how does the r-d1s compare to modern digital cams?

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drazin

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with the announcement of the 5dmkII and the cult following of the ricoh GR-D cameras and sigmas's offerings, how does epson's rangefinder hold up?

i have a m6 and a summicron and i was thinking of going digital. is it wise to buy a r-d1s now or will it be obsolete in a year or so? am i right on thinking this way?

how does it preform in terms of low light? grainy?
 
That is a big question. I own an R-d1 and a Ricoh GX200. GX200 has 2 big advantages: size and ability to see changes to settings before taking the shot. The R-D1 though is a real camera. a real VF and lots of real lenses. i enjoy both a lot.
 
I think many people would say the RD-1 has been "obsolete" for a long time already. But I happily use mine alongside my "up-to-date" digitals (D3/D300). Of course, if there was an RD-2 with a D300 sensor then I'd be all over that, but really the RD-1 is wonderful as is. Low-light-wise, I don't hesitate to use it at 1600. There's a recent thread with examples, I think.

As for the Ricoh, I personally think it's just a P&S with some nicely thought out controls (I have a GRD), and performance/quality is as such. It's not really a comparison point for the RD1, which as the previous poster noted, is a "real" camera.

j
 
The R-D1 has been obsolete for quite some times in terms of technology, yet it's image quality holds up very well against much more recent cameras. I think it cannot really be compared to any other of the ones you mentioned, this is one of two digital rangefinders. So if the M6 is what you like in terms of size and ergonomics, the R-D1 is the closest thing you will find, maybe with the M8.
 
There's nothing really to compare it to. It was made to be "obsolete." 6MP is enough, but it's the only thing I'd change--I would like a better sensor, with higher resolution.
 
It may be obsolete. But I like to think of mine as like a pair of good fitting blue jeans.
It works, and most of all is that it works with such a variety of lenses.
 
The only things I would honestly like to change are: fast raw write speeds, better low-light iso (less noise), and a large sensor/higher megapixel count I think.


Ok, so maybe thats a tall order?
 
Compared to a modern digital camera like a 50D, the R-D1:
is slow to magnify photos, start up, and write photos to the card
can't take big memory cards
doesn't have an orientation sensor
raw files come poorly compressed and with tiny embedded previews
screen is ugly and small
battery life is terrible

With all of these drawbacks, it's still an excellent camera. The image quality is top-notch and the noise levels are low. The build quality is high and the 1:1 viewfinder is great (although I wouldn't mind a ZI-style finder).
 
Who cares what's under the hood? Obsolete Obshmolete. It would only be obsolete if significantly bettered in photo quality, and it hasn't been imho. It is destined to be a classic.

/T
 
I adore my R-D1, and actually prefer it to the M8. "Technically" yes, the camera is obsolete, but that doesn't mean it doesn't produce great images. I recently had a show featuring my photos of Buddhist monks in temple, some of which were shot in low light (with the R-D1), and then printed about 18 inches tall on metallic paper (both BW and color), and the prints look freakin' great.

The R-D1 is a great camera even today, but I would wish for a longer baseline and an updated higher resolution censor... Basically, I would wish for it to cocoon itself and emerge as a digital Zeiss Ikon. :)

Is it a good buy? Yes. I use mine regularly alongside my 40D and EOS-1D Mk II when I'm on assignment.
 
drazin said:
with the announcement of the 5dmkII and the cult following of the ricoh GR-D cameras and sigmas's offerings, how does epson's rangefinder hold up?

i have a m6 and a summicron and i was thinking of going digital. is it wise to buy a r-d1s now or will it be obsolete in a year or so? am i right on thinking this way?

how does it preform in terms of low light? grainy?
Click to expand...

The GRD are fun compacts cameras, but no comparison. The DSLRs are great for many things. But with the Epson you can put REAL glass in front of the sensor :D
 
i see no reason to not buy an rd-1. it performs beautifully from the images i've seen taken by one. obsolete is a word that means nothing to me, so long as you can still view the images and print them it's not obsolete. sure it's technologically not as advanced as a 5dmkII but who honestly cares when it accepts some of the best lenses available...even the less expensive offerings from CV I find much better than any top end DSLR glass and since you have a summicron the advantages gained from a new dslr are outweighed by the performance of glass you already own.
 
Double Negative said:
Technically, there is ONE. And that is that it can't be serviced anymore... So don't break anything on it. ;)
Click to expand...

i thought i read somewhere that people are still servicing them and there will be parts available for something like 5 more years.

that's the only reason i could think of as well, but i could have sworn i read that somewhere here.
 
tmfabian said:
i see no reason to not buy an rd-1. it performs beautifully from the images i've seen taken by one. obsolete is a word that means nothing to me, so long as you can still view the images and print them it's not obsolete. sure it's technologically not as advanced as a 5dmkII but who honestly cares when it accepts some of the best lenses available...even the less expensive offerings from CV I find much better than any top end DSLR glass and since you have a summicron the advantages gained from a new dslr are outweighed by the performance of glass you already own.
Click to expand...
well said. now lets take some pictures:
2575859770_b5600dfed6.jpg


2575038513_a6cef3070d.jpg


2575021637_28c51839b6.jpg
 
As reported here, Steve's Camera will service them. And so will Epson for the next 4 years. A higher res sensor? What would that give you? More noise and resolution that adds nothing to an already great image. The camera is as great as it is BECAUSE it has a relatively low res sensor. Don't ruin a good thing with empty megapixels.

/T
 
Tuolumne said:
As reported here, Steve's Camera will service them. And so will Epson for the next 4 years. A higher res sensor? What would that give you? More noise and resolution that adds nothing to an already great image. The camera is as great as it is BECAUSE it has a relatively low res sensor. Don't ruin a good thing with empty megapixels.

/T
Click to expand...

Hmm, I dunno...current DSLR sensors of the same size are pretty much better in every way. Higher resolution AND less noise. This allows you to crop a lot, if you like.

That said, there is a certain character to this sensor, and as DSLRs with similar sensors fall out of use, people will still be using the R-D1...and so it will seem more and more like part of the camera's signature.
 
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