R-D1 keeps freezing up?

[njinoki]

Hi,
I picked up a well used R-D1 and am trying to get it working.
I bought a battery and it now turns on, and I changed the language to English, but it seems to freeze up after between a few seconds and a few minutes with the screen on.

I can't test the shutter as I cannot seem to get it to Format the memory card,it always just says 'Memory card error'.
I bought a 1GB Micro SD + adapter and a 2GB SD card (at crazy prices!) but it just says 'Formatting' then after a while just switches off,and the memory card is never formatted. Quick format doesn't seem allowed for some reason.

If I don't turn on the screen it seems to respond to the shutter button (the light goes red) even after several minutes, so maybe only crashes with the screen on? but without an SD card it won't fire the shutter.

Could anyone with a working camera tell me the names of the folders it makes in the SD card? maybe if I make the right folder names it will switch on enough to test the shutter? Or even better an 'image' of an SD card I can copy onto my SD card to make it read it!

Otherwise I will open it up and have a look around for the freezing issue.
I saw on a disassembly guide a small battery like thing under the bottom plate, does that ever need changing?

Many thanks!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I personally had a lot of issues with the R-D1 and after-market (cheap Chinese) batteries.
It would go into 'low battery' or sleep mode after taking a picture.

 

[njinoki]

I personally had a lot of issues with the R-D1 and after-market (cheap Chinese) batteries.
It would go into 'low battery' or sleep mode after taking a picture.

Thanks that's a good tip.
What battery did you find worked well in the end?

The meter seems to read full, and then go down to half as i try turn it on and off etc. It seems so close to working! and so wonderful to hold!

 

[Out to Lunch]

"Neither the R-D1 nor R-D1s can use SD cards over 2 GB: the camera's firmware only supports cards formatted in Microsoft's FAT16 file system, which has a maximum volume size of 2 GB. Cards over 2 GB in size have to use the FAT32 file system, which is not compatible with the R-D1/R-D1s".

Epson R-D1: SD cards - CameraQuest​

 

[njinoki]

Aha! Good link there, i've tried formatting to Fat16, but the fact that he says you can fire the lens without an SD means that my camera is more dead than I had hoped.
Looks like nothing for it but to take it apart and see if I can find anything obvious wrong with it!

 

[JeffS7444]

Small internal battery is typical of most digital cameras, and is used to retain some configuration settings, including clock time. If camera reverts to default settings every time you replace the main battery, chances are the internal battery has failed. Either way, I'm guessing this isn't the cause of your immediate problem.

I suppose it's possible that the LCD ribbon connector has failed, causing the camera to detect a fault.

 

[njinoki]

Thanks Jeff, i tried unplugging the LCD ribbon to no effect.

I saw reports online of a locked up shutter so wondering if that could be whats causing it.

Do you have an R-D1? Do you know if it should wind on before firing the shutter? Should I be able to just turn the camera on and fire to take a photo?

 

[Larry H-L]

Yes, you must wind-on the advance lever just like on a film camera.

Do not press the shutter button while winding, this can cause a mechanical lock-up, Bessa series camera bodies had the issue.