General Information

Serial #

33644

Part Number

1

Total Parts

5

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

magnesium alloy body/ metal parts/ synthetic parts/ glass optical elements

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

16.6 cm

Width

6.0 cm

Height

9.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Photography

Category

Still cameras

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

PIGNONS

Country

Switzerland

State/Province

Unknown

City

Ballaigues

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

mid 1950s+

Canada

One of five cameras acquired form Mr. André Cloutier of Ottawa. Mr. Cloutier is a collector & amateur photographer; his images have appeared in ``Popular Photography``. He was a soldier with the Canadian Armed Forces & NATO & used his equipment in Canada & Europe. Mr. Cloutier supplemented his income by working part time in photographic departments of various stores such as Hougen's in Whitehorse, Yukon; Pascal & Sears in Ottawa. He often acquired cameras & accessories in these stores using his employee discount. Mr.Cloutier purchased this camera in Whitehorse, Yukon circa 1965 at Hougen's (see Ref. 3). He was stationed in Whitehorse from between 1965-1968 & also worked part time at the store, selling cameras & processing films. The Konica was his first fully automatic camera; it was his favourite camera & he used it extensively for many years. The camera was also used by his wife who was less familiar with the art of taking pictures, hence the bright orange stickers with instructions on the camera Mr. Clouthier purchased this camera in 1955 in a camera shop on Sparks Street where he worked at that time. He used his employee discount because the camera was very expensive. Alpa was the only single-lens reflex camera sold in Ottawa that year that also featured a precision prism.

Function

A device used to record still images on light sensitive film in a two-dimensional format.

Technical

A rare camera & a desirable collector's item. This very high quality camera was designed by Jacques Bogopolsky, who also created Bolex cine cameras & projectors, & Bolsey cameras. It features: single-lens reflex system; parallax free, through-the-lens focusing, 45 degrees precision ground prism combined with finest grain ground glass rendering re-inverted image, with all its natural colours; reflex mirror, which returns to viewing position instantly after exposure; die-cast magnesium alloy body; new bayonet lens mount;. From McKeown's price guide to cameras: Alpa 5, 1952-1960; die-cast magnesium alloy body; bayonet lens mount; integral 45 degree prism; Old Delftt f2.8/50 lens. Pignons S.A. was a family business founded in 1918 to make clock and precision instrument parts. In 1939 it produced its first camera, which combined the advantages of reflex viewing and a rangefinder. The first Alpa Reflex camera was shown in 1944. Pignons closed in 1991 but the Alpa trademark was acquired by another Swiss manufacturer (Ref. 4).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

silver lettering on camera front reads "ALPA/ ALNEA/ MADE IN/ SWITZERLAND"/ incised black lettering on front reads "Mod. 5 No 33644"

Missing

appears complete

Finish

silver body partially covered with black simulated leather/ black painted parts/ black painted parts/ black synthetic parts/ mirror glass

Decoration

N/A