Alpa TC for hand-held portraiture?

[mlondon]

Wondering if anyone has experience using the Alpa TC or STC hand-held for portraiture. I'm intrigued by the camera and its superiority for landscape/architecture/still life, etc when locked down is clear to me, but alot of my work is portraiture with non-professionals and I wonder how the camera is when shooting in these looser/quicker situations, especially when trying to shoot with narrow DOF.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you...

[Wayne Fox]

mmm,  not sure how you could keep it effectively focused in the circumstances you describe ... maybe on a tripod with pretty mature subjects who are willing to sit pretty still, but other than that I can't imagine nailing focus very often.

[eronald]

Wondering if anyone has experience using the Alpa TC or STC hand-held for portraiture. I'm intrigued by the camera and its superiority for landscape/architecture/still life, etc when locked down is clear to me, but alot of my work is portraiture with non-professionals and I wonder how the camera is when shooting in these looser/quicker situations, especially when trying to shoot with narrow DOF.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you...

Even the SLR MF cameras are really really hard to keep focused; I don't think this is feasible. Except if you do in-situation shots with a wide-angle.

Edmund

[ced]

I second Edmund that this will be a task to nail the focus.
Each tool for it's function.

[Graham Welland]

Well, certainly the Alpa TC isn't the first camera you'd think of for this type of shooting but you might have to explain that to these folks who seem to have managed it pretty well: http://www.alpa.ch/en/photographers/reportage_fine-art

Portraits & environmental shooting with zone focusing isn't anything new ...

[TH_Alpa]

@ mlondon,

The Alpa has in fact been thought, designed and built for this purpose exactly. I don't see any major problem to use it in your described situation.

As also mentioned by Graham, there are many examples of photographers, among them some well-known like Raymond Depardon, Luc Delahaye, Sebastien Erome, Keith Bernstein, Krister Halvars, Yuan Ye
, etc ..., who do use the Alpa cameras for (street) hand-held portraits, sometimes under difficult conditions. Have a look here:

ALPA Gallery

The work of Yuan Ye is actually a very nice example of what can be done concerning shallow depth-of-field, some even of very selective sharpness. Have a look at it.

The ALPA 12 TC is certainly the best suited for this task, concerning the weight (220 g) and the size (W: 109 mm, H: 109 mm, D: 20 mm), but also the ALPA 12 WA, the ALPA 12 STC and the ALPA 12 SWA are models built for such hand-held street photography and portraiture.

Thierry

Wondering if anyone has experience using the Alpa TC or STC hand-held for portraiture. I'm intrigued by the camera and its superiority for landscape/architecture/still life, etc when locked down is clear to me, but alot of my work is portraiture with non-professionals and I wonder how the camera is when shooting in these looser/quicker situations, especially when trying to shoot with narrow DOF.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you...

[sgilbert]

Thierry,

A TC with a lens and back weighs closer to four pounds.  With a Digitar 35 lens, a small Zeiss VF, and fingertip grip, mine is 3.7 pounds.

Steve

[TH_Alpa]

Steve

I gave the weight of the camera itself, not with back, lens or otherwise accessories. Simply to inform that this is the lightest possible solution concerning the camera.

Best regards
Thierry

Thierry,

A TC with a lens and back weighs closer to four pounds.  With a Digitar 35 lens, a small Zeiss VF, and fingertip grip, mine is 3.7 pounds.

Steve

[theguywitha645d]

I have used a Horseman SW612 for this kind of work rather than an Alpa. I mostly used wides with it so I had a good bit of depth of field. I also carried an optical accessory rangefinder to confirm distances. It can be done. A little slower than an SLR. You do miss from time to time. When things move, I find it important to move with the subject to maintain distance rather than focus. Judging parallax with the viewfinder is also important as with any rangefinder/viewfinder camera.

I find this way of working is more dependent on the personality of the photographer. It certainly is looser--MFD folks tend to be something different. And if this is new to you, you will have to play to figure out a smooth workflow. My Horseman was one of my most favorite cameras for handheld documentary work.

[design_freak]

mmm,  not sure how you could keep it effectively focused in the circumstances you describe ... maybe on a tripod with pretty mature subjects who are willing to sit pretty still, but other than that I can't imagine nailing focus very often.

All a matter of practice. My friend uses a "Linhof Technika" and there is no problem. I was fortunate to be the keeper of Alpa, you can really master the technique quickly. As I wrote just a matter of practice.

[Wayne Fox]

Well, he did say

"looser/quicker situations, especially when trying to shoot with narrow DOF"

and the other key element is "hand holding"

I'll stick with my statement ... handholding a technical camera at a wide f-stop (so there is no "zone focusing" ) in a "looser/quicker" mode, while it might be doable, would prove extremely challenging to get consistently sharp captures. I'm speaking from the point of view of a retired portrait photographer of over 30 years, and yes I have played around with shooting portraits with my Alpa.

Change that to a less loose, more static situation where you can take a little time and put the camera on a tripod ... no problem. Still not fast, but certainly doable.

[alifatemi]

I totally agree with Wyne, I try the stc alpa a month ago with Schneider 28mm lens on hand and clicked 15 pictures but 12 out of them out of focus . I enjoy it very much that am going to buy one but on hand held, you should accept very high risk of out of focus. Although I will use it handheld to enjoy it even for street photography, but for series works has to be use with laser range finder or with  phase one iq series back,  using live view and check the focus. I wish alpa would made an external focus device like one On Lieca M series.

[TH_Alpa]

Still Ali, there are quite some using an Alpa camera for hand-held portraiture or else. I simply want to refer to our gallery, here:

Alpa Gallery

Best regards
Thierry

I totally agree with Wyne, I try the stc alpa a month ago with Schneider 28mm lens on hand and clicked 15 pictures but 12 out of them out of focus . I enjoy it very much that am going to buy one but on hand held, you should accept very high risk of out of focus. Although I will use it handheld to enjoy it even for street photography, but for series works has to be use with laser range finder or with  phase one iq series back,  using live view and check the focus. I wish alpa would made an external focus device like one On Lieca M series.

[alifatemi]

Thank you and I already have seen it just God knows how many pictures these artists have taken but out of focus and useless. They have given you just those which are usable. the rate of out-of-focus ones are high I am afraid; Do it for yourself and you see. I am not writing this because I don't recommend it, contrary, I like to do it myself very much because its so simple and enjoyable and practical taking pictures with APLA TC or STC on hand that I believe ALPA MUST create a focus device like Leica M series, to make focusing more reliable. In this case we are in absolute business! It become my MF Leica M and don't need any other camera!

[Adam Singer]

I have an Alpa TC, and use it often for handheld portraits, and have not had  rolls of soft focus shots but mostly all  nice and crispy.  I  treat it as a rather expensive box brownie,   and shoot with a 58mm lens on  6x9,  stopped down and where there is  a fair bit of light.  This works well. I find guessing focus not to much of problem, when shooting fully open use a laser range finder.   My Leica M9 is a very different beast and for different uses.  In  low light or needing longer lenses then I  use an M9, or a Nikon, both have their virtues and their flaws. If  you go here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/77437968@N00/sets/72157602150611900/    you will see 8 shots taken on the TC  all from the same roll and all  handheld and all  pretty much in focus, but  apologies it is not a particularly high quality scan of the neg.   I am not a pro just a lucky amateur , but you can shoot an Alpa TC handheld and get sharp shots with a little planing...........needless to say its even better if you can use a tripod.   Can you  use an Alpa TC handheld wide open in low light with longer lenses,  probably  not , but then that's what your Linhof 220 is for!

[TH_Alpa]

Thanks Adam, for your testimony.

Best regards
Thierry

I have an Alpa TC, and use it often for handheld portraits, and have not had  rolls of soft focus shots but mostly all  nice and crispy ...  ... This works well. I find guessing focus not to much of problem, when shooting fully open use a laser range finder ...   ... If  you go here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/77437968@N00/sets/72157602150611900/    you will see 8 shots taken on the TC  all from the same roll and all  handheld and all  pretty much in focus, ...   I am not a pro just a lucky amateur , but you can shoot an Alpa TC handheld and get sharp shots with a little planing...  ... Can you  use an Alpa TC handheld wide open in low light with longer lenses,  probably  not , but then that's what your Linhof 220 is for!