Epson RD-1 or a Leica M6 TTL..???

RIVI1969

RIVI1969

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Hello...

I been using my Nikon D70 extensively and I am very happy with the results, fortunately I got a freelance job and pay itself very quickly. I love the picture quality but I miss the feel of the mechanical cameras like my beloved F3 I had to sold in order to get the D70...

I been tempted by a Leica M6 but being realistic how many more years film will be available on a regular basis? 5 years maybe? the camera for sure will outlast the availability of film that is why I think in the Epson RD-1 instead. I want a camera for the years to come, forget about tendencies and forget about the mythical Leica digital M that even if someday exists, I won't be able to pay 5-7K for it.

I wonder if you guys can give me your thoughts about the Epson camera... Right now I can find one new for 2000 dlls... is it worthy? I also saw a new Leica Digilux 2 for 1850 dlls... can the Leica compete in image quality with the Epson? what do you think? Does the Leica feels "analog enough"?

Thank you very much!
Ricardo
 
Whether or not film last 5 or 50 years, do you really have the time to spend on scanning? Using the R-D1 will save you much time and trouble (you already know that advantage of digital). The R-D1 is definitely worth shooting as a pro; ask JLW or Sean Reid for instance.
 
The RD-1 is a great camera and is now priced very reasonably for what it is. The M6 is a great camera also. Bottom line is do you want to shoot film? If the answer to that is no, then the next question is do you want to work with a rangefinder? If the answer to that is yes, then, currently, the RD-1 is your only option. The Leica digilux 2 has a lot supporters, but it is fixed (zoom) lens, small sensor, electronic viewfinder and not great high iso performance. The RD-1 is a totally different beast.
 
Epson makes cameras now, so you can buy from Epson. We all have to start somewhere sometime.
 
Andy K said:
I would choose the camera made by a camera maker.
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Most of the RD-1 is actually made by Cosina.

If you really want digital go for the RD-1 it is a very good camera, if you are happy with film get the Leica, is better built and probably will hold its value better (I say probably because I can't foresee how much the very first digital rangefinder will fetch from collectors in 20 years time)

Don't worry too much about film availability, it will be reduced in the future but won't disappear altogether.

Or you culd do like me, get the RD-1 and an old M4-P so you can choose what suits your needs every time.
 
I went through many of the same issues as you, and recently bought an RD1. It is a great camera. I considered the Zeiss Ikon, but frankly am sick of scanning film. I realize that there were alot of QA issues, and perhaps I'm being overly enthusiastic, but I do believe Epson has a handle on them at this point. My camera, "knock on wood", has thus far worked perfectly with the exception of the shutter push issue, which will be resolved with the June firmware download. I usually have buyer's remorse, but have none with this camera. It does exactly what it is designed for, and thus far for me, does it extremely well.
 
Ricardo,

My long-term review of the R-D1 might help you to know if the camera is right for you. See details in the first sticky post on this forum.

Cheers,

Sean
 
Ricardo: I am a fine one to talk as I have both kinds of camera. I would think about workflow issues, data back-up/film storage issues and the quality of the output (and destination for output) to see what's the best fit for you. Are you shooting color or B&W? Are you experienced with Photoshop or some other imaging software? Do you own a darkroom or plan on getting machine prints from the local 1-hour photo?

Another way to think about it is this: if you are right about film disappearing in 5-10 years (and I am not sure that you are), then you only have that time period to experience film photography with a Leica M. They are wonderful machines.

I have no reservations about the RD-1 and enjoy using it a lot. In fact, Sean's review that he mentions above was instrumental to my decision to purchase one.

Let us know what you decide!

Ben
 
I cannot know the future with certainty, but I can say that I think that film will never disappear, much less within the next 5 years. It really depends on what you want to do. I think that for strictly commercial stuff, digital is good, but film will always be considered more of an"art" in my opinion. If you photography merely for the joy of doing it, as an end it itself, then there's nothing more incredible than a Leica loaded with black and white film.
 
I've been toying with the idea of buying an M7 -- but that means I've also got to toy with the idea of buying a $2000 film scanner (why have Leica lenses and a poor scanner?) and *that* certainly won't last as long as the M7, so I might over the long run have to consider that I'd be buying even more film scanners...so I am hesitating. My thought this morning is to keep shooting the R-D1 and wait until the digital-M comes out. I also bought the R-D1 after reading Sean's review.

JC
 
Sean, before I read your post here I printed in my office an extensive and very interesting review I found on the net of the RD-1 including one review for the lenses... Now I realized it was yours! Cheers! Ricardo
 
The only serious issue I have with the R-D1 is the lack of fast wide lenses. The longer I own the camera, the more it pisses me off.

However, I personally will not be owning a film camera again. I just can't deal with scanning or darkroom work.

So it's the R-D1 or nothing for me. And nothing at this point would be an EOS 5d and some fast primes. But that is sure a lot larger of a package to carry around than the small R-D1 and it's little lenses.
 
jshelly said:
Where?

....................................
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Robert White in the UK 1150 GBP excluding VAT which you won't have to pay if you are not in the EU.
 
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