Alpa

Welcome to the wonderful world of Alpa.  A modular camera system for the discerning photographer interested in thinking about and controlling every aspect of the image.  No electronics, no gimmicks...

just a precision system of camera bodies, lenses and accessories brilliantly designed and manufactured for "pure" photography.  Optechs Digital carries a vast inventory of Alpa products in stock at our Seattle office. 

The products that we highlight on this website are the ones we try to have in stock at most times.  

They are the items we ourselves use and with which we are the most familiar.  Of course, we are happy to special order any other Alpa item for you at any time.  (It rarely takes us longer than four to five days to import product from Alpa).  

Please see our Video Page and Technical Articles for presentations and further reading on many aspects of the Alpa system.

Camera Bodies Lenses Accessories

ALPA 12 Camera Bodies

Alpa 12 TC  the travel compact *Ultra lite and Ultra Compact. *Provides the most basic framework from which to build a customized system to meet your specific needs. *The smallest, lightest and simplest solution for photography with digital backs. *Adaptable for nearly any application by utilizing the vast range of Alpa system accessories. *Very popular for Backpacking, Landscape, Travel,  Reportage, Aerial and Scientific  Photography. *A  typical TC setup will consist of the following items as pictured: TC body Hand or finger grip, natural rosewood handgrip (shown here). Viewfinder Back adapter with adjustment shims Lens  of your choice from 23mm ultra wide to 250mm long. Read More about the Alpa TC.
Alpa 12 TC si  Identical in every way to the standard 12 TC, only in a beautiful silver finish.
Alpa 12 SWA *Simple, Elegant and Versatile. *25mm of front rise make the SWA the best "all around" camera in the entire 12 family. *Ideal for tall skyscrapers to panoramic landscapes.  The SWA, with its generous 25mm of displacement, keeps perspective accurate and also allows for basic image stitching applications, as well. *Perfectly balanced, the SWA's integrated handles make razor sharp handheld photogrpahy a breeze. *A typical SWA outfit will consist of the following items, as pictured: SWA body, in choice of handle color and material,  viewfinder, back adapter with shim kit and lens of choice from 23mm to 250mm.
Alpa 12 SWA with Wake Up Identical in every way to the standard Alpa 12 SWA, except that it has a built in wake up cable integrated into the left hand side handle.  Available in natural rosewood, black rosewood or black synthetic.
Alpa 12 Max *Ultimate Versatility and Efficiency. *Nearly limitless rise, fall, and shift capability. *All around best choice for demanding interior and exterior architectural photography applications. *Perfect solution for sophisticated or simple image stitching.  *A typical Alpa setup will include the following items,  as pictured: Max body set of right and left Handgrips Shift scale stick Accessory shoe Optical View Finder w/ mask Back Adapter with adjustment shims Lens  of your choice, from 23mm ultra wide to 250mm long.

Alpa Rodenstock 23mm   *Rodenstock HR Digaron S 5.6 *Currently the widest view available for the Alpa. *70mm image circle covers even today's largest CCD sensors. *The must have ultra wide lens for demanding interior photography. *Extraordinary panoramic views are easily achieved with the vast 115 degree angle of view. *The Alpa Pro lens hood is strongly recommended for use with this lens.
Alpa Schneider 24mm  *Schneider Apo Digitar XL 5.6 *The Ideal ultra wide choice for the TC. *Exceptional sharpness. *Image circle of 60mm for use with CCD sensors up to  37x49mm.  Image falloff will be evident. *Center filter required with this lens.
Alpa Schneider 35mm *Schneider Apo Digitar XL  5.6 *The essential wide angle lens. *Superb sharpness and minimal distortion. *90mm image circle at f11 allows considerable movement even with the largest image sensors. *Very compact and light weight design popular with backpackers.
Alpa Schneider 43mm *Schneider Apo Digitar XL 5.6 *Newest lens from Schneider for May 2010. *Large Image circle of 110mm at f8 make it an ideal lens for applications where large rise or shifts are needed. *Great lens for complex stitching tasks with todays demanding 50-60MP digital backs. *Very compact in size and weight.
Alpa Schneider 47mm  *Schneider Apo Digitar XL 5.6 *Our #1 selling Alpa lens. *The universal choice useful in nearly every type of photography. *Huge image circle of 113mm at f11 make it the largest covering lens available from Alpa in a digital lens. *Perfect choice for complex multi row stitching with the Alpa Max camera or full 25mm rise on the SWA.
Alpa Rodenstock 70mm  *Rodenstock HR Digaron W 5.6 *Largest image circle of 100mm available in the "normal" focal lens range, even at a wide open 5.6. *Large image circle makes this lens particularly popular with architectural photographers using the Max. *Optimum sharpness maintained at 5.6. *Images are particularly clean and crisp.
Alpa Schneider 72mm  *Schneider Apo Digitar L 5.6 *Amazing sharpness, resolving power and and essentially non existent distortion make this our #2 selling Alpa lens. *Very compact for a normal lens and, as such, very light-weight, as well. *Image circle of 90mm allows for reasonable movement with Max and SWA. *Versatile lens for backpackers.  Use with extension tubes for amazing close-up photographs of nature.
Alpa Rodenstock 90mm  *Rodenstock HR Digaron W 5.6 *The new reference for short telephoto lenses. *Huge image circle of 125mm at f11 allows full utilization of stitching with the Max. *Ideal lens for use with 12 degree tilt and swing adapter. *Available in a short barrel mount only. *Read about Short Barrel lenses.
Alpa Schneider 120mm  *Schneider Apo Digitar N 5.6  *Very good portrait length lens. *Very handy image circle of 110mm. *Available as short barrel or standard mount.
Alpa Schneider 120mm Macro  *Schneider Apo Digitar M 5.6 *The gold standard for stunning closeup images. *Combine with choice of four extension tubes for limitless range of macro phtography. *Available as short barrel or standard mount.

Fingertip Grip TC Smallest and lightest grip for TC Black synthetic material Available for right or left side of camera Ideal grip for camera positioning with ball head Too small for some users with large hands
Handgrip Rosewood TC Full handgrip of Rosewood for TC Beautifully finished in natural or black. Fits right hand side only Perfect size for handheld work
Handgrip large TC/Max/XY Large full size handgrip to fit TC,Max and XY bodies Available for right or left hand side of camera Available in black synthetic or rosewood. Rotatable for perfect postioning Available with Phase One wake up cabling Ideal for heavy camera systems and large hands
Handgrip set Max Set of two grips for front of Max body Available in black synthetic or beautiful natural rosewood Makes for simple handling and position of Max on a tripod with ball head

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Optical Viewfinder 120 degree angle of view Extraordinary brightness Built in level, viewable through finder Etched format masks are available to match your lenses with your particular back
Pro Grid Screen Ground Glass Very bright ground glass and fresnel set Allows precise composition and focus Special ground glass is essentially grain free Mounts quickly and easily to all Alpa camera bodies 4mm unobtrusive grid lines, ideal for critical architecture work
Focus Bellows with loupe large Leather bellows with built in focus magnifier of 4X Quickly attaches to Pro Grid Screen ground glass assenbly Blocks extraneous light from ground glass
Focus Bellows Small Ultra compact and lightweight Allows viewing the ground glass with both eyes for easier composition Use with any focus magnifier of any power you wish Attaches quickly to Pro Grid Screen assembly and can be permanently left there Blocks extraneous light from the ground glass

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Close Up Extension Tubes Four lengths to choose from 6.5mm, 16mm, 34mm 52mm Use individually or in combination to accomplish any macro task imaginable  Use on front or rear of camera body to distribute weight and balance on tripod Extremely light weight
Tilt and Swing Attachment 0-12 degree  Extraordinary range of movement Ideal for increased depth of field A creative tool used for selective focus images Requires short barrel lenses of 80mm or longer Read about Short Barrel lenses

Stitching Adapter for Max Allows for precise and complex image stitching with the Max Locks lens plane to body so all movement is forced to the image plane where you want it. Simple and reliable Very compact
Shift Scale Stick for Max Easily viewable aid to show a camera movements' current status Clearly ruled on all sides in mm markings
Protective Body Cover Fits front or rear side of all Alpa 12 bodies Anti static
Rear Lens/Back Adapter Cover Dual purpose cover that fits both the rear lens mount, as well as the digital back adapter Critical for use with digital backs when working with the Pro Grid Screen Ground Glass Anti static
Accessory Shoe Simple accessory attachment to allow the use of levels, flash trigger or any other device that uses a standard shoe mount
Accessory Shoe with Spirit Level Same as above, but with the addition of a level built in
Cap Just for fun! Double use as a lens shade Free with Alpa camera purchase from Optechs Digital

Adjustable Adapters for Digital Backs A key Alpa feature that allows for the complete optimization of a digital back to the camera system Available in mounts for Phase One/AFD, Hasselblad H, Hasselblad V, Contax and Afi/HY6 Includes a complete set of shims for precision adjustment of digital back  See our video page for a video demonstration on how to properly use the shims to adjust your back.
Adapter for Mamiya RB67 roll film back A very simple and economical way to shoot 120/220 roll film on an Alpa Simply and quickly attach an existing RB67 film back to this attachement and shoot

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Please Contact us for a price quote or for more information.

See our Video Page for several presentations on Alpa cameras and accessories.