R-D1 Shutter Longevity?

[sonwolf]

Has anyone had a problem with the R-D1 shutter after long and heavy use? Someone who has shot 50,000-100,000 exposures on the camera. I mostly use a Canon DSLR in my work and currently only use the R-D1 sparingly. 50,000 might seem like a high number, but when I am busy, I easily shoot 1000-2000 per week.

 

[jmarcus]

I have shot 19,000 with mine. No problems so far.

James

 

[edhohoho]

Supposed shutter problems

Supposed shutter problems

I'm not sure exactly which thread, but I am pretty sure I read somewhere on RFF that someone brought their R-D1 to Steve's Camera in Los Angeles to have the rangefinder adjusted and (I am paraphrasing here) some kind of prophylactic/preventative/pre-emptive repair or tuning of the shutter.

I'm not sure what that shutter adjustment would be, but I would be interested in finding out more about it just to make sure I'm not missing out on something that could potentially extend the longevity of the R-D1.

I've had to return the camera for repair a total of 3 times in order to get one with a well-adjusted rangefinder, but now that I have one that is well-aligned and focusing properly, it's a joy to use and I don't think about it as a time bomb ticking away with every shutter click.

But I have read that some have had major shutter failures, so I would also like to hear about what the repair process was like, or whether the camera has to be totally replaced at that point.

 

[JonasYip]

But I have read that some have had major shutter failures, so I would also like to hear about what the repair process was like, or whether the camera has to be totally replaced at that point.

My R-D1 had a shutter assembly failure (i.e. not the shutter itself, but some part of the mechanics) at about 4000 shots. In my research at the time, it seemed that several other people had similar experiences. After realizing that Epson didn't have a clue, I brought it to Steve and he fixed it without needing new parts from Epson. I didn't get the specifics, but he identified some weak point in the assembly, and felt that he was able to make it stronger and says that my fixed R-D1 should have no more problems.

If he get an R-D1 in and happens to be in there, I think he'll do that fix while he's at it (hence the "prophylactic" fix that edhohoho mentions). I actually have a second R-D1 body that I bought while I was uncertain of the future of that first one, and I'm assuming it may very well fail like the first...

But I'm not too worried about it given my experiences with Steve. Since I had him fix that first R-D1 and wrote it up here at RFF, he's had quite a few more R-D1's pass through so he knows the camera well now. Actually, he had me bring back my R-D1 at some point so he could make some other "pre-emptive" fix that he discovered while servicing later R-D1 customers. Unfortunately I didn't get details so I can't tell you what the issue was....

j

 

[sonwolf]

Steve calibrated my rangefinder, great to hear he can also keep the shutter working.

Judging by the responses, I should still keep the R-D1 my secondary camera when shooting 1000+ images in a week.

 

[sbaruche]

shutter failure

shutter failure

My shutter failed twice within one year and Steve had to repair it twice now it is working nicely I believe it was a mechanical issue and no part had to be changed

Hope cannot comment further on the longevity

I do not know after how many shot this happened as this was a second habd RD1 how can I found out how many actuation ?

thanks

Sylvain

 

[edhohoho]

I was going to drop by the store sometime to inquire about R-D1 and lens adjustments, so I'll ask about the specific shutter repairs and report back later. At first I was hesitant to bring my camera there, but based on the positive experiences from RFF members, I would feel more comfortable delivering and picking up the camera and lenses locally as opposed to shipping them to DAG or Sherry Krauter (with all due respect to their renowned service abilities).

 

[RFNewbie]

My shutter failed after 7k actuations

My shutter failed after 7k actuations

After 5k, it started to act funny with random black images. At first, I thought it was the battery issue with non OEM batteries (I read that in one of the threads on this forum). After correcting and only using Epson batteries, it acted up again at 5.5k actuations. Then I suspected it was the memory cards because it only occurred with the Kingston memory cards and not the Sandisk. That was good until the 6k mark. Over the course of 2 months, it just got worst. I finally decided to call Epson's tech line. The guy I called was a Leica rangefinder guy and was pretty knowledgable, thinking it was a shutter problem. He advised me to send it in for repair to Epson since it was still under warranty. A quick and simple shutter repair he said. When I got my camera back in less than 2 weeks, I looked at the paperwork which said. Updated firmware, replacement parts: new body. I was thinking, this is weird. Why would they update the firmware? I already had the latest. I looked at the SN, which matched my original one that I sent in but upon closer examination, it looked new. I had a couple of paint chips on the buttons in the bottom prior to sending it in but now, they were gone. No sign of touchup paint. I thought this a little strange but the SN matched. Then I looked at the screen, my protective plastic is missing. hmm....maybe they took it off. Then I looked at the bottom again. The label looked a little strange. It was in Japanese. So I looked at the pics I took of the R-D1 prior to sending it in. The label was in English. Then it finally clicked. Instead of replacing or repairing the sticking shutter, Epson simply replaced the entire camera.

Yippy!!!! Nice. Thanks Epson. You're the best. I know actually wait and hope for the next generation of Epson's rangefinders if they ever come. 😀