Long-term fixing of broken R-D1s?

[strangely]

Hi,

I've been lurking on RFF for a while... I'm considering purchasing an R-D1(s), but it would be a major expense for me and I'm concerned about what would happen if it broke outside of warranty. Is there anyone who can repair these cameras, other than Epson? Has anyone heard anything from Epson about how long they intend to continue to provide servicing for the R-D1?

Cheery,
Jason.

 

[Ash]

Hi Jason, some people rave about them, but I'd hold off if I was in your shoes. Save for a while longer and buy the Leica M8 which will have a much longer warranty/service lifetime

 

[strangely]

Hi Jason, some people rave about them, but I'd hold off if I was in your shoes. Save for a while longer and buy the Leica M8 which will have a much longer warranty/service lifetime

😀 Mmmm8. I'd love one, but there's no way that I'll be able to afford or justify an M8 in the forseeable future. Even a used R-D1 will be a stretch. I'm not even convinced that Leica's lengendary longevity will apply to the M8 - are they really going to keep stocks of the CCD and other electronics for the next 30 years? Anyway, I'm hijacking my own thread here...

 

[Ash]

You'll win the lotto next week, I can feel it! 😀

 

[Adam-T]

With the RD1 I guess it`s pretty repairable so long as the electronics don`t crapout (rare anyway), the Sensor is D100/Pentax IST, the LCD a bog standard Sony (same as in the Canon Pro1) the Shutter etc are pure Voigtlander and I guess the Dial motors are from a Seiko Chronograph so someone ought to be able to fix it, that`s the advantage of cobbling it together from standard bits 🙂.

 

[strangely]

With the RD1 I guess it`s pretty repairable so long as the electronics don`t crapout (rare anyway), the Sensor is D100/Pentax IST, the LCD a bog standard Sony (same as in the Canon Pro1) the Shutter etc are pure Voigtlander and I guess the Dial motors are from a Seiko Chronograph so someone ought to be able to fix it, that`s the advantage of cobbling it together from standard bits 🙂.

Thanks, Adam. I'm a bit more pessimistic than you are, so I'll interpret that as "no, there's not anyone other than Epson who can repair the R-D1". I'd feel reasonably confident that somebody could repair the mechanical bits (e.g. the shutter), but if the electronics fail (and I'd include the CCD in that) then I wouldn't hold out much hope.

None of that rules out the R-D1 for me, but I do want to go in with my eyes open. Now I need to keep my fingers crossed for the lotto, since Ash seems so confident...

Thanks for your help,
Jason.

 

[RichC]

Note this link about buying spare parts:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26100&highlight=Datentechnik

Also, there's a link to a PDF file showing an exploded view of the component parts.

 

[Didier]

I'm considering purchasing an R-D1(s), but it would be a major expense for me and I'm concerned about what would happen if it broke outside of warranty. Is there anyone who can repair these cameras, other than Epson?

Jason

Some made good experiences with several Epson repair centers in different countries, and others, like Epson Switzerland, just sucked - they sent the realigned camera in a small unstuffed box and the RF was more disaligned than before.

If the electronic parts go mad after the warranty period, then it's gonna be difficult, if not impossible, to repair it (and only Epson could do it, I guess, at unknown costs) - but this is the case with almost all electronic gear, so not a typical R-D1 issue.

But considering the R-D1's mostly mechanical body (Bessa R3a based), the chance to repair a mechanical damage is much bigger with this camera than with almost all digital p&s, and many DSLR's.

Skilled rangefinder repair specialists, comes to my mind for instance DAG from Wisconsin, can handle such repairs. If you want to try yourself, take this.

Of course there are undoubtedly quality control issues with that camera (and I can tell I went through that), but the M8 is quite more costly, while the R-D1 price seems to go clearly below $2k on medium term. If I could afford the M8 - I would certainly prefer it - But meanwhile I don't and my finger pushs an Epson button - so what?!...

Didier

 

[Adam-T]

Of course the obvious action is to insure the camera after the warranty has run out for failiure and droppages for the full original retail price so if it fails and can`t be fixed, you`ll have 2/3 of the cash to buy an M8 ;-)

 

[strangely]

Now that was some great information. Thanks very much, Rich and Didier. And Adam, that's a very sensible suggestion about the insurance. I have a natural aversion to insurance, especially for electronic stuff that's likely to be out of date before it breaks, but I think an R-D1 would be a reasonable exception to that rule. The ability to buy minor spare parts gives me some confidence, and the insurance would cover most other eventualities.

Thanks all!

 

[Peter Klein]

Of course the obvious action is to insure the camera after the warranty has run out for failiure and droppages for the full original retail price so if it fails and can`t be fixed, you`ll have 2/3 of the cash to buy an M8 ;-)

Adam: Would you elaborate on this? I'm not familiar with this type of insurance. Approximately what does it cost compared to the retail value? Is it generally available as an addition to one's regular homeowner's policy, or are there other companies that specialize in such things?

Since Adam is in the UK, is there anyone who is familiar with this sort of insurance on the USA side of the pond?

Related anecdote: When I was in college, a knew a guy who played the double bass (orchestral "bass fiddle"). He used to take it to jobs on the subway! One day he came to class crestfallen. He told us he'd managed to break the neck off going through a low doorway. "Isn't it insured?" I asked.

"Not against stupidity" was the reply. 😱

--Peter

 

[Adam-T]

I don`t know about homeowners insurance but I hve dedicated camera insurance (as photography is my Job) and it covers replacement if I drop/damage the cam or it fails to the replacement value.. with an R-D1 a few years down the line when production stops of the R-D1S, the Replacement would be an M8 so if it breaks, they`d have to get me an M8..
I`d check Professional camera insurers for a quote

 

[strangely]

Camera cover via home insurance

Camera cover via home insurance

Peter, I've had a digicam replaced under house insurance cover. Our policy covered just about anything whilst it was away from the house, including cover for accidents (a child's juice bottle leaked all over it). It wouldn't normally cover wear and tear. There's usually a maximum value for individual items, but you can pay extra to specifically cover items that exceed that limit.

 

[nksyoon]

I just spoke to an insurance agent here in Switzerland yesterday as I'm taking a trip to Cuba. Basically here there are 2 main options: include it in household insurance, or buy specific insurance for valuable objects. There's a third option for professionals, which I'm not.

There are some differences between the 2 main options:

1. Accidental breakage (stupidity) is covered by the specific insurance but not household insurance.
2. Valuable object insurance for cameras is only limited to items less than 3 years old (to prevent "accidents" when new camera models are launched).
3. Valuable object insurance will pay compensation for an item at which it was valued when the insurance was applied for (so if your item appreciates, you need to restate the value for the policy) - whereas household insurance will pay replacement value for the item.

I don't know if this applies in other countries but thought it might be useful.