1D MK II Stolen. Is Epson R-D1s the answer?

[gfdal]

Dear all
sad story. My 1D Mark II was stolen this week end. I'm really upset.

I do not know if I should replace it, go for a 5D, or sel all my Canon lenses and buy a RD1 to accomodate my Leica Lens and forget about the Canon gear.

Honnestly, I would love to go for this last solution.
But the few R-D1 pics I have seen so far didn't convince me at all.

Can I ask some of you, owners of R-D1(s?) to send me some pics (full size) from your camera? I don't care about the "artistic" side of the picture. I'm just worried about the technical quality at this stage. Sharpness bing the main factor for the time being.

By the way, I know many will "offer" the third alternative, which is to wait for the Leica Digital M. I can wait, but not too long.... So anybody can give a me a date for this one ? 😛

Thanks in advance for your help.

Alain

 

[Andy K]

If you do a site search (thread titles only) for 'RD-1' you will find more than enough information on the Epson. Ibncluding all the stories of people whose Epsons went wrong, had to be returned etc.

 

[jaapv]

Wait till November until the digital M8 hits the market. Buy a used 300D to tide you over. Find the thief, damage him slightly and reposess your DSLR, then sell it in November and buy the digital M8. BTW, RD1 owners report highly satisfactory results, preferring them over the 20D and even the 5D.

 

[RML]

Isn't sharpness mostly a character of the lens used? And what good would it do if I'd send you photos taken with my J-8 handheld at 1/4 sec?

I have a ton of photos on _my photo portfolio blog_ taken with the R-D1. Just tell me which ones you want to see as a TIF file and I'll send it to you.

 

[Phil_Hawkes]

Dear all
sad story. My 1D Mark II was stolen this week end. I'm really upset.

I do not know if I should replace it, go for a 5D, or sel all my Canon lenses and buy a RD1 to accomodate my Leica Lens and forget about the Canon gear.

Honnestly, I would love to go for this last solution.
But the few R-D1 pics I have seen so far didn't convince me at all.

Can I ask some of you, owners of R-D1(s?) to send me some pics (full size) from your camera? I don't care about the "artistic" side of the picture. I'm just worried about the technical quality at this stage. Sharpness bing the main factor for the time being.

Hi Alain,

In what situations do you plan to use your future camera-to-be?

If you can give some example situations, I can see if I have example photos I can send.

Phil

P.S. Alain: if you are interested, here is a bit of a summary of my experience with teh R-D1. I have two R-D1's. I think the framelines are crooked, but I live with it. I have to re-calibrate the rangefinder mechanisms occasionally, but (for me) that adds to the feeling of intimacy and connection with the camera. It is a camera with which I feel complete control, and at the same time completeley responsible for the missed photos 🙂 When photographing people in available light, using this camera can be astounding. You will amaze everyone with the photos you can get. If you do much available-light people photography, then I think the R-D1 will pay for itself (in terms of how much you use it) within a year. The R-D1 is good for other types of photography too: but this is where I love using the R-D1.

 

[ian_watts]

These kind of choices are a very personal thing and depend greatly upon the way you use your cameras. Personally speaking, the RD-1 (or a Leica M - digital or film) would not be a reasonable replacement for my Canon DSLR system. The latter only consists of a body plus two lenses but I use it for such specific purposes that a rangefinder alternative would be most unsuitable. If you just want something to carry around for personal use and travel snaps, etc., the RD-1 is a reasonable option but (for what it's worth) I personally went back to my film Leica M bodies (after a period of around eight months with an RD-1) for that kind of stuff. As far as basic image quality goes this is also a very personal thing and depends upon your typical print size and/or other usage. For me, I found the RD-1 a disappointment but possibly no more so than I have also found DSLRs like the Canon 20D a bit of a disappointment. I have no experience of the 1D Mk II so have no comments in that respect but I would say (as a kind of personal benchmark) that the Canon 5D is a big step up in basic image quality and the RD-1 compares rather unfavourably with that particular camera.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Difficult question. Sort of like, my Hummer was stolen, should I replace it with a Miyata? I don't mean to imply that I don't take the question seriously -- and I do see that you are trying to focus just on sensor resolution as a way of narrowing the question. I suppose one way of beginning to answer your question is to ask at what size you want to present images? I have one RAW image in particular in mind taken with a 35 Asph that I could e-mail you if you provide an e-mail address. Mine is benmarks2003_AT_YAHOO_DOT_COM. BTW I own the RD-1 and the 5D and find that their capabilities compliment one another nicely. 5D definitely has the edge in resolution, but at the sizes I print (11x17 paper max) it hardly makes a real world difference.

 

[gfdal]

Which kind of photo I want to use the Epson for? Well, to replace my 1D MK II I need the R-D1 to shoot 8.5 frames per second, and mount a 70 200 f2.8 IS zoom, sure ! 😀

Now, on a more serious note.

I knew I will get some kind of sarcasm, since it seems impossible to compare a 1D MK II, a 5D an the Epson. And again, my goal is NOT to compare.

I need a digital camera. Until now, Canon was my obvious choice since I owned Canon for 20 years, and had lenses to reuse.
For some years now, I have 're' discovered film, and rangefinder photography. As you can see from mi signature, I have quite some equipment. GAS, really.

I'm not a sport photographer, and the choice of the 1D MK II was MAINLY dictated by the crop factor when I bought it. I hated my 10D for its 1.6, and since the 1DS was out of budget scope, I finally decided for the 1.3 of the 1D MK II. It is a very nice camera, but I don't really need the 8.5 f/s.

As you can read, I need a wide angle, therefore my temptation for the 5D, full frame. By the way, the my 17-40 was mounted on the 1D MK II when it disappeared, so good bye wide lens as well. I'm left with my 24-70 2.8 / 50 1.4 and 70-200 L IS.

But again, the R-D1s is a "special" camera to my eyes.

To summarize: my brain says "5D", my heart says "R-D1" and my wife says "Why the hell did you let it disappear !"

Oh, and as for print. I typically stop at A3 size. And again, quite rare.

RML, if you can send me the pic of your girl, named EPSN0354b, in large jpeg, appreciated.

Benjamin, thanks for your offer. my email:

alain_at_lafourcade_dot_net

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Alain: I will send a picture this evening (US - east coast) when I am home.

 

[RML]

Alain, the file is on its way to you. It's 2.3 MB large, though.

 

[jaapv]

As for WideAngle, there might be three considerations. 1. The Leica will have a 1.33 crop factor as opposed to the Epson's 1.5. 2.The newer sensor technology will be more WA-friendly on the Leica,making for less vignetting and better edge performance. 3.Leica will be introducing dedicated WA lenses as a package with the M8, so it might be a good idea to wait with buying new lenses.

 

[iUser]

I love my R-D1 but it can't hold a candle to my 350d and some L glass.

 

[rvaubel]

I love my R-D1 but I could only be one camera I would pick the 5D. Even though I rarely use my Canon, there are some things the Epson just can't do. But within the Epson's range, I prefer the results over my 20D.
Rex

 

[jaapv]

I love my R-D1 but it can't hold a candle to my 350d and some L glass.

This is interesting; it is totally opposed to what other RD1 owners say. Could you elaborate?

 

[RML]

For wide angle, check out the Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 15/2.8 ZM.

 

[rvaubel]

This is interesting; it is totally opposed to what other RD1 owners say. Could you elaborate?

I actually like the files I get from the R-D1 better than the 20D. That flys in the face of 8MB vs. 6MB resolution wise, but I'm hard pressed to see it. Perhaps the glass DOES make a difference but I've sort of been an agnostic when it comes to the "Leica glow". Whatever it is, I still like the look of the R-D1 over the Canon.
That being said, still an SLR is still more versatile. Sorry, my dear ms R-D1, if I can take only one girl to the ball, it would have to be ms. Canon.
I hate myself for saying that.

Rex

 

[sreidvt]

That's a interesting dilemma. I own both a 5D and two R-D1s and often have all three hanging on my body during a shoot. The 5D draws more like medium format and the R-D1 draws like 35mm. I prefer the R-D1s to any camera I've owned but the 5D is indeed very capable. Have you read my reviews of both?

Cheers,

Sean Reid

 

[andyturk]

I currently have both cameras. Knowing what it's like to shoot with a 1DMkII, I think you'd be unhappy with the Epson as your only camera.

Several times I've thought about selling my Canon gear (including a smallish collection of L glass), but every time I pick it up to go shoot, I decide to keep it. The 1D has outstanding ergonomics once you get used to it. Plus, it's a vastly better camera for shooting events where your subjects are moving constantly and being able to zoom without using your feet is key.

As far as image quality is concerned, the Canon with L glass yields excellent results with a little bit of tweaking. The Epson does well in most situations and occasionally yields stunning images despite the smaller sensor. However, the ability to crop an Epson image is limited. There aren't that many extra bits.

Why not try to find a used 1DMkII in good condition?

 

[RML]

I like this balanced discussion! 🙂

 

[Robert RD-1]

It's all about the Lens...

It's all about the Lens...

Sorry to hear about the theft. The images that I have captured with my RD-1 and Summicron-M 1:2/50 are superior to anything that I have ever captured with my 20D and L glass. I am so impressed with the Leitz glass that I have started collecting it. I wish that I had purchased the RD-1 sooner. The best canon and nikon glass can't compare to the contrast and sharpness of the Leitz glass in my opinion, not to mention that the images have a certain 3D quality to them that seems to come naturally. In low light you will be surprised what kind of detail you can get with your RD-1 with the right glass. I love rangefinders and I recommend the RD-1 highly. Good luck with your final decision.

Robert