New R-D1

[eyeman]

Received my new camera today...vertical alignment is fine but the focus patch is misaligned and the frame lines seem to be OOF on the left side of the viewfinder :bang: Is this something that can be adjusted...am I being too critical? Focus looks sharp...noise looks good...no hot pixels 😀 BTW the serial number on the camera is different than serial number on the box??? Current camera serial number 464X. What to do ?????????

eyeman

 

[T_om]

The different serial numbers alone would be enough for me to return this camera.

Something smells about that.

Tom

 

[loretdem]

Received my new camera today...vertical alignment is fine but the focus patch is misaligned and the frame lines seem to be OOF on the left side of the viewfinder :bang: Is this something that can be adjusted...am I being too critical? Focus looks sharp...noise looks good...no hot pixels 😀 BTW the serial number on the camera is different than serial number on the box??? Current camera serial number 464X. What to do ?????????

eyeman

Forget the box. If the focus patch is just SLIGHTLY crooked don't worry about it. As long as it's accurate then the slight misalignment is just a minor thing. Are the frame lines square? Often they are not and that can affect your shooting a bit. Does anyone know if DAG can "straighten out" the frame lines. Ed, would you know? My guess is DAG cannot. OOF on the left side sounds weird. No hot pixels is a winner! If you are going to be "too critical" be so with the focusing accuracy. Run tests with a fast 50mm or longer lens. Close range and at infinity. Test the limits of the rangefinder. If it starts failing at 75mm f1.4 do not be concerned. My 90mm f2.8 is accurate at all distances. That's my litmus test. If it can focus a long fast lens at close range with no hot pixels I'd have to say that's damn good.
eyeman, you mentioned earlier that you were waiting for your dealer to get more R-D1's from Epson USA. Is this one of the newer bodies? Did you try out any others. And what was the highest serial number?
-Carlos

 

[eyeman]

Hey loretem.

Haven't had too much time to test focus but it seems to be good...will do more testing tomorrow. A few hot pixels at 1600...not really an issue for me. Left side vertical frame line is OOF at all three focal lengths...center patch is rotated about 10 degrees.

I spoke with Epson and was told that these cameras for the most part are sold through a distribution network. I couldn't even be sure if B&H buys this product direct or through the east coast distributor. Epson did offer to replace this body and direct ship one to me from their warehouse in Indiana...might be my best bet for getting a "good" body. Actually, my dealer offered to have one drop shipped to me from Epson last week but I thought that doing it through the store made more sense...apparently not 🙁

I think that at this point I will be more comfortable dealing directly with Epson.

eyeman

BTW...are you in NYC?

 

[loretdem]

Hey loretem.

Haven't had too much time to test focus but it seems to be good...will do more testing tomorrow. A few hot pixels at 1600...not really an issue for me. Left side vertical frame line is OOF at all three focal lengths...center patch is rotated about 10 degrees.

I spoke with Epson and was told that these cameras for the most part are sold through a distribution network. I couldn't even be sure if B&H buys this product direct or through the east coast distributor. Epson did offer to replace this body and direct ship one to me from their warehouse in Indiana...might be my best bet for getting a "good" body. Actually, my dealer offered to have one drop shipped to me from Epson last week but I thought that doing it through the store made more sense...apparently not 🙁

I think that at this point I will be more comfortable dealing directly with Epson.

eyeman

BTW...are you in NYC?

10 degrees off!!??!! That's gotta be impossible. 10 degrees is a lot! You sure about that? The OOF framelines is an unusual defect and would require Epson USA to offer you a brand new replacement.
Make absolutely sure Epson sends you a brand new complete camera directly from Indiana. Without a doubt that's what I would do.
Are you telling us that B&H is out of R-D1's for now and this particular body is the only one they had to offer you?
I'm in Hudson, NY and am in NYC about twice a month.
-Carlos

 

[eyeman]

Carlos,

My other post might have been a bit confusing...I did not purchase from B&H, but from Adorama...I was told by Epson that most retailers (Adorama included) purchase this camera through a distributor in Rochester NY. I did check with B&H today and they currently have 4pcs. in stock.

I went today to return the body with the rotated patch and had planned to just purchase a camera directly through the Epson Store. Adorama had received another body today, serial #469X...the vertical alignment is off a bit, but other than that everything looks good. Epson tells me that this body arrived in the USA in late Dec. 05 and so I don't think that getting something directly from Epson at this point would make much difference.

I'm going to keep this body and spend some time taking photos 🙂

 

[loretdem]

Carlos,

My other post might have been a bit confusing...I did not purchase from B&H, but from Adorama...I was told by Epson that most retailers (Adorama included) purchase this camera through a distributor in Rochester NY. I did check with B&H today and they currently have 4pcs. in stock.

I went today to return the body with the rotated patch and had planned to just purchase a camera directly through the Epson Store. Adorama had received another body today, serial #469X...the vertical alignment is off a bit, but other than that everything looks good. Epson tells me that this body arrived in the USA in late Dec. 05 and so I don't think that getting something directly from Epson at this point would make much difference.

I'm going to keep this body and spend some time taking photos 🙂

Purchasing from the Epson Store might have added a whole other level of complexity to this process as the Store probably has little to do with the Indiana service facility.
I think you've done all that you could, and vertical alignment is not hard to eventually adjust. Congratulations, you have one of the latest R-D1's on the planet, I think. When you're ready please share with us how your R-D1 finally measures up. My camera's patch and framelines are only off kilter by a hair, vertical alignment perfect, close focusing perfect, infinity focus is perfect but very slightly off in the RF patch, one or two hot/dead pixels at 1600 JPEG but none at any other setting.
This bring me to my PMA speculation: Later this month at PMA, I think Epson is going to stop the current R-D1 at 5000 units and the remaining 5000 will be an upgraded R-D1a or R-D2 with an 8+MP sensor and the .7 mag VF/RF of the Bessa R2a possibly with 21mm frame lines, same body, same look, same QC problems, same warranty/service conundrum. Actually this is not speculation. This is what I think Epson SHOULD do (except for the QC and service parts).
-Carlos