Schneider Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9
Schneider-Kreuznach · Alpa · 1952 · Double Gauss, 6 elements in 4 groups
Also known as: Schneider Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9 · Alpa Xenon 1.9/50 · Schneider-Kreuznach Alpa-Xenon 1:1.9/50 · Xenon 50mm f1.9 Alpa
Variants & identification
| Variant | Mount | Years | Serial ranges | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9, preset (1952) | Alpa | 1952 | — | Unpublished |
| Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9 Type 1 | Alpa | 1956 | — | Unpublished |
| Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9 Type 2 | Alpa | 1968 | — | Unpublished |
- Three barrels, one optic: The Lens DB separates a 1952 preset lens, a Type 1 and a Type 2 by weight, diaphragm and close focus; all are six elements in four groups. The years for Types 1 and 2 are this entry's inference from the bodies they were sold with, not the database's.
How to tell them apart
- ALPA-XENON on the bezel, Schneider-Kreuznach engraving; f/1.9 like the late Kern but a Gauss, not an apochromat
- Chrome or black; the lens Pignons fitted when the Switar would have made the camera too dear
- Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9, preset (1952): The first form: preset diaphragm, 150 g, focus to 0.5 m, 42 mm clamp-on hood (The Lens DB).
- Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9 Type 1: Manual-diaphragm barrel, 200 g, focus to 0.8 m (The Lens DB).
- Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9 Type 2: The late barrel: 270 g, six blades, focus to 0.5 m, 52 mm hood (The Lens DB) — the lens Pignons fitted to the 10s of 1968 and the 11f to undercut the Kern-equipped bodies.
Specifications
- Formula
- Double Gauss, 6 elements in 4 groups
- Construction
- 6 elements / 4 groups
- Aperture range
- f/1.9–f/16
- Min. focus
- 0.5 m
- Weight
- 150 g
- Years manufactured
- 1952–1976
- Country
- Germany
What reviewers say
No reviews aggregated yet — this family is still in the research queue. Written one? We'd love to index it.
History
Schneider of Kreuznach made the Xenon, a six-element double Gauss, for half the cameras of Europe, and for Pignons it made one in the Alpa bayonet with the external stop-down coupling: the Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9, listed in the Alnea catalogue beside the Kern Switar at 21 inches close focus and f/16 minimum. It was the lens Pignons reached for when the price mattered — the simplified 10s of 1968 and the meterless 11f of the 1970s were sold with a Xenon expressly to undercut the Kern-equipped bodies. Production is unpublished, as for every Alpa lens. No review of the Alpa-mount Xenon has been found; the lens is written about in its Retina and Exakta forms, which share the glass.
This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.
Example photos
Sample photo wanted — shot with a Schneider Alpa-Xenon 50mm f/1.9? We'd love to feature it (with credit).
Live listings
Asking price, USD: a median of $1,700 across 4 fixed-price listings on 2026-09-11 (middle half $1,000–$1,800). Tracked since 2026-09-06, 2 days: unchanged from $1,700.
By day
| Date | Median | Middle half | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-11 | $1,700 | $1,000–$1,800 | 4 |
| 2026-09-06 | $1,700 | $1,000–$1,800 | 4 |
Asking prices from the listings scanned, not sales; junk-flagged rows and auction lots excluded; other currencies are not converted.
- 🔥 RARE Schneider Alpa Xenon 50mm F/1.9 🔥
- Alpa Reflex Mod.6 camera w. Schneider-Alpa Xenon 1.9/50 lens
- Schneider 1.9/5cm Alpa-Xenon made for Alpa Reflex cameras early type
- ALPA-XENON 1.9/50 SCHNEIDER SLR VINTAGE CAMERA SILVER LENS Mod. 6B RARE BOX f=50
- 🔥 RARE Schneider Alpa Xenon 50mm F/1.9 🔥
- Alpa Prisma Reflex with Xenon 1.9/50mm Shutter need Service
- Schneider Xenon 50mm F1.9 Lens for Alpa Reflex Cameras
- 🔥 RARE Schneider Alpa Xenon 50mm F/1.9 🔥
- Schneider Alpa-Xenon 50mm F1.9 Switzerland — SN 50-0037
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Listings updated 2026-09-11. Links go to the shop or marketplace that carries the item.