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Re: [Rollei] OFF-TOPIC Alpa foolery
- Subject: Re: [Rollei] OFF-TOPIC Alpa foolery
- From: Bob Shell <bob >
- Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 17:19:10 -0500 (EST)
>>> [Alpa]
>>> The only people more arrogant than arrogant Germans are arrogant Swiss, and
>>> these people deserve an award for it. The camera is OK, but very limited
>>> in features. Sort of no-tech in a tech world. And the price,
>>> astronomical! They don't like me because I don't like their weird camera.
>>
Re-reading that calls for clarification. I did not mean to say that all
Germans are arrogant, nor all Swiss, just that when you encounter an
arrogant Swiss he will outdo the German every time.
Wanna see arrogance personified? Go to a Sinar press conference.
Basically is is "Ve vill build it ziss vay, und you vill BUY it!"
>>I've been receiving the Alpa literature since I found their website a
>>couple of years ago. Some of their "press releases" are high-end comedy!
>>The last one I received showed what looked to be a very modest feature set
>>with high quality construction in a somewhat odd-ball design ... I liked
>>the even odder first one better, to be honest. Buy one? No way, kids. But
>>I do enjoy seeing what they're doing.
>
>The guy I spoke to at the Alpa booth is the new US distributor, not the
>Capaul-Weber's I met last year. (They were the only representatives at the
>show that addressed me by name.) Having followed the development of this
>camera on the Alpa website over the last couple years, I was fairly well
>acquainted with the camera's features when I visit the booth. I suppose
>that has something to do with the warmth with which I was greeted. I also
>have an appreciation for what Mr. Shell calls the 'no-tech' approach; fits
>right in with my love of Rollei TLR's and 4x5 field cameras.
>
Nothing wrong with that, but even the oldest Rollei TLR is much higher tech
than this Alpa.
>In my mind, the Alpa is an odd hybrid of the approach used by Sylvestri and
>Corfield with their PC cameras, and a bare-bones hand-held model like the
>Horseman 612 or older Palm Press. No-one can argue with the quality of the
>Linhof-made film backs or the Schneider and Rodenstock optics on the new
>Alpa. But I was frankly disappointed with the viewfinder. I understand that
>creating an optical finder that will cover the field of a large-format 35mm
>or 38mm focal-length lens without a measure of barrel distortion, but the
>degree to which this finder distorts like an apartment-door peep-sight
>would make it practically useless for me. (I suppose there is some novelty
>in the fact that the Alpa has what must be the only camera finder in the
>world through which you can see the camera's shutter release!) OTOH, the
>TSS screens available for the Alpa are bright and contrasty for tripod
>based work.
>
>I couldn't help thinking that the new Horseman 612 prototype, with its
>nicely integrated rise, fall, and side shift, seems like a more logical -
>and affordable - alternative.
>
Absolutely! Tosh's people got this one right. I hope they make it.
Bob
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