July 2014: The end of the Epson R-D1 series

[bennyng]

A sad day....

Epson officially announce the cessation of the production of the R-D1 series of digital rangefinders. Limited quantities of existing stocks R-D1x will be available for sale.

Here's the Epson statement on the ProSelection Blog (in Japanese).

http://proselection.weblogs.jp/epson_proselection_blog/2014/03/r-d1xg-275a.html

The inevitable has finally come. However, I'm sure it will still remain a cult classic.

Cheers,

 

[back alley]

still, one of my favourite cameras, ever!

 

[kshapero]

Wow I thought it had been discontinued long ago. A 10 year run. Gotta be a digital record.

 

[coelacanth]

Reading that blog post made me tear up a bit... R-D1 is definitely a classic.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Even though the message does not surprise me, how do you know that 'Yusuke' in the blog is speaking on behalf of Epson Japan?

 

[CameraQuest]

Epson did an incredible job of designing and producing the camera in partnership with Cosina.

Epson also did an incredible job of destroying any RD-1 commercial success in the marketplace with monumentally inept marketing.

Stephen

 

[Frank Petronio]

Geez I thought they died off years ago. If it was such a great camera then how come ya'all got Fujis?

 

[noimmunity]

Epson did an incredible job of designing and producing the camera in partnership with Cosina.

Epson also did an incredible job of destroying any RD-1 commercial success in the marketplace with monumentally inept marketing.

Stephen

Ain't that the truth!

I had fun with mine. And somehow by coincidence, another RFF member resuscitated only a couple of days ago a thread on the R-D1 that I had started 6 years ago.

 

[back alley]

marketing? what marketing?

 

[BW400CN]

Mmmmh I thought it was out of production for years - but maybe we get now a R-D2 with FF sensor?

 

[Gid]

Geez I thought they died off years ago. If it was such a great camera then how come ya'all got Fujis?

Marketing 😉

 

[kdemas]

I had no idea it was still listed as an active product.

RIP RD-1, RIP.

 

[Gid]

Mmmmh I thought it was out of production for years - but maybe we get now a R-D2 with FF sensor?

It would have to have at least 40MP, HD video, wifi, bluetooth, GPS, 100% accurate framelines, live view, accept all lenses from all eras without adapters, image stabilisation, fit in a shirt pocket, a silent shutter tested to 500,000 cycles, be capable of producing completely clean images at f16 in complete darkness. I don't think i'ts going to happen 🙂

 

[jsrockit]

Geez I thought they died off years ago. If it was such a great camera then how come ya'all got Fujis?

Come on Frank, you've used a lot of cameras too...

 

[olakiril]

Amazing camera. They could have updated the sensor and actually advertise it, instead of stopping the production.

 

[Frank Petronio]

Come on Frank, you've used a lot of cameras too...

Don't call me promiscuous ;-p

http://frankinstan.tumblr.com/post/66224153819/chronological-list-of-cameras-that-ive-owned

 

[noimmunity]

Don't call me promiscuous ;-p

http://frankinstan.tumblr.com/post/66224153819/chronological-list-of-cameras-that-ive-owned

just before death, all of them return all at once :angel:

 

[jsrockit]

Don't call me promiscuous ;-p

http://frankinstan.tumblr.com/post/66224153819/chronological-list-of-cameras-that-ive-owned

My goodness, I didn't expect that! Interesting.

 

[coelacanth]

Even though the message does not surprise me, how do you know that 'Yusuke' in the blog is speaking on behalf of Epson Japan?

As far as I can tell, the blog is Epson's official blog, and Yusuke guy states that he's the marketing guy for Pro-Selection division of Epson in his 1st post.

 

[doncraig]

Marketing 😉

Versatility. Image quality. Sensor size. Lens selection. And marketing.

The R-D1 was/is a great camera with which to shoot. I sold mine for an X-camera because I needed a work camera. Fuji makes those. Epson never really did.