MAX and for use with the special trigger/cables for the Phase One backs. These special pieces will be available in June, when the MAX reaches market.

Posted by at 6:38 AM | Permalink

Many people associate the ALPA camera system with fine art, architecture, landscape, industry and technical photography. But there are photographers who use the ALPA for fashion and reportage:

Fashion
• Raymond Meier
• Paolo Roversi, Italy

Reportage
• Raymond Depardon (Magnum), France:
• Luc Delahaye, France
• Bruno Stevens, Belgium
• Ivo Saglietti, Italy
• Massimo Siragusa, Italy (World Press Photo Award 2008)

Posted by at 12:21 AM | Permalink

Most people who are familiar with the ALPA camera system associate ALPA with architectural photography. But ALPA have a huge selection of lenses in their arsenal that range from extreme wide angle for architecture, to longer lenses used for portraiture, and to even longer lenses used for various telephoto photographic applications.

These are the most popular ALPA lenses used for portraiture:

1) 4.0/60mm Linos/Rodenstock Apo-Symmar HR in Copal 0,
Without any doubt, this is an excellent lens. It may be a bit short for portraits, but this is an advantage as you don't have a rangefinder with the ALPA; this lens is usable at f 4, but at this large usable f-stop (f 4) the depth of field is not very large; the image circle of this lens is 70mm in diameter at all f-stops which limits it's usability for architecture. However, for portraiture (where no shift is used), this lens is quite functional; min. focusing distance: 70 cm.

2) 5.6/70mm Linos/Rodenstock Apo-Symmar in Copal 0,
This is a brand new lens which is considered an excellent lens. The image circle is 100mm in diameter at all f-stops; 70mm focal length is pretty close to the limit for use without any kind of a rangefinder. On the other hand, at e.g., f 8 or f 11 the depth of field is large enough for focusing by "guesstimation"; min. focusing distance: 80 cm.

3) 5.6/120mm Schneider-Kreuznach 5.6/120mm Apo-Digitar N in Copal 0,
This is another excellent lens but it is very long for portraiture. It offers just a short depth of field for portrait use without a tripod, a live-display (optional for the Aptus 75) and a laptop, OR with a groundglass; the image circle is 110mm at f 11; min. focusing distance: 120 cm which could be reduced by using the soon-to-be-released, 6.5mm ALPA macro-adapter.

4) The following solutions might also be of interest. (Of course the question of taste and of the photographer's ability to guess distances must be taken into consideration):

5.6/72mm Schneider-Kreuznach Apo-Digitar L, Copal 0
image circle at f 11: 90mm; min. focusing distance: 110 cm which could be reduced by using the soon-to-be-released, 6.5mm ALPA macro adapter.

4.0/80mm Schneider-Kreuznach Apo-Digitar N, Copal 0
image circle at f 11: 90mm; min. focusing distance: 120 cm which could be reduced by using the soon-to-be-released, 6.5mm ALPA macro adapter.

4.5/90mm Schneider-Kreuznach Apo-Digitar N, Copal 0
image circle at f 11: 90mm; min. focusing distance: 150 cm which could be reduced by using the soon-to-be-released, 6.5mm ALPA macro adapter.

5.6/100mm Schneider-Kreuznach Apo-Digitar N, Copal 0
image circle at f 11: 100mm; min. focusing distance: 180 cm which could be reduced by using the soon-to-be-released, 6.5mm ALPA macro adapter.

4.0/100mm Linos/Rodenstock Apo-Sironar HR, Copal 0
image circle at all f-stops: 70mm; min. focusing distance: 180 cm which could be reduced by using the soon-to-be-released, 6.5mm ALPA macro adapter.

Posted by at 1:29 AM | Permalink

Those of you who are going to be at the Focus on Imaging show in Birmingham (February 24 - 27, 2008) will be able to preview the latest equipment from ALPA:

1) The prototype of the ALPA 12 MAX (PDF brochure)
2) The definitive version of the ALPA 12 METRIC
3) The definitive version of the ALPA 6° tilt adapter
4) The new ALPA 6x9 (56x83mm) rollfilm back (made by Mamiya; power-drive, 120 and 220, conforming to the "RoHS" regulations [EU: Restrictions on Hazardous Substances], 4x AA batteries, transport takes 0.8 sec per picture, fits all ALPA 12 directly without any back adapter)
5) The prototype of the ALPA/AFi/Hy6 back adapters

An update from a previous posting:
The estimated cost of the ALPA 12 MAX (body only) is now projected to be between $6,000 and $6,500.

Posted by at 7:13 AM | Permalink

The ALPA 12 METRIC, which is based on the ALPA 12 WA (the non-shift ALPA), is a specialized camera for photogrammetric use. The lens as well as the back are fixed by screws to prevent even the slightest displacement under heavy vibration (in the order of 1/20th - 1/50th of one pixel). This camera is not intended 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 are needed. ALPA plan to produce this camera to the exact specifications of the client on special order only.

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

Posted by at 7:05 AM | Permalink

Experts and connoisseurs alike agree that the uncompromising precision and design of the ALPA cameras are best suited to the demands of the newest generation digital backs. Currently, ALPA have four camera models (TC, WA, SWA, XY). Each model is optimized for a specific task and all are designed and manufactured to meet and exceed the same extremely high demands of digital backs. Simply stated, ALPA cameras are as well-made as possible. Now ALPA are about to add another camera body to its arsenal.

ALPA will soon introduce their new camera, the ALPA 12 MAX.

The ALPA 12 MAX:

a) This new model will be fully integrated into the ALPA 12 family of cameras. All models (TC, WA, SWA, 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 sealing material is used in order to avoid the danger of dust.

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

Posted by at 6:56 AM | Permalink