First DRFF M8 VS R-d1

no youre about right, but there is really no need for an approximately 34mm external vf because as has been said several times already, the full vf view on the rd1 is about 35mm.
 
orendanger said:
can L39 screw mount be used with an adapter?
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Yes. No restrictions. And the nice thing is, you can use any adapter (on the R-D1), because framelines are not automatic, but selected via a lever. For M8 you should choose the correct one, that matches the focal length of your lens.
 
I think $700 for an R-D1 is too cheap, desperation price? I'm putting mine up for sale soon (Need to pay moving fees) but intend to buy another one as soon as I have enough money to replace it again (Plentiful in Japan)

The R-D1 is a fantastic camera. I have used M8's before and prefer the viewfinder of the R-D1 (1:1 magnification).

If you like shooting with fast 50mm lenses you can attach a Nikon magnifying piece to the eye-cup and it magnifies the patch so much that you can nail focus every time with a very fast lens like F0.95/F1.1. You'll never miss focus when you use the magnifier. I use the magnifier all the time with my Jupiter 3 F1.5's and get pinpoint accuracy even when it's in a dark bar/night time.

If you like shooting with 35's on film, I would suggest using a 21 or 28mm lens.

A really cool benefit of the 1.5 crop sensor is that you can use half-frame lenses on the R-D1 and the photos will look fine. Here's one from a 28mm half frame Industar-69 lens.
morning by James Burke, on Flickr

The only drawbacks of the R-D1:
1) Battery life (Treat it like you're shooting a film camera - you might get 50-100 shots per battery. If you go shooting all day and use the viewfinder a lot, bring around 2 - 4 batteries. The upside is batteries are only like $5 each on fleabay)
2) Low MP sensor, but this has never been a problem for me. Most people upload their photos to the net at far lower resolutions than the original RAW, and besides that 6MP is good enough for an A4 print or even a 2 page spread if the photograph was of good quality to begin with.

Support is not an issue, many camera centers will still take it for repairs and the parts are mostly the same as the Cosina Bessa cameras so there are plenty of spare parts to be had as well.

Agree with others that the R-D1's high ISO capabilities are FAR better than the M8. Shooting at night with the M8 is an exercise in frustration. You can go up to 3200 with the R-D1 by setting 2stops of underexposure while shooting at 1600. It looks like film grain, and all the tonality is still there.

My favorite digital camera for sure. If I had the money I might get an M9 / M whatever, but you can buy a car for what those things cost, no thanks.
 
orendanger said:
first i want to thank everyone for replaying!
What are industar? LTM lens? coupled?
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Industar are old russian (FSU) lenses. Some of them come with LTM screw mount (RF coupled) for the old LTM Leica and Leica copies. IMHO most of them are not very good. If your budget allows it, take Voigtländer lenses. Many of them are not expensive and don't need to fear comparison to Leica lenses.
 
Hello orendanger,
For what that's worth, I have had an M8 but sold it rapidly, and instead got two R-D1x.
The image out of the camera is of better finish with the R-D1 than with the M8, the results are more consistent, the exposure is less variable and more predictable. The B&W of the Epson has a great and natural look, the M8 files on the other hand look undeniably and immediately digital, more than sometimes showing the inexperience of Leica in terms of image processing, at the time when they issued the M8. The M8 can truly deliver excellent pictures, but not more than the R-D1, or just marginally. In terms of pixels count, the M8 has got 1.3 times more pixels on each axis, which I consider not a significant difference for a rangefinder camera (and the style of photography associated with).
 
here here! and that excellent description does not at all deal with the excellent rd1 user experience differences: 1:1 viewfinder, a single ste of framelines in the vf, no coding, no IR filters for lenses, no focus or color shift.
 
You can't go wrong with the Epson. This said, don't buy a beater but get a minty one. There are a lot of these available in Japan but you'll need a little help in finding the right one.
 
I had both at one time. I loved the feel of the M8. I loved the images of the R-D1. In the end I kept the R-D1 for much longer because I loved the images. The cool shutter noise and the nice feel of the M8 body was not enough for me, lovely as it was. And I really liked the feel of the R-D1, just not as much as the M8. The R-D1 images were magical for me. Had it on a trip to Japan and really had fun with it. Might get another one!
 
Picked up my first Epson from Doug(psst, that guy ↑ lol), my second from Joe so I'm good if the first one kicks the bucket. If/when that happens I'll pick up a back up for the back up. :D
 
Just got another R-D1!

Frankly, I've been kinda bored with my photography lately, at least on the digital side. I think I'd probably enjoy an iPhone the best because of it's ease of workflow, the ability to sort, tweak and upload with (relative ease). DSLRS and the m43 GM5 I have been using are capable (very) but also kinda boring and the workflow is just cumbersome. They don't feel great in the hand and they don't "feel" like photography to me.

I have a converted Polaroid 110b with a 4x5 back and I've been shooting that with fuji pack film most of the summer (#summerofpolaroid) and I've really enjoyed analog (but instant) photography again. That's a keeper. It's so nice to have a physical print. Earlier this year I did some photo file organizing on my computer and I had about 50,000 images and printed about 50 of them in the ten-year span I shot them. Pathetic.

I think the "new" R-D1 will help me enjoy my photography a little more because it feels so analog and kinda transparent. There isn't much to it.

I got a nice deal. $1100 for the body (about 4000 clicks reportedly) WITH a "voigtlander" 28mm lens. Ebay! It wasn't a voightlander lens:
 

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Yeah, right? I couldn't really believe it at first. The seller was brand new. I contacted them to confirm that what was in the photos was accurate. I paid with a credit card through paypal for extra protection. I got the kit today and indeed it was. holy cow.
 
Thank you all! i bought the Epson in the end will get it soon! also i got from a contact an industar 50 2.8 and the industar 69! is there anything other than a mount adapter i need for them? also any recommendation for a 35 mm lens?
 
An adapter is all you need. Since the R-D1 has a frameline-selector it even doesn't really matter, what adapter you have.

35mm: I recommend a Voigtländer Color Skopar, any version will do. Very good lenses!
 
THAnk you all again! i finally have it and am loving it! already thought of things to do to make it my own! even if the notice of voigtlander stoping the bessa kinda bummed me out..
 
Try a some other lenses for example (if all others are fine on the Epson, it is probably the lens...), or find someone with a Leica M240, which has live-view, that is very helpful to check focus of a lens. - Only with the camera and the lens alone, it is hard to say, which one is off.

If it is the camera, it is not a big deal. The Epson can easily be adjusted.
 
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