Eulogy for the RD1s

[mani]

Sold my RD1s this week. I'd said (even recently on this forum) that I'd never sell it, but in the end my camera-collection guilt overcame my sentiments, and I decided it had to go. I have a family now, and for some reason the camera hobby bugs me more than it bugs my partner, so I trimmed to one digital and one film.

Even so, I have to say that in my opinion the RD range of cameras from Epson are among the best cameras ever made (and I seriously don't consider that hyperbole) - they went out on a limb with the first digital rangefinder, and made an amazing success of it, when even Leica thought it wasn't possible.

As many have said, the controls are among the most ergonomic (and beautiful) on any digital camera. And in my experience the camera has worked faultlessly from day one - including an auto setting that puts the M8's to shame.

Tonight I quickly looked through some of the images I've taken with it, and almost totally at random picked out six. I could've picked a hundred that were actually better.

These just caught my eye as thumbnails, and I thought I'd put them here - mostly just because I continually wonder at the amazing colors, sharpness and character of the images from this camera.

I'm gonna miss it badly.

 

[mani]

I had to re-save the images because of the size restrictions on the forum - so these are re-sized jpegs from re-sized jpegs (so the quality is rather degraded - but not as much as when the forum backend did the resizing).

Anyway - three random choices:

 

[mani]

And three more random images:

 

[back alley]

R.i.p.




.

 

[mani]

R.i.p.

I'm hoping the next owner is going to give the camera a new life. It deserves better than sitting on a shelf.

 

[fotomeow]

At least someone else is enjoying it now .. I've found my RD!s indispensible for M mouont lens tests, as well as a daily shooter .......... now you might have to reenter the Epson game when they come out with a FF dig RF (please, Epson? ................... Epson?)

 

[AusDLK]

Ah, the R-D1, such a jewel.

Too bad they were first with the reversible LCD. Leica would never copy such a brilliant idea to more simulate a film camera.

Why didn't Leica extend the lens mount flange a little bit like Epson did instead of making the camera body thicker?

Love the M9 but a couple of the R-D1's ideas would have resulted in a camera a tad bit closer to perfection.

 

[kevin m]

I miss mine, too. I still find it surprising that a copier manufacturer could make a digital camera that was more ergonomically suited to the "rangefinder experience" than are Leica's own offerings.

Gratuitous R-D1 pic:

 

[Ronald M]

Nice images.

Always go back to the photoshop file made from raw or the camera JPEG to make smaller copies.

Generally this involves an event folder, subfolders for original, photoshop, and final sizes.
I generally add a suffix to the name indicating the resolution and size,
img1234 300 5x7.JPEG indicating file 1234 300 ppi 5" x 7 "

Make an empty folder containing the sub folders, dup it and copy the dup to the event and make a new dup. That saves a bunch of folder making.

 

[mani]

Always go back to the photoshop file made from raw or the camera JPEG to make smaller copies.

Hi Ron - I know this, but I truly did just pick out some random images and push them out as jpegs purely for this thread only. Opening up the raw files again wasn't what I felt like doing - and besides, at 600 pixels wide it didn't really seem to matter so much - I felt the Epson colors still come through, even if some of the sharpness was lost.

There really is something special about the camera.

Here's another random one (feel like just adding random RD1s images to all my posts in this thread):

 

[Ronald M]

Ok, never know. I just try to be helpful.

I can tell these images are special.

 

[gliderbee]

I miss mine, too. I still find it surprising that a copier manufacturer could make a digital camera that was more ergonomically suited to the "rangefinder experience" than are Leica's own offerings.
[]

WAS it a copier manufacturer that made the R-D1 ? I would rather say it was Cosina who made it for Epson, no ? Did Epson ever make cameras before ?

Stefan.

 

[gdi]

WAS it a copier manufacturer that made the R-D1 ? I would rather say it was Cosina who made it for Epson, no ? Did Epson ever make cameras before ?

Stefan.

I don't know of anyone who would consider Epson a "copier manufacturer" - in fact the only Epson copier I have ever seen was an all in one. They made at least a few digital cameras before the R-D1. Of course I am quite sure they never made a film camera, but Seiko has made shutters for film cameras and LF lenses for at least 25-30 years.

They could more rightly be considered the digital printing and imaging company spin-off of a watch company. (The old series of "Electronic Printers", thus EP-xxx and EPson, were common in corporate environments during the widespread adoption of the PC.)

So I think the R-D1, while a bit out of character for Epson, it was an almost perfect cooperative effort between two major players in the imaging world. This is one of the few cult-classic digital cameras...

 

[gilpen123]

Selling my RD1 is a longshot. To me this is the less costly digital alternative using M lenses with great or better results than the Leica offering. Epson / Cosina please we want a new model with basic upgrades, we're not asking for frills and gizmos....

Simple shots great joy, the print in A4 size is excellent

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My friend and his RD1 in-camera B&W ISO 800

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[kevin m]

I don't know of anyone who would consider Epson a "copier manufacturer"

They're not known for making cameras and yet their effort was better than Leica's own in many ways. Is it not still surprising that a printer, scanner, professional imaging company could make a better rangefinder camera than Leica?

 

[--]

I'm gonna miss it badly.

Man, that is sad. Probably not much way of comfort but at least you still live in one of the most beautiful and photogenic cities in the world (arguably the capital of Scandinavia - and coming from a Dane that takes a lot :angel: ) plus the camera was not stolen.

Can just echo and hope that the new owner will be able to produce the output you made with yours.

Who knows - maybe one day you get into a position where you can buy a new old one 😀 as I did with my Xpan shortly after selling the first :bang:

 

[umcelinho]

I kinda often have some "maybe I should sell it" moments, but usually I end up taking the camera to some situation where I wouldn't bring my M6 (meaning mostly "when I know I will need instant review and/or a different iso than of the roll inside the M6") and get great results and realise I shouldn't let it go.

I think it's a camera I will keep with me until it finally has its last breath.

 

[gdi]

They're not known for making cameras and yet their effort was better than Leica's own in many ways. Is it not still surprising that a printer, scanner, professional imaging company could make a better rangefinder camera than Leica?

Not surprising to me in the least that they could partner with a major camera maker and build it. As for it being a better RF camera than Leica's digital, I think a lot who have owned both would not agree.

 

[kuvvy]

I'm still liking my RD1 a great deal even though with some sweet talking to the missus I could probably stretch to an M8. Like the RD1 quality and the handling too. Can't say as much for the CV Nokton 40mm SC I've been shooting with. Good image quality and fast too but doesn't suit my shooting style. I've only had it a couple of months or so and although I've been out with it again today i still can't get on with the focal length so it will be going the same way as your RD1 Mani, so watch the classifieds guys.

 

[kevin m]

Not surprising to me in the least that they could partner with a major camera maker and build it. As for it being a better RF camera than Leica's digital, I think a lot who have owned both would not agree.

And many would. Epson, despite being a manufacturer with little-to-no experience with rangefinders, made a camera that managed to endear itself to its owners for its utility and for its ergonomics that - here's the surprising part - are in some ways MUCH better than Leica, with all its decades of experience, has made to date. That's why so many of us who either own or have owned the camera are so fond of it. Even if its sensor is dated; even if we wish the camera had readier access to service, we still can't help but like the thing.

Personally, I feel the same about the R-D1 as I do the film M bodies. It's just right in so many ways that I was willing to work with its limitations.