C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The Alpa 11ei (1972) is the ultimate expression of the Pignons S.A. Alpa camera lineage: a 35mm SLR combining an electronically timed focal-plane shutter with through-the-lens CdS metering and aperture-priority automatic exposure. It is the last major Alpa body type produced before Pignons closed in 1990, and it carried the Alpa name through the final 18 years of the original Swiss factory's production.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The Alpa 11ei was the final and most capable Pignons Alpa — electronic shutter, TTL CdS aperture-priority automation, and Swiss-precision build quality sustained to the very last.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Alpa bayonet |
| Years | 1972–1990 |
| Shutter | Electronic focal-plane: 4s – 1/1000s + B (stepless in AE) |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Metering | TTL stop-down CdS, aperture-priority AE or manual |
| Battery | 2× SR44 silver-oxide |
| Mechanical fallback | ~1/60s |
| Viewfinder | Pentaprism, 97% coverage, 0.9× magnification |
| Focus aids | Microprism collar + ground glass |
| Mirror lockup | Yes |
| Weight | 750 g (body only) |
Pignons introduced the electronic-shutter Alpa 11e in 1972 as a direct successor to the 10d, replacing the mechanical shutter timing with electronically controlled electromagnets. The 11ei variant added the integrated CdS TTL meter for aperture-priority automation. Together the 11e/11ei formed the final generation of Pignons Alpa cameras.
Production ran until 1990 when the Pignons factory at Ballaigues closed, ending 46 years of Alpa camera manufacturing under that roof. After 1990, the Alpa name was revived in various forms — ultimately by Alpa Capaul & Weber in the 2000s producing modern technical cameras — but the Pignons SLR line ended with the 11ei.
Total production of Pignons Alpa cameras across all models is estimated at approximately 50,000–60,000 units over the entire production run; individual model quantities were accordingly small. The 11ei is one of the more commonly encountered late models given its long 18-year production run.
The Alpa 11ei offers the complete package of the mature Alpa SLR: TTL aperture-priority automation, an electronically timed shutter with a 4-second slow end for long exposures, and the full compatibility with the celebrated Kern Switar and Macro-Switar lens range. For photographers working in variable light — particularly in technical, scientific, or fine-art contexts — the combination of slow electronic timing and aperture-priority automation is genuinely useful.
The 11ei is the most capable and the most recently manufactured of the Pignons Alpa SLRs. It commands the highest prices in the Alpa market after the very rare special editions.
All Alpa-mount lenses are compatible with the 11ei:
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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