Do pro photogs use R-D1?
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payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
Paper and ink will probably always be around: they have too much going for them to be killed by silicon and plastic. But we see already that few photographers manage to live only by selling pictures to print publications.
If the desired end result is a photographic print or a digital image, then on the face of it any camera that can lead to that end may be used by a professional photographer. However, there are additional considerations. A professional needs quality and reliability, of course, and these days there are photo agencies which do not even consider images of less than 12 or 16 megapixels.
If the desired end result is a photographic print or a digital image, then on the face of it any camera that can lead to that end may be used by a professional photographer. However, there are additional considerations. A professional needs quality and reliability, of course, and these days there are photo agencies which do not even consider images of less than 12 or 16 megapixels.
emraphoto
Veteran
stock agencies. there are stock agencies that have megapixel requirements. shooting stock is a whole other ball game that differs quite a bit from being a photojournalist.
the industry has certainly "trimmed the fat" so to speak however that doesn't mean this leap to "there are no journalism jobs" is true. the avenues of distribution have changed and the market has become very, very competitive. it is a perfect time to present yourself as an alternative to the vast majority out there. shoot a holga if you want. i am telling you from first hand experience that carving out a niche or providing an alternative product will get a photo editors attention long before a gaggle of dlsrs and white lenses will.
the industry has certainly "trimmed the fat" so to speak however that doesn't mean this leap to "there are no journalism jobs" is true. the avenues of distribution have changed and the market has become very, very competitive. it is a perfect time to present yourself as an alternative to the vast majority out there. shoot a holga if you want. i am telling you from first hand experience that carving out a niche or providing an alternative product will get a photo editors attention long before a gaggle of dlsrs and white lenses will.
Philip Whiteman
Old hand returning to the fray
I am paid to write, and take pictures for a specialist aviation publication. In that sense, at least one aviation photographer uses an R-D1 professionally. However, I've never met another one!
Ezzie
E. D. Russell Roberts
Switching lenses is a pain most of the time, and certainly when you think you need something else, because then the moment will pass you by. I've no professional experience, but I'd be tempted to bring along at least two cameras, each fitted with lens suited to their fortes as campturing devices. In my case that would be the RD-1 with a widish lens and the D2X with a telezoom 55-200ish, the latter also capable of 8frames a sec, if needed.
swoop
Well-known
You can get by with the R-D1. The only trick is having the lenses that make up your preferred focal lengths.
But if battery power is as much an issue as everyone says. That will be an issue. So is reliability. I go out on assignment with a lone M8. My backup is a Panasonic DMC-LZ8. A $110 P&S. I've never had to use it. But I feel better knowing it's in the camera bag. Editors don't care what you use to take photos. They just want their photos.
I recently read about Tyler Hicks, a NYT staff photographer being on assignment in Afghanistan and falling into a river while running away from a firefight and losing all his equipment. The river swept away his gear bag. The writer he was working with had a P&S and lent it to Hicks. He submitted the images he took with it.
No one but the folks on fredmiranda care what camera you use. If you can get the shots your editor is looking for (no one mentions this. It never comes down to if you can take good pictures. It's always if you have the pictures the editors want), and have them be printable. Then you can use whatever camera you like.
www.ken-m.com
But if battery power is as much an issue as everyone says. That will be an issue. So is reliability. I go out on assignment with a lone M8. My backup is a Panasonic DMC-LZ8. A $110 P&S. I've never had to use it. But I feel better knowing it's in the camera bag. Editors don't care what you use to take photos. They just want their photos.
I recently read about Tyler Hicks, a NYT staff photographer being on assignment in Afghanistan and falling into a river while running away from a firefight and losing all his equipment. The river swept away his gear bag. The writer he was working with had a P&S and lent it to Hicks. He submitted the images he took with it.
No one but the folks on fredmiranda care what camera you use. If you can get the shots your editor is looking for (no one mentions this. It never comes down to if you can take good pictures. It's always if you have the pictures the editors want), and have them be printable. Then you can use whatever camera you like.
www.ken-m.com
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giellaleafapmu
Well-known
As I mentioned in another post I do know a guy who is a high level pro photographer (with publications in NatGeo, Life and whatever else can come to mind) and use film, M cameras and almost exclusively prime lenses, so it can be done however...the real question you should ask is whether this is the best choice for you.
The guy I know inside a room or at an event can take photographs with a Leica M much faster than I can with my best autofocus camera (and and I am not really slow, I have even been sort of pro for a time even thought I was in product photography). Could you?
He just estimate the light, focus very quickly and from there on he can go on at almost three frames per second just using two fingers. I suspect that this training was done at a time when this was almost the only option and he is now so good at it that newer and better technology does not give him any advantage.
GLF
The guy I know inside a room or at an event can take photographs with a Leica M much faster than I can with my best autofocus camera (and and I am not really slow, I have even been sort of pro for a time even thought I was in product photography). Could you?
He just estimate the light, focus very quickly and from there on he can go on at almost three frames per second just using two fingers. I suspect that this training was done at a time when this was almost the only option and he is now so good at it that newer and better technology does not give him any advantage.
GLF
Toomas_K
Newbie
Hello everybody,
I just registered to RFF because of this very interesting thread. I use R-D1 for professional needs (not a photojournalist, but selling pictures to various publications. You may call it "slow photography"). I like R-D1 and I may say that my best pictures were shot with it, using best lens of course (my bigger equipment is Nikon, Fuji S5). I would emphasise two drawbacks of R-D1 for my work:
- battery life;
- and most importantly data writing speed. You can not shoot 2-3 frames per second just because it gets stuck while writing files. Leica M6 is much better in this respect indeed (yes, I mean M6 not M9).
Toomas
I just registered to RFF because of this very interesting thread. I use R-D1 for professional needs (not a photojournalist, but selling pictures to various publications. You may call it "slow photography"). I like R-D1 and I may say that my best pictures were shot with it, using best lens of course (my bigger equipment is Nikon, Fuji S5). I would emphasise two drawbacks of R-D1 for my work:
- battery life;
- and most importantly data writing speed. You can not shoot 2-3 frames per second just because it gets stuck while writing files. Leica M6 is much better in this respect indeed (yes, I mean M6 not M9).
Toomas
anglophone1
Well-known
Hiya Toomas-about time too!
I've kept out of this, but my three bodies [as you know] seem pretty dependable so far, all I've replaced is the coverings with cameraleather griptac. .
In particular shot 3000 images with two of them in six days in Morocco, carrying two spare batteries for each [only usually swapping once] and recharging them overnight. I travel with six spares altogether and two chargers.
I rarely need to shoot more than three frames in fast succesion and in a way the buffer slows me down a bit , no bad thing really!
But now you really want an M9 don't you?
I think i do , but I'd need two .........loadsamoney!🙁
C
I've kept out of this, but my three bodies [as you know] seem pretty dependable so far, all I've replaced is the coverings with cameraleather griptac. .
In particular shot 3000 images with two of them in six days in Morocco, carrying two spare batteries for each [only usually swapping once] and recharging them overnight. I travel with six spares altogether and two chargers.
I rarely need to shoot more than three frames in fast succesion and in a way the buffer slows me down a bit , no bad thing really!
But now you really want an M9 don't you?
I think i do , but I'd need two .........loadsamoney!🙁
C
Toomas_K
Newbie
Hi Clive,
Toomas
Mmmm... no. I'll go for M8.2. The only (I hope) thing to miss will be the mechanical cock.
Toomas
anglophone1
Well-known
I've thought about this thread for a bit, is this all about durability of RD 1 or is it really just RF vs SLR talk, so lets look at each?
The RF vs SLR part really is all about the way you work and your style of shooting.
Lots of pros and cons here,but like most I have found a way to work that suits me and has helped me develop a certain style.
It's RF based, predominantly becaause I like to see "outside" the frame and I rarely use anything longer than 50mm [in 35mm terms] I also dislike zooms, preferring to use 2 bodies with different focal lengths [28mm and 40mm for 35mm] and my feet.
I won't work from a bag, I use a small vest, more discreet, although being a "big guy" I think I am not really that invisible IMHO!
Prior to digital this boiled down to using two M bodies+5 lenses, and an xpan + three lenses for the pano/landscape part of what I do.
Enter RD 1 and I switched to 2 RD1 bodies with the same five lenses but using 21 and 28 as the normal pair. Still have the xpan etc. for the "other stuff"
ALL this kit plus a vivitar flash , a small slave flash,gels, cables , chargers x2, batteries [5 spare], cards [8 spare 2gig] gossen meter , filters for xpan travel in a Billingham Hadley, try that with 2 DSLR and similar kit!
So OK for convenience too..........
On to durability.
I now have three RD 1 bodies [ all bought here on RFF total cost less than 1 M8 when it appeared] , the most used with around 12k actuations, one at around 7k and one around 3k. All fine so far!
Most intensive trip this year :
3 days in Spain shooting Easter Proceesions, then cross to Morocco for 5 days to do another story on "timeless Morocco"
Total digital shoot Spain 1200 images,see:
http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/clive_evans/gallery/Semana-Santa/G0000SVFaFL7yi3c/
use slideshow>full screen for best results
Total digital shoot Morocco 2500 images plus 8 rolls of velvia [xpan] and 3roll velvia 35mm full frame 12mm , lensbaby, fisheye etc. see:
http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/clive_evans/gallery/Timeless-Morocco-in-5-Days/G0000nBoyLGslCoI/
use slideshow>full screen for best results
So around 4-500 RD1 images per day , yes, get through batteries, but always have two spare for each body ,charge 2 overnight and 2 during day. Still quicker than changing film!
Image quality speaks for itself , in the Morocco story there are both cropped and xpan panos, can you see the difference? [You can at A2 but how often is that used professionally]
So can you use RD1 professionally?
I'd say emphatically YES.
Clive
The RF vs SLR part really is all about the way you work and your style of shooting.
Lots of pros and cons here,but like most I have found a way to work that suits me and has helped me develop a certain style.
It's RF based, predominantly becaause I like to see "outside" the frame and I rarely use anything longer than 50mm [in 35mm terms] I also dislike zooms, preferring to use 2 bodies with different focal lengths [28mm and 40mm for 35mm] and my feet.
I won't work from a bag, I use a small vest, more discreet, although being a "big guy" I think I am not really that invisible IMHO!
Prior to digital this boiled down to using two M bodies+5 lenses, and an xpan + three lenses for the pano/landscape part of what I do.
Enter RD 1 and I switched to 2 RD1 bodies with the same five lenses but using 21 and 28 as the normal pair. Still have the xpan etc. for the "other stuff"
ALL this kit plus a vivitar flash , a small slave flash,gels, cables , chargers x2, batteries [5 spare], cards [8 spare 2gig] gossen meter , filters for xpan travel in a Billingham Hadley, try that with 2 DSLR and similar kit!
So OK for convenience too..........
On to durability.
I now have three RD 1 bodies [ all bought here on RFF total cost less than 1 M8 when it appeared] , the most used with around 12k actuations, one at around 7k and one around 3k. All fine so far!
Most intensive trip this year :
3 days in Spain shooting Easter Proceesions, then cross to Morocco for 5 days to do another story on "timeless Morocco"
Total digital shoot Spain 1200 images,see:
http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/clive_evans/gallery/Semana-Santa/G0000SVFaFL7yi3c/
use slideshow>full screen for best results
Total digital shoot Morocco 2500 images plus 8 rolls of velvia [xpan] and 3roll velvia 35mm full frame 12mm , lensbaby, fisheye etc. see:
http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/clive_evans/gallery/Timeless-Morocco-in-5-Days/G0000nBoyLGslCoI/
use slideshow>full screen for best results
So around 4-500 RD1 images per day , yes, get through batteries, but always have two spare for each body ,charge 2 overnight and 2 during day. Still quicker than changing film!
Image quality speaks for itself , in the Morocco story there are both cropped and xpan panos, can you see the difference? [You can at A2 but how often is that used professionally]
So can you use RD1 professionally?
I'd say emphatically YES.
Clive
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jvr
Well-known
I'm no pro (although I shoot plenty) and my only problem with (my copy of) the RD-1s is that RF will get out of alignment with some "rough" treatment (bangs, etc). Never felt that with the M3 or the M8. I think that may be a problem when travelling a lot (but if I were a pro, I owuld have at least a couple of Epsons, just in case). Maybe my particular Epson is a bit "frail"... 🙂
Other than that, I still love (and use) my Epson. Last year I spent 4 days in NY shooting furiosly and the Epson / Xpan II combo worked so great!!! Funny to see you use the same combination, as a pro! 🙂
I have to say that (apart from the RF instability problem) I find my Epson more "reliable" than my M8 in terms of "keepers". My best pictures with the M8 may be better than my best with the Epson, but the "averege" is better with the Epson. And I'm not talking pixels, sharpness, noise, or color. I'm talking "photos". After 5 minutes, I forget about the Epson (something I always felt with the M3) and focus on pictures. With the M8, I can't seem to get into that mood so easily (and part of the problem is the shutter button - atrocious - plus the shutter noise - loud and clunky).
So... If I were a pro (and leaving aside picture quality considerations), and as much as I love my Epson, I have to confess I would have concerns about reliablity of the RF system, when subject to some "rough" handling (which will always occur when you carry a camera everytime for days).
Ok, I could always learn to adjust the RF by myself... 🙂
DGA
Well-known
Hi Clive,
You have excellent shots from these two projects.
Several months went by and I, meanwhile, settled on an M6TTL 0.72, which I love.
Then, Leica came out with the M9 and totally blew me away 😱
I will, eventually, have $7K.
I know, I'm working on it 😀
Thank you for your professional point of view.
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