Alpa was formerly a Swiss camera design company and manufacturer of 35 mm cameras. The current owners bought the company name after bankruptcy of the original company and the company exists today as a designer and manufacturer of high end medium format cameras.
Alpa was an offshoot of the Pignons company, which made a particular part for Swiss watches. They made high end, all metal 35mm cameras with a similar high end but smaller volume market to Germany's Leica, Contax, and Rolleiflex. In true Swiss fashion, each camera was individually crafted. Thus, production was low, but quality was high. It is estimated that as few as 40,000 cameras of all models of Alpa were made during the company's 40 year history. Allowing for certain gaps, the serial numbers would support that, as the last cameras made (in about 1990) carried serial numbers of only 64,xxx.
There is the on-going question of which camera company was first with such innovations as the quick return mirror, through the lens metering, and the bayonet lens mount. Alpa was a contender for being first with each of these innovations and several others.
Unfortunately, Alpa didn't have the resources to keep up with the technological advances that the main stream camera companies were introducing in the 1970s and sales began to decline.
There is argument about whether the lack of technological "innovation" was due to lack of money, or actually a choice made by the company about whether the automation brought about by other companies was desirable.
A more popularly priced "Alpa" camera made in Japan by Chinon was introduced. It used M42 screw mount lenses, but it didn't sell very well in part because the premium Alpa lenses couldn't be used on it. (The Si2000 used the M42 Screw mount, the Si3000 used the Pentax K bayonet mount). Neither model was popular and they aren't considered true Alpas by collectors.
Some feel the Japanese Alpa was a mistake that hurt the company.
The Kern Macro Switar lens was a 50 mm lens at F1.8 or F1.9. It was an apochromat, and is still highly regarded as possibly the best standard lens ever offered. Other apochromats offered by Alpa included the 100 mm F2 and 150 mm F2.8 Kinoptik lenses.
Panel Mounted Control Switches
Knob Adjustment Vacuum Switches
Fast Replacement Limit Switches
automobile alternator power output
MC-36 Multi-Function Remote Cord
Variable Height Plunger Switches
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