Swiss-made. Kern-Aarau Switar 50mm f1.8. This is a standard lens for Alpa Alnea cameras. The name of the city where Kern is based, Aarau, is engraved on the nameplate. Between 1951 and 1955, a total of 1,526 units were produced. It features a Gauss-type design with 5 groups and 7 elements. It is an apochromatic lens. The minimum focusing distance is about 45 cm from the lens’s front. The aperture has 15 blades, and the distance scale is in feet.
The lens has an outstanding design with a rhythmic two-tone white and black barrel. Compared to later models like the Auto-Switar or Macro-Switar with shutter releases, this lens is lightweight and compact, weighing just 140g. Even with a filter and hood attached, it weighs only 175g and has an overall length of about 57mm from the mount face, making its size quite unique.
It comes with the original Type A hood, an MC filter that appears to be a replacement, and original front and rear caps.
There are some minor scuffs and signs of use, but there are no dents or aluminum corrosion, making the barrel very clean.
It underwent a full overhaul in July 2024. The click action of the aperture ring is good, but note that there is no click at f2, so caution is needed when operating while looking through the viewfinder. The helicoid movement, which has a significant extension, is very smooth with an excellent torque feel due to meticulous maintenance.
The glass has a few light cleaning marks on the front element and some coating roughness, but this should not significantly affect the image quality. There is no haze, and the glass is clear and sharp. The results from practical testing were also good.
