akptc
Shoot first, think later
Not sure if this has been posted already but I found this 2005(?) interview with Isao Eddie Edatsune, the "Dad of R-D1". Here is a link to a Google-translated (from French) page (link).
Remarkably, according to Eddie, it seems Epson had plans to continue developing the R-D1 further...
Here is the link to the interview in French.
Remarkably, according to Eddie, it seems Epson had plans to continue developing the R-D1 further...
Here is the link to the interview in French.
sevres_babylone
Veteran
Thanks for the link. I wish my French were good enough to read the original, but, in any event, from now on I am going to refer to my R-D1 as a numerical apparatus with telemetric aiming. Or maybe I will just say: this is my NATA.
furcafe
Veteran
Merci. My high school/college French is just good enough to laugh @ the automated translation! 
yoshimura
Member
The most interesting thing in this interview (being French, I had no difficulty with the original text...) is the mention of the production figure: a yearly production rate of 10000 pieces! This is a far cry from what is generally assumed of a total and limited production run of 10000. Rather a good news...
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Given the upcoming release of Leica M8 and rumors of a digital Zeiss Ikon rangefinder, I wonder if Epson is simply waiting to see what happens or will they surprise everyone in September with a 10Mpix R-D2? (once always hope..)
S
Socke
Guest
akptc said:
Which will arouse the anger of the current models users because it's then oboslete and stops working imediatly
LCT
ex-newbie
We discussed this interview on the Leica forum last year.
It's dated March 2005.
What Epson did not know then is they would not be able to sell more than 5,000 R-D1 copies and they would be obliged to rebadge them as R-D1s and drop their price by 30% or more to try to sell the remaining ones.
Then it's not tomorrow that we'll see a R-D2 i'm afraid.
A digital Zeiss Ikon perhaps
It's dated March 2005.
What Epson did not know then is they would not be able to sell more than 5,000 R-D1 copies and they would be obliged to rebadge them as R-D1s and drop their price by 30% or more to try to sell the remaining ones.
Then it's not tomorrow that we'll see a R-D2 i'm afraid.
A digital Zeiss Ikon perhaps
jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
I guess I've lost track... are the "rumors of a digital Zeiss Ikon" based on anything at all? Or is this still a case of, "If enough of us keep talking about antigravity pants, eventually somebody will have to make them!"
jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
LCT said:
Yeah, but it's still worth reading again, if only to revisit such bits of wonderfully fractured Googlish as:
"Any user of silver will smell himself instantaneously..."
Hey, you silver-users, shower up!
S
Socke
Guest
jlw said:
Looks like that, only hints are the lenses described as "digital ready" and that they may make one if they think sensors are ready for their quality expectations. Which may mean anything from "full frame" to 16bit capture or whatever.
Last time I personaly spoke to somebody from Zeiss lens department was at the Photokina '04 and he told me that the only way to exploit Zeiss lenses is a digi back for a MF camera and that they don't intend to make a digital RF until the output is at least as good as that what I get from my G2.
Then I hoped for a digital G3 for my Contax G lenses, now I'm pretty sure I won't get one
jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
Socke said:
Which isn't totally far-fetched. It wouldn't be difficult to make a simple adapter block with an M flange on one end and a mounting clip for an existing digital back on the other. Lack of view/focus capability wouldn't be an issue for fixed industrial applications, which is a significant market for Zeiss. Maybe that type of thing was what your source was hinting at.
S
Socke
Guest
JLW, my source hinted at no digital Contag G for use as a camera
sevres_babylone
Veteran
Maybe nothing at all. But I think there will be one around the time of the M8 release. Priced between the Epson and the Leica. I find it hard to believe Zeiss launched its line of M lenses and created a new RF body at this point in time without having plans for a digital version.
And didn't I tell you all that France would win the World Cup?
rvaubel
Well-known
sevres_babyloneI find it hard to believe Zeiss launched its line of M lenses and created a new RF body at this point in time without having plans for a digital version[/quote said:
Peter Klein
Well-known
Unless the film camera was a place-holder to develop the Viewfinder, RF mechanism and other things that differ from the Bessa. With the idea that eventually the same basic physical design would be used with digital components replacing the film transport components.
I know, wishful thinking . . . The problem is that figuring out what Japanese companies are up to is a black art. Akin to basing your foreign policy towards the old Soviet Union on the positions of dignitaries on the reviewing stand at the May Day parade. Every little tidbit of additional information then gets blown up in importance and often misinterpreted. Does "The Chairman has a cold" mean that a coup is in progress, that the Chairman is sleeping off last night's hangover, or that he really does have a cold?
Similarly, do Zeiss' pronouncements mean what they say, or are they Deep Cover for the RF project that will save humanity? Or at least, save us?
--Peter
I know, wishful thinking . . . The problem is that figuring out what Japanese companies are up to is a black art. Akin to basing your foreign policy towards the old Soviet Union on the positions of dignitaries on the reviewing stand at the May Day parade. Every little tidbit of additional information then gets blown up in importance and often misinterpreted. Does "The Chairman has a cold" mean that a coup is in progress, that the Chairman is sleeping off last night's hangover, or that he really does have a cold?
Similarly, do Zeiss' pronouncements mean what they say, or are they Deep Cover for the RF project that will save humanity? Or at least, save us?
--Peter