Swiss ALPA 35mm SLR

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

Has anyone owned one of the earlier Swiss ALPA slr models? Particularly the Model 7, with its built-in coupled rangefinder and multi-focal-length viewfinder ... yes, that's right, a reflex which also had a rangefinder Very Happy

I had a model 6 briefly (back in the 60s when nobody wanted them and they were cheap secondhand), but I've never actually seen the model 7. To my eternal shame I only kept the camera for a few weeks and used just one film in it - a roll of Petutz C18 slide film Rolling Eyes

What was I thinking of !

koji · Expire: 2012-12-27

I own Alpa 7.

But you have to get used to 45 degree angle view finder, it is hard to
compose a vertical shot. Crying or Very sad

Range finder of this camera is fairly accurate for the both range/distance
and frames of 35, 50, and 75 mm.

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

Koji - thanks for the picture! There must have been a special family of rangefinder coupled lenses for the 7 - am I right in thinking that?

I think the 45 degree finder may have been what put me off my Model 6 - or it might have been that I wanted to free up some cash to buy something else that had come into the shop where I worked! Staff could buy trade-in cameras for whatever had been allowed, but had to pay "cash on the barrelhead" - no credit allowed Very Happy

koji · Expire: 2012-12-27

I guess if you stick to 35, 50, and 75mm Alpa lenses there wont be
any problem, longer lenses I do not think the range finder is accurate
enough for actual field use.

gianker · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 1 Location: Hanoi

Hello,

Do anyone have any photo taken from Alpa? Please share...

koji · Expire: 2012-12-27

Why don't you find them at FLICKR site using search command?
Just enter the lens name of your interest such as "kern macro switar 50mm"
or "schneider tele-xenar".

estudleon · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 3754 Location: Argentina

I use to have the Alpa 10 D. It was a drream. And the kern macro switar all black 1,9/50. What a lens, man!!!!

Excelent quality!!

Rino

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

There is one for sale on Oz ebay at the moment but the shutter is not working.The lens is for sale from the same seller.
Click here to see on Ebay

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Alpa cams and lenses split the community even more than Leica items.
Some say it's the best you can get, others say that it actually was highly over-priced antique technology. Wink

I like those cams for they are very special. But I guess I will never own one, because of their price tag.

estudleon · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 3754 Location: Argentina

Sevo · Expire: 2012-12-03

I only had late ones (11si, IIRC), on a film job where we needed them as they had a adapter for cine lenses (which we needed for stills needed as CGI input). Ergonomics were a pain compared to just about anything, and I was not impressed by its build quality either - on the positive side, it has a very short register and may be the film SLR with the widest range of foreign lens adaptations possible...

paulhofseth · Expire: 2018-06-28

On noticing this old thread I thought it might be useful for the forum to have some more Alpa info.

The early, small-mount Alpas had its shutter release on top and functioned much like a Leica with an added mirror (exept for the rangefinder -only "standard" version). Later it got a prism (instead of just a matte screen for focussing from above).

From model 4 onwards bigger mount Alpas were introduced. Models 5-8 kept the 45degree prism, claiming it was more natural to use (for landscape format). The shutter release had migrated down to the front of the camera . The PR said it gave less camera shake, but it also gave the lens makers a chance to couple the aperture operation to the release (eliminating the need to stop down manually after focussing), and no internal links were needed in the camera body. Similar to the Exacta evolution. Straight prisms versions became available later, as well as built-in light meters and other mod. cons.

The early small-mount lens line up included Berthiot, Angenieux and Oude Delft (as well as the Swiss Spectros- varieties of the same lenses) In the large mount stage, Schneider and Kern, Kinoptic (100 and 150 plus US-marketed Kinoptics without the Alpa engraving), Kilfitt and occasional German makers like Enna, delivered optics. At a later stage a full line of Takumars were sold with adapters. They also tried some Rollei-Singapore products and finally went with a complete line of "Alpa" engraved lenses (in M42 mounts) made in Japan.

The factory owner claimed that all lenses sent out were tested before acceptance, and the Pignons factory certainly had a room set aside for this.

The bread and butter of the factory -again according to the owner, was providing cameras for photographing telephone exchange counters (equivalent to the "post leicas". They had mechanically simpler lenses and special flash units that came with the camera. Special varieties were made for copying documents (Mercure) these had lenses with special distance markings. I do not have them at hand where I am at the moment, but vaguely recall that the phone cams lens was called Alos and that the copycam used Takumars, while the simplified surgical cameras used the apochromatic Kern Macro Switar with its depth of field preview wheel replaced or locked with a screw. Half frame and other formats were supplied on order. Long film roll chambers and motor varieties were also produced.

A number of the most rare specials were assembled from parts after the factory folded but do not feature in the sales protocols of the factory. The factory, as well as the US importer could deliver various colours as well as change the covering if the customer so wished. The factory numbers lists together with the type of each camera and lens sold are available in the Alpa books, but may not be entirely complete.

p.

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

Thanks for that info, Paul. Alpas were never commonplace in UK but I recall from the 1960s factory literature that the SLRs were completely assembled by one technician . . . if one made its way back to the factory he (presumably "he", no mention of ladies that I remember) was responsible for fixing it. I guess that presumes longevity among the workforce Very Happy

The Kern lenses were supplied with test negatives, I think. Not sure 'cos I never sold new Alpas but I think that's true for the Kern optics at least.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

I'm interested to read about Kern cameras and lenses, thanks for the info. It probably isn't relevant here, but I've owned a Kern split-bubble quickset surveyor's level since about the mid 60's and it's still faultless, a joy to use. The tripod, which is showing its age, is unique - it has a dome-shaped top which allows the instrument to be swivelled to set it roughly level using a table bubble.

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

duckrider · Joined: 11 Dec 2013 Posts: 437 Location: Germany

Found this thread just some minutes ago, perhaps this could help:

http://www.kern-aarau.ch/kern-extern/produkte-von-a-bis-z.html