R-D1 Replacment NR.3...Uhhhh..

A

atufte1@mac.com

Alexander Tufte
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Apr 26, 2005
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i'm on my R-D1 replacment number 3, the first one had many dead pixles, viewfinder framelines way off, the second even more deadpixels, but perfect viewfinder, since it had WAY to many deadpixels, i had to get a new one again, this time i got a camera with a even more off viewfinder than my first one, and as always a lot of deadpixels, i'm now waiting for an answer from Epson Europe on what's their next step in this case is...
Is this normal or am i just WAY out of luck in this case, i have never seen a product of any kind with so high "Lemon rate" as this camera...??!!

(They even said the last camera i got was personally checked by the quality control
at Epson Service Europe, and the camera box was opened and had a frame count
of 128 images so something has been done, but what, are they blind..??

Check this link to see how off the framelines really are, this was done with a tripod
perfectly alligned framelines with the edges of the painting, it almost comic to see
have bad it is...) (New Leica summicron 50/2)

http://www.alexandertufte.com/ViewfinderII.jpg

If it was'nt for my "true love" for this camera i would have got my money back for a long time ago, but i just have to own this camera no matter what, but i wont be
satisfied before i get a camera that work flawlessly, it's "ok" with a few dead/hot pixels at high ISO's but nothing else is acceptable with a camera in this pricerange...
I need some feedback from some of you R-D1 guys , what would you do in this case, and have any of you gone trough/heard of anything like this...

Any advice would be wildly appreciated...

Best Regards

Alexander Tufte

www.alexandertufte.com
 
Yep... that's the worst case of sailor v/f I've ever seen! I stopped when I got to body no. 4, but that's 'cos I ended up going into Calumet and trying them out in the shop, after returning 3 duds.

What to say, except persevere. I've had no trouble with my current body after 6 months or so, fingers crossed ;)

Phil
 
instead of replacing the camera, you should have it repaired. they'll map out the pixels and align the framelines as part of warranty service.
 
aizan said:
instead of replacing the camera, you should have it repaired. they'll map out the pixels and align the framelines as part of warranty service.
Click to expand...

I suggested this, but they said it had to be replaced, i dont know why, it seem's very
unpractical/uneconomical for Epson to replace every "lemon" from their production line,
since at least 3 of 10 is a "lemon", or at least it seems like it...?

I have not yet heard of anyone getting their R-D1 repaired for this faults, but maybe i
have'nt payed attention, if so why dont they repair mine...?

Thanks for the feedback...

Best Regards

Alexander Tufte

www.alexandertufte.com
 
They are offering to replace the camera as way to build their reputation. They came to market with a product that fills a very open niche. They also have what could be an awesome system if they can get better manufacturing results.

At that price point and with the niche that they have chosen, I can't imagine any other solution. Only replacement seems reasonable.
 
if the lemon rate really is high, i think they'd better serve their customers by repairing the camera instead of risk sending them another faulty camera. you should point that out and just demand that they repair the damn thing!
 
hmmm, I know the feeling. I am just marking time until this "I must have" camera is mine too.

I am concerned (but not dissuaded, yet...) about all the duds that are being delivered. The vendor I am looking at is in Germany: not a cheap UPS to be shipping back and forth.

Has anyone done a poll? How many were good on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd delivery? How many still good after 6 months? How many gave up?

Please Epson, work this one out!

BTW, are all 10,000 built? (Or, at least a large number of them) or, are they building as they work thru their inventories? Anyone know?
 
I'm sad to say that tomorrow I have to call Epson USA to send my R-D1 in for repair or replacement for a very crooked viewfinder frame-lines. I had the camera for about 3 weeks and didn't realize that the frame-lines were crooked until a recent trip. Before the trip I didn't shoot anything with straight lines and I never thought to check. During the trip I shot a building and found the problem. I was and still pretty bummed out because this is an awesome camera. I hope my call to Epson USA's tech support is good.
 
EPSON sent my 1st one back to Japan for a total rehaul. They lent me a loan unit and I finally got my original one back 3 months later - ITS PERFECT)
So they do repair rather than replace; at least sometimes......
 
I was just on the phone with Epson USA support about my crooked viewfinder frame-lines and they said it's possible that it's because my lens isn't calibrated to the viewfinder. Could this be or just wrong troubleshooting? I only have one lens so far which is a 50mm Summicron f2 collapsable so I'm unable to test their theory with another lens. What do you guys think? They're sending a return box for warranty service anyway but I don't want to waste my time if it's because of the lens.
 
004540 said:
I was just on the phone with Epson USA support about my crooked viewfinder frame-lines and they said it's possible that it's because my lens isn't calibrated to the viewfinder.
Click to expand...
Wow, that is a desperate stretch in aid of pushing off the fault of the body onto the customer's lens! No lens "calibration" is going to have any effect on the crookedness of viewfinder framelines. Seems to me there was this same issue with a batch of Bessa-R bodies, and the fix then was to replace as well. Might be worthwhile to seek out "factory refurbished" ones...
 
004540 said:
I was just on the phone with Epson USA support about my crooked viewfinder frame-lines and they said it's possible that it's because my lens isn't calibrated to the viewfinder. Could this be or just wrong troubleshooting? I only have one lens so far which is a 50mm Summicron f2 collapsable so I'm unable to test their theory with another lens. What do you guys think? They're sending a return box for warranty service anyway but I don't want to waste my time if it's because of the lens.
Click to expand...

In my case this is not it since i shoot with my 35/2 Summ, 28 and my 50/2 Summ, and its way off with all of them...(The same way, tilted to the right) and since when did we have to cailbrate every lens for a specific camera, what if you shot with both a Leica M6/7 with the same lenses and an R-D1, will you have to recalibrate for use between cameras...?
Does not make much sense to me... and my second R-D1 had perfect viewfinder
framlines with the same lenses...just a "fantasy amount of dead pixels"

Best Regards

Alexander Tufte
 
Crooked frame lines have nothing to do with the lens being mounted.

Cheers,

Sean
 
004540 said:
I was just on the phone with Epson USA support about my crooked viewfinder frame-lines and they said it's possible that it's because my lens isn't calibrated to the viewfinder. .
Click to expand...

Well that's what you have to expect if you buy a camera from a printer/scanner company, which mounts a chip into a body built elswhere. They obviously have no clue of what they are talking about.
Bertram
 
Bertram2 said:
Well that's what you have to expect if you buy a camera from a printer/scanner company, which mounts a chip into a body built elswhere. They obviously have no clue of what they are talking about.
Bertram
Click to expand...

What an ignorant remark!
 
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