Non-leica question: Alpa Kern Switar variation

[yong_shin1]

I know there are several variations of the named lens, namely,

50/1.8, 50/1.8 Macro and 50/1.9 Macro. I am wondering if there are

some good references on- or off- line (or in your own words) as to

how they compare with each other, lens formulae, coating types and of

course performance.

[gary_ferguson1]

Yong, I don't think there's that much on-line, but the definitive Alpa book is "Alpa-Always Different From The Rest" by Lothar Thewes. I've never used the Macro lens but I have used both the 50/1.8 and the 50/1.9, they're both very good (in both the near and far ranges), but the 1.9 has a small advantage. The 1.8 was amongst the very first lenses to be marketed as an apochromat, another step in a long photographic tradition of extravagent advertising claims!

[peter_mcdonough3]

Hello Yong.

There are three variations that I know of. There was the Switar, which focused to around three feet. Then came the 1.8 Macro, which was seven elements. After this came the redesigned 1.9 which had six elements and was higher in contrast than the 1.8

Peter