I want to acquire a R-D1

[efkbl]

By the way I intend to buy an 35 or 40 mm, I would need a fast lens to be in more control of DOF. However I do not want to sacrifice quality: sharpness, contrast and character.

My first lens for the R-D1 was a nokton 40mm 1.4. It is cheap, matches the 35mm frameline quite well (probably better as a 35mm lens), and I have always been satisfied by it.

There are a few threads with great pictures taken using a R-D1+nokton 40 combe here.

 

[Licorice]

What is the number of actuations for the R-D1 shutter? I am asking the sellers and they reply as 3000 or 8000 etc. but I do not know what number is good and what is prone to an approaching shutter failure.

There are a couple of bodies around for $1600-1700 and I could consider paying a bit more for an M8 in this case.

Well, patience wins, its a character trait I praise much, the problem is I lack it. I will force myself to be patient and not to see every missed opportunity as the end of the world.

I appreciate and will do, if you keep pointing me to R-D1 sales online when you see one.

 

[fotomeow]

Ive been using a cv 35/1.4 on my RD-1s: its really fast and great for DOF, but Im having trouble getting used to the 50mm conversion focal length, since Im used to shooting wider, around 35mm. I have also tried the biogon 28/2.8, and like the 42mm conversion length, but 2.8 is too slow. I think that the CV 28/2.0 lens may be the best compromised for focal lenght, speed, and overall lens size/weight, and price. We'll see.
Licorice, sorry you missed out on the RD1 you had eyed for 1200. Unfortunately, you are not the only one searching for an RD1. If you see one that looks good, you have to be ready to pull the trigger pretty fast to snatch it up, and also have a little extra money lying around to fix it up if it has problems. I mean, I wouldnt buy a mercedes unless I had some money to fix the brakes or replace the tranny once in a while. Good luck.

 

[isorgb]

Yes, fotomeow said that you are not the only one searching for an RD1.
I think you will have to trust the seller. You will never know how many shots used R-D1 did unless you buy new R-D1x, but price is comaparble to Leica M8.
Which camera is better, I don't know.

Cheers.

 

[Licorice]

R-D1x is sold only in Japan. Listings over $3000 is way too expensive. Even for $2000 I would not pay a premium for just a bigger LCD and support for SDHC over R-D1. (For R-D1x it's also said to have the EDiART image processing slightly tweaked however I would not expect miracles.

I will snatch one when opprtunity arrives. And I can DIY most fixes I am sure. For rewards, we need to take risks just as when we shoot !

 

[Ezzie]

There's a "Second body" thread here somewhere. Will give you an idea how many RFF'ers are in the market for yet another body. I am.

 

[Licorice]

There's a "Second body" thread here somewhere. Will give you an idea how many RFF'ers are in the market for yet another body. I am.

The supply is scarce, don't be so selfish. 🙁 I hate you. 🙄


🙂

 

[menos]

There's a "Second body" thread here somewhere. Will give you an idea how many RFF'ers are in the market for yet another body. I am.

There are also second bodies of the R-D1 available?

I'll get me one too ;-)



Sorry Licorice 😛 just kidding 😀

 

[jlw]

These are adjustments, and with a little bit of guts can be done by yourself, at least focus patch adjustments. Other Rangefinders suffer from the same ailments, but maybe with less frequency.

This is just an observation, but... I adjusted my R-D 1's rangefinder myself (some of the photos on Rich C's site show my camera) and got good results, but found that I had to re-do it fairly often.

When I had to send it to Steve Choi for a shutter issue, I also had him adjust the rangefinder. Since he did it, it has stayed adjusted.

I don't know what Steve C. does that I didn't do (maybe something to do with the sealer on the screws?) and maybe it's just coincidence, but might be worth noting in the context of how frequently the RF needs to be adjusted...

 

[jlw]

(For R-D1x it's also said to have the EDiART image processing slightly tweaked however I would not expect miracles.

Speculation: As best I can understand the diagrams in the Japanese "R-D 1 WORLD" magazine I have, the Ediart chip also handles some I/O functions, so the "tweaking" may simply have been to enable the R-D1x to handle SDHC cards with capacities over 2gb.

(The R-D 1 and R-D 1s can't address over 2gb... and, amusingly, neither can the supposedly totally-redesigned Leica M9...)

 

[Licorice]

Oh, this explains it. Thanks for this info jlw !
And I did not know M9 could not handle more than 2 GB cards. After I pay a fortune I would expect it to handle even wireless transfer 🙂. This is not a nuisance on Epson R-D1 however it must be a real pain on Leica if card fills up in the middle of picture taking.

 

[menos]

Speculation: As best I can understand the diagrams in the Japanese "R-D 1 WORLD" magazine I have, the Ediart chip also handles some I/O functions, so the "tweaking" may simply have been to enable the R-D1x to handle SDHC cards with capacities over 2gb.

(The R-D 1 and R-D 1s can't address over 2gb... and, amusingly, neither can the supposedly totally-redesigned Leica M9...)

The M9 handles SDHC cards up to 32GB.

 

[menos]

This is just an observation, but... I adjusted my R-D 1's rangefinder myself (some of the photos on Rich C's site show my camera) and got good results, but found that I had to re-do it fairly often.

When I had to send it to Steve Choi for a shutter issue, I also had him adjust the rangefinder. Since he did it, it has stayed adjusted.

I don't know what Steve C. does that I didn't do (maybe something to do with the sealer on the screws?) and maybe it's just coincidence, but might be worth noting in the context of how frequently the RF needs to be adjusted...

You mention there a very important point. The more often one fiddles with the adjustment screws on the R-D1 rangefinder without properly locking them afterwards, the more often, it goes out of alignment.

I suppose, Steve opens the top plate, CLAs the rangefinder AND locks the screws properly.

I only adjusted my R-D1 through the hot shoe and locked the screws with green Loctite (helping with a sewing needle to point the drop of Loctite to the right position without messing up the cameras guts).

Before this treatment, I had to adjust it on a monthly basis. Since then, it sits tight and focus is consistent.
I think about letting someone adjust the tilted bright lines though, as it is an unnecessary imperfection.

 

[Licorice]

I spotted one in KEH.com in LN- condition. I think this is a reputable store. It is sold in less than a day ! $1479

I sent an e-mail to them asking questions. They did not reply.
One should really be quick to grab it. I start to get sick of it. I should quit the hunt for a while. And the question is now, since you can immediately buy one at around $1600 or wait andf grab one at around $1400 or be patient and have a deal at $1200, what would be the price of an M8 to beat it. I mean does buying RD1 at $1600 make sense if you have a decent M8 for 500 bucks more? Despite I prefer many things in favopur of RD1 against M8, Leica has some pluses that can not be ignored.

 

[Ezzie]

Hte difference between the two, where I'm at, is more like $1000 at best. i wouldn't mind an M8, but not instead of the R-D1, in addition to rather.