Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jena-Michel: Not only remember ALPA, but have a small collection, a bit of which is currently offered at the great auction site in the sky where my name is, are you ready friends?, eleitzsummicron. The history of the ALPA company, Pignons, S.A., is really pretty fascinating, developing from a family-owned manufacturer of very high quality watch gears, springs etc to the Swiss watch industry, to producing what was one of the highest quality 35mm cameras ever made, with a "normal" 50mm lens by Kern Arrau of similar world-class quality. I have a letter from Kern - June 1972 - enclosing the data sheet on this lens showing average area-weighted resolution at full aperture (f/1,9) of 175 l/mm and on-axis resolution at full aperture of 450 l/mm. Predictably, the contrast of this lens does not compare with current Leica production. Seth LaK 9 - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jean-Michel Tomaschett" <jx@bluewin.ch> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2003 5:42 AM Subject: Re: [Leica] Watches/Leica > Does anyone remember the 35mm-SLR ALPA? > > Initially, the activities of the company were limited to supplying > mechanical parts to manufacturers of watches and other precision > instruments. > > http://www.alpareflex.com/ > http://www.alpa.ch/alpa/history.html > > No wonder ALPAs were made in the "watch-valley". > For the interested "watchers", have a look at http://www.myvalleedejoux.ch > and > http://www.watchvalley.ch/ > > for more information, contact me off-list > > Regards > Jean-Michel > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html