ALPA FPS owners - heads up on lens conversions

[gerald.d]

Hi folks -

Just noticed on the ALPA website that they have an offer on until the end of the year for converting legacy lenses to FPS mount.

http://www.alpa.ch/en/news/2013/alpa-lens-conversion.html?year=&num=

Example - HR70 to FPS SB17 costs 580CHF

Kind regards,

Gerald.

[sgilbert]

And I there's a special price for converting normal lenses to SB 17 mount.  See http://www.alpa.ch/en/news/2013/introducing-fps-sb17-lenses

I emailed ALPA about this a month or so ago, and I believe the same price applies until year end.

[dlavay]

I had this conversion done on my Rodenstock 40 and 70 two months ago. They did a wonderful job and the lenses work quite well on the FPS. Still tack sharp without any need to change the shims in the adapter. BTW-you will need the 17mm intermediate adapter if you wish to use these converted lenses on an Alpa 12. Highly recommended.

[narikin]

One thing I find slightly odd is that in a few cases, Alpa are offering to convert the heavier wide image circle to FPS mount, while not offering the same for an identical focal length lighter, faster lens.
The big heavy expensive 90/ f5.6 'Alpagon' Roddy with its large stitching image circle is offered, but not the lighter, cheaper, faster and equally sharp 90/ f4.5 Schneider Apo Digitar.. Same with the 60mm f5.6 Schneider being offered, with its huge stitching circle, but not the lighter, faster, cheaper Roddy 60mm f4 Digaron-S. 

As you shoot straight with the FPS, not stitch, at least not easily, I don't really follow this logic. It seems both these alternative lenses would be well suited to the FPS, maybe even better than their counterparts.

[ddanois]

I recently inquired with Alpa as to why all lenses can't be used on the FPS. The response was simply that NO LB lenses can be used on the FPS. Only SB34 or SB17 configured lenses can be converted to the FPS mount.

The medium to long focal length lenses seem to be fine for use with the FPS. It's the extreme wides that seem to have limited use.

[dlavay]

Many of the LB lenses can be converted to SB17 FPS, then used directly on the FPS. Obviously, they cannot be used in their original configuration.

[narikin]

I recently inquired with Alpa as to why all lenses can't be used on the FPS. The response was simply that NO LB lenses can be used on the FPS. Only SB34 or SB17 configured lenses can be converted to the FPS mount.

The medium to long focal length lenses seem to be fine for use with the FPS. It's the extreme wides that seem to have limited use.

Yes, of course, this is understood.

The point is that the special offer that Alpa are making to convert lenses across to 'FPS ready' SB34 or SB17 mounts, is often for the large image circle stitching variants of a given focal length, rather than the faster, smaller, lighter variants of that focal length. These lenses, with their extra stop of speed and reduced weight (and smaller image circle) are very well suited to FPS type usage.