Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/22

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Off Topic Curiosity - Alpa vs. Leica
From: "Andre Jean Quintal" <megamax@abacom.com>
Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 05:55:48 -0400

Allo !

    My personal impressions of 35mm ALPA:

    1/ very heavy

    2/ very solid
    
    3/ slow to use

    4/ of another era

    5/ the company IS in dire need of an industrial designer:
        they just put out a 120-220 rangefinder camera 
        [ALPA 12] with Carl Zeiss optics:
        if people choose that over an Hasselblad or Rollei
        or even the Japanese medium format models offered,
        there's something I do not understand. Quality,
        workmanship and solidity are NOT in question.

        ALPA address:

            Capaul & Weber
            Neptunstr. 96
            PoBox 1858
            8032 Z=FCrich,
            Suisse

            Telephone:  00 41 1 383 92 22

    6/ the lenses are top quality but their design
        has aged. The pictures you will get: above average to super.

    7/ a collector's camera

    8/ if you want another example of a more desirable camera
        not in production anymore: Carl Zeiss CONTAREX: wonderful
        overall design and German craftsmanship,
        real good lenses. 
        It should have been a Leica.
    
    9/ I'm going to OWN and E-N-J-O-Y a Leica R8 before i die, ... somehow =
!
       
        THAT should keep me VERY happy for a while.


    All the Best !

    Andre Jean Quintal

- ----------
>From: Chuck Warman <cwarman@mail.wf.net>
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Off Topic Curiosity - Alpa vs. Leica
>Date: Vend 22 mai 1998  00:18
>

>>Any LUG members have experience with Alpas?  I know they were a quirky
>sort of
>>camera, but how were the lenses and overall picture quality??  When they =
were
>>in production, were they a competitive choice alternative to a Leica?  Wh=
o
>>bought them?  I am considering picking up a used one (most seem to be in =
mint
>>condition, perhaps Alpa users didn't shoot much) and would like to learn =
as
>>much as I can about them.