loretdem
Established
Exactly two weeks after FedExing my R-D1 to Epson Indiana, I received a package from Epson containing my brand new replacement camera. My old serial number was 453X and my new replacement's serial number is 468X. Very close in vintage. Since my camera had been replaced I worried that all that I accomplished was trading in one with minor problems for another with unknown problems.
The replacement camera is damn near perfect. Frame lines are square. Focusing patch is also square (very surprising!). Also amazing is no dead/hot pixels even at 1600 JPEG! Rangefinder focusing is so accurate that even my 90mm Elmarit is sharp wide open at f2.8, something impossible with my original R-D1 even when it was brand new. All six of my lenses work perfectly. None of the above was true of my original camera that this one replaced. Not only do I feel extremely lucky but I have to tell you that if you have an R-D1 that is just right it is amazing! I had to shoot a portrait for the cover of a local magazine and decided to use this new R-D1 with the 90 Elmarit and a 50 Summicron. I shot available light and wirelessly with studio strobes, color and b&w. I never needed to break out my backup equipment. The results were superb and the session felt great. Shooting digitally with a rangefinder camera and Leica glass is like nothing else. You can keep your 5D, D200, 1DS, D2X, whatever. No thanks, not for me. This camera/lens combination suits me just fine.
Obviously I'm happy but I think this is a good time to sum up where we're at with this Epson situation based on my experience and of others who have shared theirs on this forum and elsewhere:
-Currently Epson is replacing in-warranty R-D1's in a 2-week timeframe. According to their own Second Level Department there is no post-warranty service program in place at this time. Or they are simply not aware of it. Based on my experience the various corporate service departments Epson has in California, Canada and Indiana do not necessarily know what they are each up to. It seems that the R-D1 project does not merit a comprehensive corporate policy regarding service. Unfortunate.
-It could be that the latest batch of replacements are better than the previous ones although there is no info to back this up. Regardless if your R-D1 is approaching the end of its warranty you might want to take advantage of Epson's only choice for you which is replacement. Of course your experience may not even come close to mine, so this would still be something of a gamble.
-As of early 2006 it is not possible to have an R-D1 serviced or even CLA'd in the United States. This state of affairs is completely unacceptable and we must demand that Epson rectifies it as soon as possible. It seems to me that worldwide sales of this camera have been so low (probably less than 4000) that some higher-up decided it would be economically advantageous to just replace cameras instead of servicing them since they've committed with Cosina to produce 10000 of them. That's just a wild opinion but nevertheless we really need to make some noise so that Epson USA knows that we're serious about this inexcusable situation. Do we need a lawyer?
-I can't see how one can recommend this camera to anyone even though I think it is the greatest digital camera available today. It is too much of an expensive gamble what with Epson's lack of adequate support. They would have to provide independent service centers with parts availability and manuals (like they do in their printer business) and they ought to cut the price to under US$2000 soon. If you can afford to take a chance on this camera as the situation stands today then that's great. Otherwise I'd have to give the R-D1 a thumbs down because of Epson's poor marketing and service policies. That's so tragic given it's such a great camera. I'm lucky I have a good one for now and I'll use it professionally and otherwise until I cannot anymore. Hopefully that will be for a long time. At least until Leica delivers its digital M.
-Carlos Loret de Mola
The replacement camera is damn near perfect. Frame lines are square. Focusing patch is also square (very surprising!). Also amazing is no dead/hot pixels even at 1600 JPEG! Rangefinder focusing is so accurate that even my 90mm Elmarit is sharp wide open at f2.8, something impossible with my original R-D1 even when it was brand new. All six of my lenses work perfectly. None of the above was true of my original camera that this one replaced. Not only do I feel extremely lucky but I have to tell you that if you have an R-D1 that is just right it is amazing! I had to shoot a portrait for the cover of a local magazine and decided to use this new R-D1 with the 90 Elmarit and a 50 Summicron. I shot available light and wirelessly with studio strobes, color and b&w. I never needed to break out my backup equipment. The results were superb and the session felt great. Shooting digitally with a rangefinder camera and Leica glass is like nothing else. You can keep your 5D, D200, 1DS, D2X, whatever. No thanks, not for me. This camera/lens combination suits me just fine.
Obviously I'm happy but I think this is a good time to sum up where we're at with this Epson situation based on my experience and of others who have shared theirs on this forum and elsewhere:
-Currently Epson is replacing in-warranty R-D1's in a 2-week timeframe. According to their own Second Level Department there is no post-warranty service program in place at this time. Or they are simply not aware of it. Based on my experience the various corporate service departments Epson has in California, Canada and Indiana do not necessarily know what they are each up to. It seems that the R-D1 project does not merit a comprehensive corporate policy regarding service. Unfortunate.
-It could be that the latest batch of replacements are better than the previous ones although there is no info to back this up. Regardless if your R-D1 is approaching the end of its warranty you might want to take advantage of Epson's only choice for you which is replacement. Of course your experience may not even come close to mine, so this would still be something of a gamble.
-As of early 2006 it is not possible to have an R-D1 serviced or even CLA'd in the United States. This state of affairs is completely unacceptable and we must demand that Epson rectifies it as soon as possible. It seems to me that worldwide sales of this camera have been so low (probably less than 4000) that some higher-up decided it would be economically advantageous to just replace cameras instead of servicing them since they've committed with Cosina to produce 10000 of them. That's just a wild opinion but nevertheless we really need to make some noise so that Epson USA knows that we're serious about this inexcusable situation. Do we need a lawyer?
-I can't see how one can recommend this camera to anyone even though I think it is the greatest digital camera available today. It is too much of an expensive gamble what with Epson's lack of adequate support. They would have to provide independent service centers with parts availability and manuals (like they do in their printer business) and they ought to cut the price to under US$2000 soon. If you can afford to take a chance on this camera as the situation stands today then that's great. Otherwise I'd have to give the R-D1 a thumbs down because of Epson's poor marketing and service policies. That's so tragic given it's such a great camera. I'm lucky I have a good one for now and I'll use it professionally and otherwise until I cannot anymore. Hopefully that will be for a long time. At least until Leica delivers its digital M.
-Carlos Loret de Mola
