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When ALPA released the ALPA 12 XY camera in 2006, it opened a new chapter in high precision photography. Ten years later, it is time to focus on another one. But a final series of ten ALPA 12 XY is available in a limited and numbered edition.
Pictures tell stories and sometimes, a camera even stands for history. In ten years on the market, the ALPA 12 XY has become a well-known workhorse. Whenever there is a need for stability, very large shifting as well as a highly precise guidance for multiple stitching, our ALPA 12 XY is the answer. Its special features make it a perfect choice not only for the world‘s leading photographers of architecture, but also for automobile photography, landscape photography and other purposes like the reproduction work in the National Library of France in Paris.
The ALPA 12 XY was never restricted to its obvious and dedicated field of work: reportages were made with it or fashion shows documented. Or in September 2016, Photographer Alan Karchmer pictured with his ALPA12 XY the architecture of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian as well as the opening speech given by Barack Obama. The era of this camera now somehow comes to an end and becomes part of the company’s history. In the future, we will continue providing an awesome solution for the specific needs of our customers like we do with the ALPA 12 MAX and ALPA 12 STC. They are more compact and more lightweight. At the same time, they follow the outstanding features inherited from the ALPA 12 XY.
A milestone in technical photography
Back in 2006, leading architecture photographers lacked a tool for their needs. So one night the owners of ALPA sat down with local architecture photography professionals to discuss the matter.
It turned out that the camera to design had to be a middle piece between both classic and digital photography. “We had to develop a stable camera, being also able to rise and fall the front at the same time”, ALPA-Co-Owner André Oldani remembers. “All the manipulations, including stitching and shifting, had to be possible without taking the camera off the tripod.” The solution was the ALPA 12 XY. It was first shown in 2006 at Salon de la Photo in Paris. In the following years, the ALPA 12 XY models became even more easy to handle. “It was probably the first camera with this wide but still highly precise range of settings”, Oldani says. “And weight was no real issue back then. But now we have to follow the general trends toward smaller and lighter cameras.”
Instead of a farewell speech for the XY, ALPA created a limited edition: A final, limited and numbered series of ten ALPA 12 XY are available from now on. The limited edition comes in a special case and a graphics according to the philosophy behind the camera: being able to shift in different directions at once. We also improved handling with a new stitching column, which is available separately. It will allow Photographers to do their work even faster and there will be no more hassle with any type of tripod.
An end but not a definite one
The fact we developed this new accessory is an example for our product care and our commitment to improve in every aspect: Even if time moves on, an ALPA camera is never old fashioned. We still provide full service and availability of spare parts as well as accessory for the ALPA 12 XY. Like all ALPA models, this one is also designed for a long-lasting life. All the wearing parts are renewable, which guarantees that there will be a lot of stories to tell with the XY in future. And from time to time, some pre-owned products of ALPA appear on the market. To put it another way: The XY will be around for a long time in action and pre-owend, but the Limited Edition 10 Years is the last chance to get a new masterpiece of ALPA history. There is also a possibility to add your very own name by engraving it on the camera. Just in case taking outstanding photos is not enough.
