Help for RD-1 Newbie

[kkdanamatt]

Today, I just got my first digicam (a real one), an RD-1 from a fellow RFF'r. Now help me with the lens(es). I shoot mostly with a 28mm and Tri-X, so I would need an 18mm lens on the RD-1. Well, that's almost impossible, so the 21mm is next. OK, the Leica 21's are too expensive...that leaves the C/V and the Zeiss. The 2.8 f/stop on the Biogon is tempting, or should I save the money and just raise the ISO in low light and get the C/V 21? I shoot mostly at f/4 to f/8 anyway. Is the Zeiss 21/2.8 that much better than the C/V 21 or just faster? Or, should I consider getting the C/V 15 instead and cropping a bit to get the 28mm FOV?

I wear glasses and I noticed that I can’t see the entire VF in the RD-1. Is there an eyepiece attachment that minifies the view, enabling eyeglass wearers to see the full frame? Also, if so, can you cheat and see the 28mm FOV with the minifier without using an accessory finder? I’d rather not use an auxiliary viewfinder if possible.

As you can tell, I’m a bit unsure of how to proceed with the RD-1, so your advice is important in making my decisions. All I’m trying to do is get equal results from the RD-1 that I now get from my Contax G-1, 28/2.8 Biogon, and Tri-X. Am I asking too much?

 

[gilpen123]

You can buy the 1.4 megaperl from Japan Exposure. It helps me a lot but with 28 and wider you can't see the framlines anymore.

 

[jonmanjiro]

The CV 15/4.5 works well on the R-D1. That's the lens I'd get.

 

[back alley]

15, 35 and 50 if you want a basic 3 lens kit.
start with the 15 if you can handle a nice wide 24 fov on the rd1, especially if you shoot street.
add a 28 if and when...

if it were a 2 lens kit, then 15 and fast 40 and you're laughing.

imho

 

[Rob-F]

The CV 15/4.5 works well on the R-D1. That's the lens I'd get.

Well, the 15 will give a 22.5mm equivalent FOV. That might be a bit wide for a photographer who is accustomed to shooting with a 28mm and wants to match that experience with a digital camera. I think the 21mm, with its 31.5mm eq., would be better from that viewpoint. It would probably require getting the special finder, though, that covers that field on the R-D1.

The need to fuss over focal length and finder issues has kept me away from the R-D1. I can put any focal length I want on my D-300 and it's ready to go.

 

[kkdanamatt]

Not a magnifier....I need a minifier

Not a magnifier....I need a minifier

You can buy the 1.4 megaperl from Japan Exposure. It helps me a lot but with 28 and wider you can't see the framlines anymore.

That's the exact opposite of what I need. I want to be able to see more, not less; smaller, not larger.

Anybody know about a minifier for the RD-1 finder eyepiece?

I like the idea of the 15mm because it's fairly priced and small. Now if I can get away without having to use an accessory finder I'd be as happy as a pig in ....

 

[Ezzie]

For anything wider than 25/28mm you need a hotshoe mounted accessory finder. CV make these (or made) for many of their lenses. Their 12, 15. 21 and 25mm lenses all even had Epson versions corrected for the crop factor.

Look here for more info: http://www.richcutler.co.uk/r-d1/r-d1_04a.htm

 

[back alley]

i use the 15 alot and only use the finder a little. there is the lcd screen for checking what you caught and after some practice you 'know' what's covered by the lens.

i found the 21 an awkward length on the rd1, for me.

 

[umcelinho]

As someone that also wears glasses, I too find the 28mm framelines near impossible to see. The 35mm lines are just fine (though it's a bit annoying to not have the bottom line...). I've looked for de-magnifiers also, but haven't really found any good option. I think a hotshoe finder would have to be the best option for wider lenses.

I've used the CV 15mm in my R-D1 for a while, but I didn't quite like the results, it has a strong vignetting tending more to the right side. If stopped down, though, it can improve. I find the CV 12mm much superior in that sense, it became THE wide angle lens for me to use with the R-D1. It's much wider than what you are used too, though.

I've bought (but returned) a CV 21mm, tried it and didn't quite like it, but there was no significant vignetting @ f4. It's just that I like wider. But its VF has brightlines, huge improvement from the 12 & 15 ones (it's easy to misframe with those). By the way, don't worry about the special VFs for the R-D1: they're harder to find and thus can be more expensive. If you get the 15mm lens, get a 21mm VF and it'll be accurate enough. And so on. Or just use the 15mm VF, with glasses and looking not so close you can 'simulate' the crop factor and save $ 😉 works for me, at least.

a fast 35 or 40 can be a very useful addition to the R-D1, with iso1600 (make sure you update the firmware, it improves quite a lot the iso1600 quality) and a f1.4 lens you get an awesome low light camera, it's fantastic. Still, I've taken handheld shots at night with the 12mm @ f5.6 and they came out sharp. People walking on the street came out a bit blurred, speed was about 1/8-1/15. For B&W you can probably make it faster and bring exposure up on the RAW file.

and kudos on the acquisition, this camera is a gem. 🙂

 

[jonmanjiro]

Well, the 15 will give a 22.5mm equivalent FOV. That might be a bit wide for a photographer who is accustomed to shooting with a 28mm and wants to match that experience with a digital camera. I think the 21mm, with its 31.5mm eq., would be better from that viewpoint. It would probably require getting the special finder, though, that covers that field on the R-D1.

The need to fuss over focal length and finder issues has kept me away from the R-D1. I can put any focal length I want on my D-300 and it's ready to go.

Well, the OP did say this -> Or, should I consider getting the C/V 15 instead and cropping a bit to get the 28mm FOV?

My experience with 21mm lenses (ZM 21/4.5, CV21/4) on the R-D1 is that they show noticeable vignetting. The CV 15/4.5, on the other hand, is well behaved. YMMV.

 

[jonmanjiro]

I've used the CV 15mm in my R-D1 for a while, but I didn't quite like the results, it has a strong vignetting tending more to the right side. If stopped down, though, it can improve. I find the CV 12mm much superior in that sense, it became THE wide angle lens for me to use with the R-D1. It's much wider than what you are used too, though.

I've bought (but returned) a CV 21mm, tried it and didn't quite like it, but there was no significant vignetting @ f4.

Interesting that we experienced the exact opposite! 😕