RD1 for me?

[danielnorton]

After swearing off digital a year ago, I find myself considering an rd1 these days.

I'm a commercial photographer and I've got a few clients that insist on digital. I've been using my canon 10D, but I really don't like the feel of it and I never use my canon film slrs anymore and would like to clean house.

Seems silly to keep all those big Canon lenses, just for a few digital clients when all my other 35 work is shot with Bessas.

I guess my biggest "problem" is you can't rent a RD1 and I hate to buy something for $2500 that I am not at least mostly sure will work for me.

Ideally someone knows of a place I can rent the camera in NYC or maybe someone here has one and they could meet up with me and let me "play" with it a bit.

Short of that, I'd love for someone to send me a few files straight out of the camera - portraits would be best - studio lit even better - so I can do a comparison to my canons..

Thanks!

- Daniel

 

[pfogle]

Hi Daniel,

I do portraits, but I tend to use my Canon in the studio, so I this is the closest I could find to what you wanted.

It's not straight out of the camera - it's RAW through Capture 1 LE, with all default options.

If you'd like some other pix, please let me know.

mark_1.jpg

(Nokton 50mm f5.6, ISO 200)

Phil

 

[danielnorton]

Thanks Phil, I'll take a look..

I used to use my Canon slrs and then dlsr in the studio for portraits, but have been loving my bessa for this lately..

 

[photogdave]

Hey Daniel!
I've done some street shooting with the RD-1 but no studio stuff. However, I would question whether the file sizes it generates would be large enough for those clients who insist on digital.
I've noticed some clients/agencies/publications insist on minimum file sizes of 50 MB or more. If this doesn't apply to your situation, then the RD-1 is a great camera at lower ISOs. IF you will need larger files, then despite its expense, the forthcoming Leica M8 may be the way to go.
BTW, enjoying my new Mamiyas!

 

[RIVI1969]

Hello Daniel,

I have a few portraits taken with my RD1... I love the image quality, the texture and the tonal range with the CV lenses, for me, it gives me far better results than those I get with my Nikon DSLR, but I haven't use it with strobes or anything like that, in fact I strongly recommend you the Canon 5D instead if you are going to use it for professional work, the file size does matter here. But for the pleasure of taking digital pictures, there is nothing like the RD1. (for now)

 

[RIVI1969]

I am sorry, I forgot to mention that you can find those portraits here in my gallery. Best regards, Ricardo

 

[danielnorton]

Thanks everyone for the input and samples, as it turns out a fellow RFF member in NYC contacted me and I went to see his RD1 - Love at first sight 😀

We are setting up a time for me to do a studio test with it, I'll post some results here.

The file size should not be a problem since I'm shooting with a 10D for these clients now, they are mostly lower budget web only catalogs.

For the bigger jobs that require huge files I either shoot Medium format film or rent a digiback.

I had considered the 5D for a while, but it just does nothing for me, I enjoy working with an RF much better.

 

[pfogle]

Daniel, the file size of a 16 bit tiff from the R-D1 is around 36 MB, easily large enough to uprez to a 50MB file, especially if your images don't contain a lot of fine detail.

I'm looking at using older, softer lenses where the look is more important than the amount of information in the image. For more fussy clients, there are always the other options, as you mention.

 

[danielnorton]

Studio Shots

Studio Shots

I have to say, I loved the way the RD1 handled in the studio and was super pleased with the results. Both Images shot with the 50/1.4 the first one wide open with the modeling light, the 2nd one at f4 with the strobe firing.
Definitely will be ordering one next week from Japan..

 

[danielnorton]

Summar

Summar

And one from my 70 year old summar, wide open (f2) using the modeling light

 

[yoshimura]

I have to say, I loved the way the RD1 handled in the studio and was super pleased with the results. Both Images shot with the 50/1.4 the first one wide open with the modeling light, the 2nd one at f4 with the strobe firing.
Definitely will be ordering one next week from Japan..

Daniel, you won't regret it...

 

[rvaubel]

Daniel, you won't regret it...

I'll second that. I want the M8 too but I'll never let go of my sweet RD1. There's a thread going on about how digital cameras become obsolete in about 5 minutes. The RD1 proves that belief wrong. Any camera that can provide the pleasure of using 50 year old lenses with good effect, could never become obsolete.

Rex

 

[Mark Norton]

I agree, I bought my R-D1 as a stop-gap before the M8 came out but I knew as soon as I lifted it out of the box that this camera is a keeper.

 

[Geo]

A keeper, that's what it is.
Besides the fact that it's so wonderfully build, it's so great to have a cam
that can handle so many lenses and situations.
Geo

 

[Aurelius]

I'm looking at using older, softer lenses where the look is more important than the amount of information in the image.

Do you have a particular lens in mind?
/TBS

 

[Didier]

I'm looking at using older, softer lenses where the look is more important than...

Old? Soft? Canon 50/1.2!

- wide open (the flare at the bottom left is probably dued to an old Canon UV filter with a coating defect, not the lens. I prefered to use it for protection, in a bar at 02.00 AM you knever know what might happen... splashing drinks or whatever)
- at f2.0

Didier

 

[pfogle]

love that first shot, didier - and daniel, that first one of yours is amazing - is that the 'lux wide open? I prefer the continuous light - as well as the softness from the aperture, I like to see a subtle bit of movement in a studio shot - takes the edge off the formality, IMO.

I haven't tried many lenses - I have a Summar that I like, and a Canon 35/2.8 - I'm using a few nice older lenses on my Canon 1Dm2, though.

 

[danielnorton]

thanks..

thanks..

is that the 'lux wide open? I prefer the continuous light - as well as the softness from the aperture, I like to see a subtle bit of movement in a studio shot - takes the edge off the formality, IMO.

Thanks for the kind words, Yes, that's the 'lux wide open..

I agree about the movement/softness taking away the edge/formality I will definitely be shooting wide open with this lens for my portraits and personal work, but it's nice to see how crispy the lens can be stopped down, since that's something I need for fashion/catalog type stuff.

I have to say also that raw shooting has come a long way since I first tried it with my Canon DLSR - the epson software was easy and fast to use.