There are cameras that are designed to appeal to everyone, and then there are cameras that seem to exist for a very specific kind of photographer.

The ALPA 12tc is definitely the latter.

I recently put together a new video about my ALPA 12tc, sharing why this unusual camera has become such an important part of my landscape and fine-art photography. It is not a camera you see everywhere, and it certainly isn’t the easiest or most conventional camera system to use.

But after years of working with it in the field, I’ve come to appreciate exactly what makes it so special.

A Camera Built for Photography

What I love about the ALPA is that it feels less like a traditional camera and more like a precision photographic instrument.

There is no attempt to make it do everything. Instead, the system is incredibly focused on the things that matter most to me as a landscape photographer: precise composition, exceptional lenses, a high-resolution digital back, and complete control over the image-making process.

My ALPA 12tc is paired with Rodenstock lenses and high-resolution digital backs, including the Phase One IQ150 and Hasselblad CFV 100C. It is a very different approach to photography than simply picking up a modern mirrorless camera, attaching a zoom lens, and heading into the wilderness.

And that’s exactly why I enjoy it. For the kind of photography I do, the process is part of the experience.

Why I Still Take It Into the Field

I spend a tremendous amount of time photographing in some pretty remote places. When I’m working on an image, I want to slow down and really consider the composition. The ALPA encourages that. It isn’t a camera I casually pull out and fire away with. Setting up a shot requires thought. I’m working from a tripod, carefully considering perspective, focal length, depth of field, filters, exposure, and the relationship between all of the elements in the frame. That slower process has become something I genuinely value.

When I’m standing in a National Park waiting for the right light, weather, or atmospheric conditions, I don’t necessarily want a camera that encourages me to take hundreds of photographs. I want a camera that encourages me to make one great photograph. That’s where the ALPA makes sense to me.

The Rodenstock Connection

One of the most important parts of the system is the glass. The Rodenstock lenses I use are incredibly precise, and they are a big part of what makes the ALPA system so compelling for landscape photography. The combination of a high-resolution digital back and these specialized lenses gives me an enormous amount of information to work with when I’m creating a fine-art print.

And ultimately, that’s what matters to me. I’m not photographing simply to look at the image on a phone or computer screen. Many of my photographs eventually become large-scale fine-art prints. When you’re making an image that may ultimately be several feet across, the quality and detail captured at the beginning of the process become extremely important.

The Video Was Supposed to Be Filmed in Yellowstone

There is a funny story behind this particular video. I originally planned to film the entire thing while traveling through Yellowstone National Park as part of my ongoing National Parks project. Unfortunately, our camper van had other plans.

While traveling to our planned filming location, the van broke down, leaving us stuck and waiting for replacement parts. Rather than cancel the video completely, I decided to make the best of the situation and film what I could from an Airbnb.

It’s certainly not the production environment I had envisioned! The scenery isn’t Yellowstone, and the production quality isn’t quite what I had originally planned. But sometimes that’s simply part of life on the road. When you’re traveling full-time and working in remote places, things don’t always go according to plan. I decided it was more important to share the story of the camera than to wait for the perfect circumstances.

More ALPA Videos Are Coming

This video is really just the beginning. Once we’re back on the road, I plan to create additional videos featuring the ALPA 12tc while photographing in National Parks and other wild places. That’s where I think the camera really belongs.

I’d much rather show the ALPA being used to photograph Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, the Eastern Sierra, the Oregon Coast, or another remote landscape than simply talk about it from a studio. For me, the most interesting part of any piece of photographic equipment isn’t the specification sheet. It’s what happens when you take it into the field and try to create something meaningful with it. After years of using the ALPA, I think I have a pretty good story to tell.

Why the ALPA Still Matters to Me

Photography has changed enormously during the years I’ve been doing this professionally. Cameras have become faster, smarter, more automated, and more accessible. And that’s wonderful. But there is still something special about a camera that gets out of the way and lets you concentrate on the photograph.

The ALPA 12tc isn’t for everyone. It’s expensive, highly specialized, and requires a very different approach to photography. But for the photographer it was designed for, I think that’s exactly the point.

It has become one of those rare pieces of equipment that I don’t simply own—I genuinely enjoy using it. And after carrying it into some pretty wild places, it has become an important part of how I see and photograph the landscape.

You can watch my new video, “The Camera That Only Pros Are Talking About,” on YouTube, where I take a closer look at the ALPA 12tc, my Rodenstock lenses, and the Hasselblad and Phase One digital backs I use with the system.

And hopefully, the next time I talk about the ALPA, I’ll be doing it from somewhere a little more spectacular than an Airbnb.