Vintage ALPA
Honoring the Heritage
Between 1944 and 1990, Pignons SA of Ballaigues produced some of the most precisely engineered 35mm cameras ever made. Assembled with the same watchmaker's discipline that defined Swiss micromechanics, the ALPA Reflex, the Prisma Reflex, and the models that followed were instruments of extraordinary quality, built to last far beyond their time.
Many of these cameras are still in working order today. Some continue to be used by photographers who value mechanical precision and the deliberate pace of analogue image-making. Others are treasured by collectors as milestones in camera history.
While ALPA can no longer offer service or spare parts for these vintage instruments, we feel a deep responsibility toward those who carry this heritage. Whether as users, collectors, or simply admirers of fine mechanical craft.
On this page, we point you toward the people and places we trust to help you.
SERVICE & REPAIR
The following specialists have the knowledge, the tools, and the passion to service and repair Pignons-era ALPA cameras. These are independent businesses, not affiliated with ALPA of Switzerland. But they have our full respect and recommendation.
- Fotohaus Basel
Freie Strasse 4
4001 Basel, Switzerland
Phone: +41 61 269 99 99
Email: contact@fotohaus.ch
Website: https://fotohaus.ch/
- 3r Camera Service
Radu Lesaru
80 Madison Dr. Naples, FL 34110 / USA
Phone: +1 (718) 744-7053
Email: service@3rcamera.com
Website: http://www.3rcamera.com
- Wickford Camera Repairs
85 Vicarage Road
Watford, Herfordshire WD1 8EJ / UK
Phone: +44 1923 800588
- Zacks Camera Repair
11 South Angell St. 379
Providence, RI 02906 / USA
Phone: +1 (401) 273 7247
Email: info@zackscamerarepair.com
Website: https://zackscamerarepair.com/
- Kanto Camera Co., Ltd.
Sanclair 201, 1-1-23 Watarida,
Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi,
Kanagawa-ken 210-0837 / Japan
Phone: +81-(0)44-328-8118
Fax: +81-(0)44-328-7960
Website: https://www.kantocamera.com/pages/camera_repairs
AUCTIONS
Whether you have inherited an ALPA, found one at an estate sale, or are looking to complete a collection. The specialists listed below are also active in the vintage market and can assist with valuations, acquisitions and sales. ALPA of Switzerland does not act as a broker or intermediary in vintage transactions. However, if you are unsure where to turn, you are welcome to reach out to us. We will do our best to point you in the right direction.
- Photographica Auction
Westbahnstrasse 40
1070 Vienna
Tel.: +43 1 523 56 59
Email: info@leitz-auction.com
Website: https://www.leitz-auction.com/en
The Edition Pignons – our current limited-edition series – was created as a direct homage to the Pignons SA era: its precision, its aesthetic restraint, and its roots in Swiss watchmaking culture. It is our way of keeping that history alive in every camera we make today.
If you love vintage ALPA, you are already part of the family.
Überlandstrasse 241
8600 Dübendorf
Switzerland
Phone: +41 44 383 92 22
@2025 all rights reserved
PRECISION MEASURED IN MICRONS. PASSION MEASURED IN DECADES