jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
Not that it's any surprise, but the Imaging Resource website reports that Epson Europe has formally discontinued the R-D1 and R-D1s, announcing that they're sold out of remaining stocks and that there will be no successor model.
What IS a bit of a surprise is that the IR report implies that the R-Ds actually were quite successful in Europe -- evidently moreso than Epson had expected.
You can read the whole report here (click.)
(We all had been wondering for some time whether Epson's initially-announced plans for a 10,000-unit production run had really been fulfilled; many suspected that actual production had been lower. The IR report says that 10,000 were made -- although I still wonder whether that's genuinely confirmed info or just IR's inference based on the initial announcement.
All I know for sure is: I'm glad I got mine while the getting was good!)
What IS a bit of a surprise is that the IR report implies that the R-Ds actually were quite successful in Europe -- evidently moreso than Epson had expected.
You can read the whole report here (click.)
(We all had been wondering for some time whether Epson's initially-announced plans for a 10,000-unit production run had really been fulfilled; many suspected that actual production had been lower. The IR report says that 10,000 were made -- although I still wonder whether that's genuinely confirmed info or just IR's inference based on the initial announcement.
All I know for sure is: I'm glad I got mine while the getting was good!)
Porsche
MCSE
What a bad news, I want to get one too.
hub
Crazy French
That's a very sad news. Very sad because the only other alternative for digital is the M8....
jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
Porsche said:
Imaging Resource was quoting a news story in the UK magazine Amateur Photographer (click here for a link to that story) which says that while the R-D is sold out in Europe, remaining inventory is still available in Japan. Individual retailers might still have stocks as well, so someone who really wants an R-D 1 should still have options for some time yet.
I was interested to read in the Amateur Photographer story that Epson concedes a recent resurgence of interest in the camera, even as they were phasing it out. I'd be curious to know how much of that might have been caused by uncertainty about the Leica M8, and how much by price cuts. Our experience with refurbs in the US seems to suggest that even with the R-D's limitations and issues, it was a fairly brisk seller when the price point was below $2,000.
If Epson had been able to figure out how to make it a $1499 camera from the start, who knows? It might have sold fast enough to build a more sizable market base, and make a successor model a more interesting proposition. All moot points now, unfortunately, but interesting historical speculation...
Jim Watts
Still trying to See.
When I brought mine in the UK just a little over 2.5 years ago it cost £2,000 GBP (over $3,900 at todays exchange rate). I thought it expensive, but to be honest I thought that even at this price with only 10,000 cameras being produced worldwide it would sell out quickly with the fairly large base of rangefinder users and no M digital on the horizon then.
It may have been either the original price or Epson's lack of proper promotion or support (especially when some of the early problems were found) for the camera that caused sales to be so sluggish. Its clear that when Epson dropped the price (now £1463 in UK) for the R-D1s and Robert White took over distribution in the UK, that sales increased dramatically as he is a real enthusiast for the camera. I suspect he will have been responsible for the majority of sales throughtout Europe. He still seems to have them in stock, but I don't know for how much longer given this announcement.
The final arrival of the M8 even with (or because of) the early problems has clearly given the potential digital rangefinder market a boost. It certainly encouraged two of my friends to buy secondhand R-D1's after seeing the price and the problems!
Lets hope some manufacturer (Zeiss/Cosina) feels that the marketable base is now large enough to crack the numbers v production costs equation to produce a digital rangefinder at less than the M8 costs.
I would still like to know what the final production numbers of the R-D1/S are. I haven't heard of a serial number above 005000. Did they reset the start number for the R-D1s?
It may have been either the original price or Epson's lack of proper promotion or support (especially when some of the early problems were found) for the camera that caused sales to be so sluggish. Its clear that when Epson dropped the price (now £1463 in UK) for the R-D1s and Robert White took over distribution in the UK, that sales increased dramatically as he is a real enthusiast for the camera. I suspect he will have been responsible for the majority of sales throughtout Europe. He still seems to have them in stock, but I don't know for how much longer given this announcement.
The final arrival of the M8 even with (or because of) the early problems has clearly given the potential digital rangefinder market a boost. It certainly encouraged two of my friends to buy secondhand R-D1's after seeing the price and the problems!
Lets hope some manufacturer (Zeiss/Cosina) feels that the marketable base is now large enough to crack the numbers v production costs equation to produce a digital rangefinder at less than the M8 costs.
I would still like to know what the final production numbers of the R-D1/S are. I haven't heard of a serial number above 005000. Did they reset the start number for the R-D1s?
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wintoid
Back to film
FYI my RD1s is serial #100897
mwooten
light user
My RD1s is 101k
Jim Watts
Still trying to See.
Looks like the R-D1s may have started at 10,000 then?
With the R-D1 numbers running from 000001 to about 005000 if the 10,000 quota was filled and is just about up, then someone should have a number approaching 15,000?
Who has the highest number R-D1s?
With the R-D1 numbers running from 000001 to about 005000 if the 10,000 quota was filled and is just about up, then someone should have a number approaching 15,000?
Who has the highest number R-D1s?