Alpa cameras, how are they?

[Cameranorway]

Hello all.
I am new here. Great forum lots of good information.

Alpa, a camera that not many has seen nor used.
Any users here?
How are they? As good as it gets?

I did se two of them in a shop, a Alpa Reflex and a Alpa 8b.
The look is nice, feels very well made.

All, good, but how are they to live with?

[Jiaming]

No hands on experience, but Alpa is quite famous. Should be pretty good. Waiting for pro answers

[Cameranorway]

Thanks for the reply.

[kds315*]

I prefer the lenses much over the bodies.

[paulhofseth]

The Alpas are solidly built and will allow you to mount any SLR-mount manual focus lens due to its short lens flange to film plane distance. So for using a broad selection of lenses with film, it is unsurpassed.

Since the cameras were virtually hand made in high-wage cost Switzerland, they were expensive when new. Over time they have not become cheaper than their contemporaries. The adapters for M42, Nikon etc. are not common and not cheap.

Lenses sold through Alpa (Angenieux, Kern, Kilfitt, Kinoptik, Schneider etc.) had quality control performed at the Alpa factory. Many, but not all used an auto-aperture system suited to the front shutter release. Some of the adapters have internal mechanics to operate the Takumar auto aperture pin.

I stopped using Alpas quite some time ago, but recall that the "wrong way" shutter cocking and the front release was easy to use The optics were also good. I did not like the 45degree prism of the early Alneas and preferred the later standard ones. The last built-in light meter types had an ingenious circuit that compensated for varying battery voltage. When mercury cells became unobtainable, the replacements worked.

If I were to buy an Alpa today for using a wide veriety of lenses on film, I would make sure that I could get the proper adapter. A beat up body with non functioning light meter but fully functional shutter would be the cheap option. Anyone with the technical interest, skill and patience to use a manual lens would easily pick up the skills to use a Metrawatt or Lunasix to measure light . The selenium light metering model (6c) might be a candidate. (Special models made without a meter -9f etc.- are exceedingly rare and hence expensive) .

p.

[calvin83]

I have a Alpa 7 with jammed shutter and the adapter for Nikon F lens. They are good for collection or display. Get the other cameras if you want use it everyday.

[Cameranorway]

Thanks all for helping.
Yes, the Alpa`s are expensive, hand made do that to prices.
But, as paulhofseth say`s, they offer the use of a lot of different lenses. Only need the right adapter.

How is service on a Alpa today, spare parts still around?
I do like the 8b, even with its odd angered viewfinder..Need to do some more reading.

[calvin83]

Get a Konica camera if you need to use other lenses. There are adapters for Nikon F, Exakta and M42 lenses.

[Cameranorway]

Well, yes, maybe. But, it is also the idea of having a camera not seen on every street corner, that is tempting.

[inombrable]

I have an Alpa 9d that i bought with some shutter and lightmeter issues. Light meter was dead but now is working and i must say is pretty accurate. Shutter problem was mainly excessive tension on the second curtain and now is working great. A quite heavy camera but very exciting and accurate. Unfortunately in my case i dont have any alpa glass as they are expensive but i use it with an M42 adapter.

As far as I know regarding repairing and spare parts i havent been able to find someone in the world (basically google search) that would attempt fixing this cameras. Not even the new Alpa company.

A very nice camera but i would advice against buying a damaged one unless you already have someone that will be willing to get the job done.

[calvin83]

[Cameranorway]

Thanks for the reply and help.

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

I have an Alpa 11Si (chrome finish) with the Kern Makro Switar 50/1,8 and equipped with the japanese-made Auto-Alpa 35 and 135 lenses; and later added an Alpa 11Si (black) with the Kern Makro Switar 50/1,9.

Between the two ones, a further 11Si arrived, but of the "Gold" type.

Some moths ago, I purchased an Angénieux 28mm "Retrofocus".

Practically, it's a very fine camera, with a well-performing shutter and an accurate exposure meter. The strange advance lever with reversed movement requires a little practice, then it becomes normal and easy.

They were exceptionally expensive devices, but the chance to use almost any type of vintage lens is interesting (I like to mount the Zeiss Jena lenses, for instance).

I would avoid the older models, trying to focus the research for a practically usable Alpa to the 10 and 11 series.

Best wishes,

E.L.