Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/03/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mike, there is currently a beautiful-looking Alpa offered on that site with the right lens, the Kern 50/1,9 Macro-Switar, a splendid design from the late 1960's that rivals the Leitz DR Summicron. It is item number: 7501065485. The current high bidder is an Alpa collector to whom I have sold a camera privately. Hope this is useful. Seth ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael J Herring" <creativevisions@verizon.net> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 4:59 AM Subject: Re: [Leica] So.. what is the deal with Alpa Cameras? > Seth, > > Do you know of any place where you can find these late model Alpa 35mm SLR > cameras? I have been told it is rather easy to adapt other optics to them. > I live in New Jersey. > Thanks, > Mike > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Seth Rosner" <sethrosner@nycap.rr.com> > To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> > Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 11:31 PM > Subject: Re: [Leica] So.. what is the deal with Alpa Cameras? > > >> Aha! >> >> Eric, this very high quality MF camera is the successor to a line of > very >> high quality Swiss 35mm cameras whose prodution started in the 1940's by > a >> company called Pignons, S.A. in Ballaigues, Suisse, that also > manufactured >> parts, gears, levers etc. for the top-line Swiss watch manufacturers. > They >> were very quirky; early models were rangefinders, next lines featured > both >> rangefinder and reflex focusing in the same camera (!!!)and the final >> models were strictly SLRs. Alpa made no lenses. They were furnished in >> Alpa mount by Kern, Schneider-Kreuznach, Angenieux, Kilfitt. >> >> Their quirkiness made them relatively uinsuitable for what our group > terms >> photjournailsm or street photography as they are slow and > counterintuitive >> (e.g. the film advance-shutter cock lever protrudes from the front of > the >> camera and is drawn clockwise toward the rear!!!) Thus it is very slow > and >> deliberate in operation and was used more by scientists, laboratory and >> research people than by PJ's. >> >> Tom Abrahamssen, who used to collect them, describes having disassembled > a >> very early model of which he said the shutter mechanism and gear train > for >> the delayed action release were like the inside of a Patek Philippe or >> Rolex watch while the rest of the camera looked like it came from a > Soviet >> tractor factory! Later models are magnificently made, rivaling even >> contemporaneous Leitz and Zeiss production. >> >> Take a look at the history that I believe is on the Alpa website. Capaul >> and Weber are a Swiss couple who bought the Alpa name and mark from the >> receiver in bankruptcy in about 1990 and proceeded to design and >> manufacture this current Alpa camera that is built to space station >> quality levels, nothing automatic whatever. They too do not make lenses >> which are still produced for the Alpa by some of the world's finest > optics >> manufacturers. >> >> I have had several Alpa's and 50mm lenses recently and still have a >> collector camera/lens combo like-new in box. >> >> Seth >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "eric" <leica_korenman@hotmail.com> >> To: "LUG" <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> >> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 6:36 PM >> Subject: [Leica] So.. what is the deal with Alpa Cameras? >> >> >> http://www.alpa.ch/ >> Do pros really use these? Or just former sultans? >> Are these even snobbier than Leicas? >> >> I stumbled into these cameras on a stroll of the net today and I am not >> familiar with them. >> >> Eric >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > -- > I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. > It has removed 367 spam emails to date. > Paying users do not have this message in their emails. > Try www.SPAMfighter.com for free now! > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >