calling out to epson RD-1 users.

[Roastchestnuts]

I recently bought a epson rd-1 from keh for a good deal and I am wondering if any of you still use this camera? I love the look of ccd cameras and especially like using the other two ccd rangfinders - the m8 and m9. In my never ending quest to find a digital camera that satifies my want for shooting film I decided to give the epson a try. What sold me on this camera was not the advance lever but the images I was seeing on fliker and instagram coming from the camera. they were blowing me away! Anyways I would love to hear your experiences from this camera. and share your favorite photo from it. Would also love to hear what lenses you use on it. I am planning to use my nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 adapted with a amedeo adapter, my nikkor 3.5cm f1.8 (Rear element housing modified) and my trusty leica 50mm f2.8 elmar - m. future me wants to get a 35mm summicron and a 28mm cron. I have had both and loved the v1 28mm cron and the v4 35mm cron.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Congratulations. I hope you'll like yours as much as I like mine. Some photos I've taken over the years with the R-D1:

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Congratulations. I hope you'll like yours as much as I like mine. Some photos I've taken over the years with the R-D1:

View attachment 4887488

View attachment 4887489

View attachment 4887490

These are amazing! further helps my decision on buying this camera. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Godfrey]

Don't want to rain on the parade, but the Epson R-D1 and I didn't get along at all. Back in the day, I sent the one I bought back within a week and ordered a Leica M9. I just found it more clumsy in use than charming... Truth be told, I wasn't all that fond of the M9 either. Slow working, not very responsive. Things got much better for me with the M-P 240, M-D 262, and now M10-R/M10-M.

Personally, I've never seen much difference to tell of between CCD and CMOS sensors. I only capture raw and I find that what I get out of the raw conversion is next to identical between them. I still have one CCD camera (Olympus E-1) which I regard as my all time favorite DSLR: it produces lovely results, but again I only capture raw files. Modern raw converters have given it clean results up to ISO 3200 whereas back in the day anything over ISO 400-800 was just too noisy to work with. It produced photos that obtained recognition for me in three exhibitions over the years, printed to a 20x24 inch size despite the 5Mpixel resolution. Just a great camera.

I'm sure I'll get a lot of flak for my opinions in this regard. 😉

G

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Don't want to rain on the parade, but the Epson R-D1 and I didn't get along at all. Back in the day, I sent the one I bought back within a week and ordered a Leica M9. I just found it more clumsy in use than charming... Truth be told, I wasn't all that fond of the M9 either. Slow working, not very responsive. Things got much better for me with the M-P 240, M-D 262, and now M10-R/M10-M.

Personally, I've never seen much difference to tell of between CCD and CMOS sensors. I only capture raw and I find that what I get out of the raw conversion is next to identical between them. I still have one CCD camera (Olympus E-1) which I regard as my all time favorite DSLR: it produces lovely results, but again I only capture raw files. Modern raw converters have given it clean results up to ISO 3200 whereas back in the day anything over ISO 400-800 was just too noisy to work with. It produced photos that obtained recognition for me in three exhibitions over the years, printed to a 20x24 inch size despite the 5Mpixel resolution. Just a great camera.

I'm sure I'll get a lot of flak for my opinions in this regard. 😉

G

I respect your thoughts and opinions on it and I appreciate you sharing. I have owned all the cameras you are speaking of except the md262 and m10r. I also owned in the past a few film ms M6ttl m7 m4-2, ma, m4 m2, m3 (the only film m I have kept over the years is the m3), Nikon s3 millennium black paint (my heirloom camera) and a voigtlander r2m. owned a m10p as well. But my favorite digitals were the m8.2 and m9 actually. never liked the output of the others. the m10M was majorly impressive but being my only digital it was hard to live with just black and white. Id like to own another one day. I like the fresnel windows for the frame lines on the m8 and m9 more than I like the leds and forwhatever reason I like the look of the images more. I would like to try the m262. I have a friend with one and the battery life was majorly amazing! prob very similar to the mp240 I had though. I get bored with cameras and sell and trade too much clearly. I wish I could have kept all the cameras I mentioned haha. The Rd-1 seems like a fun one to get back into digital M stuff though. its not going to be my main camera by any means but a fun one to take out and shoot instead of a film camera. save on film.

 

[ped]

I still use mine a lot - it's my only decent digital camera (anything else is film or Polaroid). I have absolutely no need to 'upgrade'

 

[analoged]

Not sure what kinda deal you got from KEH but if I didn't buy mine for $200 I probably wouldn't own one! I do really like mine and use it mostly for trips, the shutter sounds is a bit annoying that metallic ping! I use 28 Elmarit V3, 35 Summitux Pre Asph, 50 Elmar M and believe it or not an Industar 69! My most used setting is iso 1600 B&W jpeg with raw just in case I want color/ larger image.

28 Elmarit M V3

Industar 69

 

[Roastchestnuts]

I received the camera yesterday at about noon and the memory cards (I had to order 2gb cards) at about 330pm. Giving me just enough time to go out and shoot some with the rd-1. I am really impressed with the build quality. feels like a tougher Bessa. I had owned a r2m and liked that camera. sold it on ebay and the buyer returned it and said it was broken (was not) and then I used that camera for a few years along side my m6 untill I got ride of both cameras for a digital camera unfortunately. anyways my thoughts - its comparable to a leica m8 but also very different. I really like the finder and the advance lever. The shutter is quieter and actually sounds like a film camera in my opinion. well the m8 does but it sounds more like a film canon point and shoot from the 1980s verses a leica m. The files are 6mp. I think I can work with that. they are a little small for sure. I obvious I need to shoot it more to fully wrap my head around it. It in my opinion is the most unique digital that works well that I have ever shot. It shouldn't exist but does. I think alot of people say this but it is ahead of its time I think. I think a sharper 28mm or 18mm is in my future though. the 3.5cm f1.8 is not the sharpest lens.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Not sure what kinda deal you got from KEH but if I didn't buy mine for $200 I probably wouldn't own one! I do really like mine and use it mostly for trips, the shutter sounds is a bit annoying that metallic ping! I use 28 Elmarit V3, 35 Summitux Pre Asph, 50 Elmar M and believe it or not an Industar 69! My most used setting is iso 1600 B&W jpeg with raw just in case I want color/ larger image.

28 Elmarit M V3
View attachment 4887508
Industar 69
View attachment 4887505

Thanks for sharing! yeah I payed too much probibly but - 1400$. cheeper than most but not that cheep. I also purchased a 3 year extended warranty. Not sure what that covers but should help if it breaks. It was why i ended up going for this. It was in bargin grade but the only thing wrong with it is the paint has come off the power switch slightly.

How do you like the elmarit v3? I am in between that lens, the ziess 18mm f4 (seems like it will be a 28mm on the rd1) and the 24mm elmarit f2.8

 

[ped]

I’ve printed pictures up to A3 size and they look fantastic

 

[analoged]

Considering what they go for on eBay I think its a fair price!

I've got a late version III and love what I get from it, it's a bit bulky for a rangefinder lens but I tend to like pre asph lenses. Thought about getting the IV but it really isn't significantly smaller than the III.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Considering what they go for on eBay I think its a fair price!

I've got a late version III and love what I get from it, it's a bit bulky for a rangefinder lens but I tend to like pre asph lenses. Thought about getting the IV but it really isn't significantly smaller than the III.

Yeah I felt like I could buy it and purchase the extended warranty for 300$ less than what they going for on ebay.

I had a 28mm summicron that I loved. It was destroyed in a car wreck. Thinking about one of those again maybe too. I gotta sell a few more things before I buy anything though.

 

[Darthfeeble]

I bought one years ago and got an urge for something or the other and sold it, instantly regretted it and bought another after a while. Got another urge for something and sold the second one, and again regretted it. I bought my third one and swore to keep it and have. That one had a little trouble with the ribbon that feeds the display, got it fixed and can heartily recommend not folding the display to avoid that issue. I got yet another when I found a good deal on an R-D1x which has the non moveable display and should be the most recently manufactured. A CV21, 3.5 lives on that camera, I have a 15, 28, 35, and 70mm Voigtlander lenses, all work just fine. I've printed to 13 x 19 with great results. I got rid of my Leica M10 as I was having a lot of trouble with focusing, Old Eyes I guess. I don't seem to have that problem with the Epson VF. I think it's one of the great secrets of photography, I get a big tickle when someone will ask if I am shooting film.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

I bought one years ago and got an urge for something or the other and sold it, instantly regretted it and bought another after a while. Got another urge for something and sold the second one, and again regretted it. I bought my third one and swore to keep it and have. That one had a little trouble with the ribbon that feeds the display, got it fixed and can heartily recommend not folding the display to avoid that issue. I got yet another when I found a good deal on an R-D1x which has the non moveable display and should be the most recently manufactured. A CV21, 3.5 lives on that camera, I have a 15, 28, 35, and 70mm Voigtlander lenses, all work just fine. I've printed to 13 x 19 with great results. I got rid of my Leica M10 as I was having a lot of trouble with focusing, Old Eyes I guess. I don't seem to have that problem with the Epson VF. I think it's one of the great secrets of photography, I get a big tickle when someone will ask if I am shooting film.

Hhaha I have done that with gear. I bought and sold the 28mm summaron 2 times and the 50mm f2.8 elmar M.

Yeah I like the camera way more than I liked my m10p. even with the 6mp. This camera is the most fun I have ever had shooting a digital camera ever period. I love shooting film and I have since I was 10. But I cant afford how much it cost anymore. I just sent off some and for 5 rolls I think It was 86$ not including what I spent on the film. I would do my own processing but I don't want to do that with a newborn around. So this epson is the next best thing. Epson just got it right. Everything from having a fresnel window for frame lines to the winder to the flip screen you can turn around and just not look at. (witch is how I am planning on just keeping it.) I never like reviewing my photos on the camera. Its digital just bracket your photos, its not like you are waisting film.

I think I will get a m8 or m9 to shoot along side the rd1 eventually. That would be my ideal kit I think. if I can get one now and live with both of these cameras. Like I said though I need to sell off some gear though.

Good to know you can print 13x19 thats large enough for gallery stuff. think that 1:1 finder is more clear than the leica m10 too. I dont have it side by side but I did have a r3m and a m6ttl .85 and I felt the r3m had a easier to use finder. the only thing I really dont like about the rd1 and the voigtlander bessa r series is the frame line switch. I always end up knocking it to another frame line in my bags.

 

[Larry H-L]

I have had an RD for about 12 years usually swapping between the Voigtlander 21mm f4, 35 f1.4, 50 F2.5. If I am taking just one lens it's the 28mm Elmarit v3.

A few days ago I picked up the camera and it wouldn't fire the shutter. Nearly had my heart stop. The screen and the controls worked and I could format the card. Tried charging all of batteries and trying them but no luck. I was about ready to email Steve's camera repair to see if they still worked on them.

As a last attempt at "home fixes" I recharged a battery, heated it up slightly with a hair dryer.. and the camera fired but for one frame only. This shows just how sensitive these cameras are to battery power. I ordered two new batteries, fingers crossed. Has any found a battery brand that works well?

 

[LCT]

The only digital RF when Leica said it was not possible, i got two variants of the Epson since 2004 (R-D1, R-D1s). Unique camera if you want a digital RF with 1:1 VF, it renders nicely but is plagued with two main issues, misfocus with a RF difficult to set and digital noise with a sensor based on the Nikon D100. I used it with Leica, Voigtlander and Minolta M-mount lenses, mainly Skopar 21/4, Summicron 28/2, Rokkor 28/2.8, Summicron 35/2 v4, Summicron 40/2, Summicron 50/2 v4, and Elmar-M 50/2.8. I will post a couple of snaps ASAP.

 

[Godfrey]

The only digital RF when Leica said it was not possible, i got two variants of the Epson since 2004 (R-D1, R-D1s). Unique camera if you want a digital RF with 1:1 VF, it renders nicely but is plagued with two main issues, misfocus with a RF difficult to set and digital noise with a sensor based on the Nikon D100. I used it with Leica, Voigtlander and Minolta M-mount lenses, mainly Skopar 21/4, Summicron 28/2, Rokkor 28/2.8, Summicron 35/2 v4, Summicron 40/2, Summicron 50/2 v4, and Elmar-M 50/2.8. I will post a couple of snaps ASAP.

"The only digital RF when Leica said it was not possible..." is only part of what Leica was saying. "...with a 24x36mm format sensor and using the existing catalog of Leica full-frame lenses, at the quality level defined by a film M" was the rest of it. It took until the release of the M9 four or five years later for Leica to feel that the lenses were sufficiently well rendered by the latest technology to be happy about releasing a Leica M which met their requirements. The M8's "APS-H" sensor was always, to them, a stop-gap measure, a developmental test.

That's, at least, how I read the notes I received from Leica and persons close to their engineering and design department at the time. 🙂

G

 

[Out to Lunch]

Or would it be more appropriate to paraphrase Winston: you can always count on Leica to do the right thing -after they've tried everything else.

 

[LCT]

Fact is the R-D1 was the only digital RF available in 2004 when the M8 did not exist yet.

 

[LCT]

R-D1, Skopar 21/4