i don't understand

My Fuji S3 has effectively 6MP on it.
I can put any Nikon lenses on it and when I do, I get good images, nice dynamic range, and suitable for any of my purposes (Yes, I print my images, Joe).

But I paid less than $200 for it with two zoom lenses, and after selling those, I'm out basically nothing of my pocket.

If I can do that with an RD-1, I wouldn't mind trying it.
 
I just bought a brand new Olympus EP-2 with a one year warranty for $250. I find it to be a better deal for what I want in a digital camera.
 
The R-D1 is not an expensive camera to own.
I bought mine 4 years ago on ebay for $1300 new. I was a bit lucky that the seller didn't know what he had, and wasn't sure if the box was complete. I have shot over 15000 images with it since. I did recently have a problem with the LCD, for which I sent it to Epson in Japan. Cost was including shipping etc. about $200. Now it looks almost new.
If I have a look at the classifieds I see that it is still worth almost what I originally paid.

Which of the fancy digital cameras that Sony/Fuji/Panasonic etc. are selling will be worth anything close to $200-$400 below their current values in 4 years time after lots of use?
 
CNNY said:
Telling people that my digital camera has 6mp and a lever winder gets a lot of laughs.
If only they knew...
Click to expand...

People often look at me cocking the shutter with the lever thinking the RD-1 is a film camera 😀
But when I tell them it's digital, you should hear all the questions I get 😎
 
I'd guess that the arrival of the XPro1, NEX-7, and Ricoh M-module should begin to drive down the cost of the RD1. I can't see why anyone would pay $1100+ for the RD1 when they can get the XPro1 for $1700 (and wait 6 months for that number to go down a few notches).
 
I had a 6mp Nikon D70 and frankly the image quality was a gigantic disappointment even in a 6x9 print, which is the native file size at 300dpi. That camera sent me back to film almost 10 yrs ago virtually as soon as I bought it. I regularly make prints way too big for 6mp.

On top of that, the RD1s is simply priced stupidly for what it is. Yeah its a rangefinder but the image quality still isn't up to the standard people expect from my prints. I buy gear because it will make me money, not because I think the camera is fun or cool (and the RD1 would be fun). If I could afford an M9, I'd get one; that's my bare minimum for resolution where I am now with what people are buying. My 5DmkII wasn't that much more money than a used RD1 for a 21mp camera with incredible color and low light usability. Even if someone offered to give me an RD1, I don't think I'd really ever use it. It simply can't do what I need.
 
I don't think I would have paid $1200 but as soon as I spotted the one in our classifieds for $850.00 I thought very quickly about the images I have seen from the camera and how much an M9 could cost me and didn't have to think too much longer!

The 6mp sensor doesn't worry me at all because obviously the camera is the sum of it's parts and it's performance really defies it's age. Some of the images in the thread I started recently are phenominal and say a lot about what we want and what we actually need!
 
Keith said:
I don't think I would have paid $1200 but as soon as I spotted the one in our classifieds for $850.00 I thought very quickly about the images I have seen from the camera and how much an M9 could cost me and didn't have to think too much longer!

The 6mp sensor doesn't worry me at all because obviously the camera is the sum of it's parts and it's performance really defies it's age. Some of the images in the thread I started recently are phenominal and say a lot about what we want and what we actually need!
Click to expand...

The images from it that I've seen posted on RFF by Joe and others look great at web-size, and they seem to convert to black and white really well. Its a damned shame they never made a higher-resolution replacement model, or better yet a fullframe one. Getting a good fullframe high-res sensor from Sony should be easy, since they sell sensors to so many others anyway. Epson didn't seem to have their heart in it (and maybe Cosina was the problem, since they actually built the camera...who knows!)
 
Ok, so imagine you have your Nex-7 with its 24mp. Now imagine you are photographing a moving subject, and you just don't nail the focus by one pixel width. Happens all the time right? Well, you effectively just produced a 6mp image.

There are definite limits to how big you can print from 6mp, but for a lot of situations there just is not that much real life gain in a few more pixels. It is more important to get the shot.

Chris, a lot of the images that you post are static compositions. You naturally want the biggest camera with the highest resolution, but those are not the R-D1's strengths. Also given that the framelines are not the most accurate. In other situations like more classical reportage, and social situations it does very well.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
The images from it that I've seen posted on RFF by Joe and others look great at web-size, and they seem to convert to black and white really well. Its a damned shame they never made a higher-resolution replacement model, or better yet a fullframe one. Getting a good fullframe high-res sensor from Sony should be easy, since they sell sensors to so many others anyway. Epson didn't seem to have their heart in it (and maybe Cosina was the problem, since they actually built the camera...who knows!)
Click to expand...



True about what you said in your previous post. Unlike you my paid work generally stays web based and what does get printed is in small publications.

Also very true that a larger megapixel count as an upgrade for this camera would probably have it back out there selling fairly well. People seem happy to pay $3000.00 for the new Xpro with a couple of lenses .... I don't see that as particularly good vaue!
 
CNNY said:
Telling people that my digital camera has 6mp and a lever winder gets a lot of laughs.
If only they knew...
Click to expand...

Yeah people look at me funny when I cock the shutter and chimp at the same time. Does not compute. I try not to chimp but with my zhou half-case I cant readily flip the LCD anymore. Hmmm - some kind of sliding opaque window ...

Anyway, until there's an affordable and reliable FF digi RF I don't see any reason to switch.
 
Epson Japan still does repairs on the R-D1 - I live in Japan and I just sent mine off for a rangefinder adjustment and repair yesterday. Don't know the cost yet but I've heard it's between $50 and $300 depending on the severity of the problem.

Epson released a new model of the R-D1 only a few years ago so there will be support for quite a while longer, and the parts that make up the R-D1 are commonly used in other electronics so you'll still be able to source them elsewhere in the future.

I really like my R-D1.

6mp was enough for people a few years ago - it's still enough now. If you're shooting for enormous prints you may as well use a 4x5 field camera!
 
need more than 6mp, also (this is just a personal thing) don't want no obsolete film winding lever! (I know others find it charming...) But seriously, over $1K, STILL? I guess because it's so unique.
 
The Epson R-D1s was my first RF camera and I liked it a lot until I bought my first M6 ... full-frame film RF became quickly more appealing to me than 1.5x crop sensor ...
 
I'd have gotten one a long time ago, except that I'm a wide-angle guy. The widest frameline in the R-D1 finder is for a 28mm, which only gives a 42mm equivalent view. On top of that, I'm told I wouldn't be able to see the 28mm framelines with my eyeglasses. My options would be to use my 24mm with my 35mm finder in the hot shoe, or else my 21mm and "shoot loose" with the 35mm finder. In the end I chose an M8.2. With my 28mm lens, I get about a 37mm equivalent, and I can use the built-in finder. That's what I use most. Then if I want to use the 21mm, a 28mm auxiliary finder frames rather accurately.
 
Had an M8 and an RD1 and would own an RD1 again but not an M8. Everything about the RD1 is awesome other than being a crop camera and running on batteries.

The camera menus remind me of Super Nintendo and Playstation era video game menus too 🙂
 
JayM said:
Had an M8 and an RD1 and would own an RD1 again but not an M8. Everything about the RD1 is awesome other than being a crop camera and running on batteries.

The camera menus remind me of Super Nintendo and Playstation era video game menus too 🙂
Click to expand...

Used to have both.... RD-1 beat out the M8, So I sold the M8 & kept the RD-1.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom