Is it ok to sell my M6 to get R-1Ds?

[pizzahut88]

I am undecided.

To get the R-1Ds, I would need to sell my M6.
Is it worth doing so?

This is so hard to decide.

Image quality wise, I am certain the M6 will win with full frame.
For ease of use, nothing beats digital.

So . . .

I just can't decide.

My M6 scans are around 13-14 mega pixels.
But R-1D is only 6mp. I don't believe in that interpolated 10mp claim.

Each roll of film takes 40 mins to scan on my Minolta Dimage Scan.
But then I love the grain, color and feel of film.

This is kind of like asking someone to decide for me . . .
but I just can't figure out whether it's worth doing so.

 

[iml]

Really, don't do it. If you like the look of film there's only one way to get it, and that's to shoot film. The R-D1 is a really nice camera, but it isn't a film camera, and won't give you the look of your favourite films. No digital camera will.

Ian

 

[Uwe_Nds]

I am undecided.

To get the R-1Ds, I would need to sell my M6.
Is it worth doing so?

IMHO no.
I was very disappointed with the image quality of the R-D1.
Our Pentax *istDL2 did much better.


Best regards,
Uwe

 

[Samsam]

i'll never switch from film to digital if i were you

 

[pvdhaar]

Is it ok to sell my M6 to get R-1Ds?

No it's not!

Bad trade in my view. The M6 would outlast the digital RF by decades. You've got a scanner to get all the megapixels you need and work on the image.

Also, you'd have to factor in the cost of an additional wide angle because of the image crop. Heck, that same money would get you a Nikon D40 on the side.. Same 6MP as the RD1s, and at $500 or so they even throw in a zoom lens that has the same resolution as many primes (though it's a fair bit slower)..

 

[Krosya]

I wouldn't, but maybe you should. It seems that just a short time ago you had Ikon, sold that - got M6, now you are talking about RD -1 - seems that you can't figure what works the best for you, and not 100% happy with the camera you have now. So, sell it, try RD-1, if you don't like it - sell that, get another, etc, etc. till you find one you know you like for sure.
After I dicovered Hexar RF, I don't think I'll get another RF camera in a near future, plus I have 3 leicas besides that.
After all - it's all about what makes YOU happy.

 

[einolu]

i just got one, i am used to shooting a bessa r. i like film, particularly slides i can edit on my lightbox... still havent made the switch, not sure if i will be able to. i might have an answer for you in about a month.

 

[Ara Ghajanian]

Why not have both? If it's a money thing, put it on a credit card and pay it off as you go along. I know I sound evil, but I have a feeling you're going to sorely regret getting rid of your M6. Sometimes I crave for a digital RF, but I couldn't see using it for all situations.

 

[matt fury]

I bought an RD-1 to compare to my M4...and well, it breaks my heart, but I'm selling the M4 and staying with the Epson. If you can find an R-D1, I'd say pick it up & give it a shot. If you don't like it, you will have no problem selling it. I'll miss my Leica, but I simply couldn't afford both, & the Epson will save me money in the long run. I do have some other cheap film RFs laying around though that I can use when I get the bug.

 

[Samsam]

matt, may you explain your choice to keep the epson and sell the M4 ?
are you tired of film grain or what ? ^^

 

[bobkonos]

Sure it's ok to sell the M6. The best thing about digital is the number of quality rangefinder and SLR cameras it makes available. Yeah, sell it.

 

[matt fury]

Tired of grain? lol..No. I shoot (or used to) Tri-X @ 3200, so film grain definitely doesn' bother me.

I guess I finally succumbed to the convenience factor. I like film, but it's a hassle to wait for my black & white to get developed, & even more to so to do it myself. Plus, the other week I shot 4 rolls of what would've been excellent shots if the grain on the color film didn't kill everything. That kinda stuff I can avoid with the Epson. Cost was becoming an issue, too. $11/roll or so for processed Tri-X. And then I have to scan it for an hour or so. Plus, I'll never have to worry about forgetting to pick up Tri-X before the weekend comes & I can't get anymore. Anything that can make me shoot more can only be good.

So there's some of my rambling thoughts as to why I'm losing the M4.

 

[emraphoto]

i gave up an m6 to get my hands on an r-d1s and i am very pleased that i did. i truly love the m's and using them but i shoot pretty much every day and the time spent in my bathro... err, darkroom and scanning was the cincher for me. i have three kids, three dogs and a buisiness to run.
i have developed a workflow with the r-d1s that gives me prints off an epson 22oo that i am extremely pleased with. it no longer takes me hours on end to develop, scan and sort through my photo's from the day. my r-d1s has been very, very reliable and travels in my bag everywhere i go. it has seen a lot of use and mileage over the past year without so much as a hiccup.
i shoot it at iso 1600 pretty regularly and have managed to get a look very similair to film imho.
i believe through epson camera raw you can get 13 megapixel files.
i regularly print a3 and am pleased with how they look (although i am am no pixel peeping, edge sharpness maniac).
all in all i am pleased with the move... very pleased. i still possess an m6 ttl but it rarely finds it way into my bag these days.

 

[emraphoto]

ps shooting raw with the r-d1s is an absolute must!

 

[JNewell]

You know the upsides and the downsides...

Digital is such a timesaver, but there is a quality and a craft aspect to film, even when scanned, that is not present with digital.

Additionally, you may feel that there is nothing quite like the feel of using a classic M (i.e, M6 classic or earlier) body. The R-D1 is a sweet and slick camera, but it isn't a classic M. That may not matter to you, but I've found out the hard way (tried to kick the M habit two or three times and each time wound up coming back at $ignificant cost).

I am only a couple of weeks into learning/using the R-D1. So far, I'm very, very impressed. Possibly you can hold onto the M6 while you T&E the Epson? Either one should be pretty easy to sell for whatever your investment is if you decide you really can't own both.

 

[shadowfox]

I think you'll regret it. One more consideration, are you ready for your Leica lenses to transform into longer focal length due to crop factor??

 

[leicashot]

Buy the M8, problem solved.

 

[nrb]

I wouldn't do it if I were you. Digital rangefinders can't match the possibilities of film rangefinders yet. Even though they might be good cameras in their own right they are still way behind digital slrs.

 

[JonasYip]

Since getting the RD1 my M6TTL sees very little use. Or, rather, almost no use at all except to use up film that I have lying around. That said, I would *not* have sold the M6TTL to finance the RD1. I'd suggest, if it's possible, that you buy the RD1 and have both on hand so that you can shoot them side-by-side and then decide. Those who love the RD1 really love it... but not every one does.

In my case I already had a digital workflow for many years (since 2000) but really preferred shooting with the Leicas when I didn't need the DSLRs, so the RD1 was a natural progression. For those still asking "will I be happy with digital capture?" it may not be.

j

FWIW, I'm still keeping the M6TTL and other film-bodies (esp medium format) around because sometimes I *do* need film, whether for b+w, or for the latitude of print film, or just for the look. But for most daily carrying around the RD1 is wonderful.

 

[kalokeri]

It´s absolutely ok to sell your M6 to get a R-1Ds.

If you want to try out a digital rangefinder and you can´t afford both, just sell the M6. You will be able to buy another one if you don´t like the R-1Ds. As long as you don´t sell the camera to a dealer you will get as much as another used one will cost. So there is no risk.

Thomas