thinking about a drf

back alley

back alley

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and this is the only one i could afford.

i am liking my dslr very much (and especially those old minolta lenses) and i am thinking my zeiss lenses would be very nice going digital as well.

i should have moved quicker today as there was a nice rd1 with lens posted.
trading for one would be ideal but actually buying one might be the alternative i need to take.

there are some new ones on ebay and lightly used as well.

obsessing over this all day...
 
I finally just sold some stuff and bought one, off this forum. Don't regret it one bit. Great camera. You should just go for it...or maybe wait until later this week to make sure some $1500 CL digital isn't coming from Leica, ha ha. Even so the R-D1 is special. It's my new favorite camera.

I've been using a Pentax DSLR with old lenses...I love the mix of newfangledness and obsolescence. R-D1 is similar, and feels great.
 
Joe,

The Epson R-D1 has it's quirks and problem but if you can look beyond that, it's a pretty fun camera to play with. I love mine so much that I bought a second one. I'm sure you'll have a blast with yours if you should decide to get one. ZM and CV lenses works great with this machine.

Cheers,
 
To balance out the lovefest, here are the things I wish were different on the R-D1:

- less vignetting on wides
- 10MP instead of 6MP
- larger capacity memory cards
- wider framelines in VF/RF
- shutter that does not make ping sound
- less confusing menu system

But it's all nitpicking. It is SO MUCH FUN to shoot with...being able to keep the screen turned around and invisible is a joy. And I realize the shutter lever is a love/hate topic but I love it.

My secret hope is that someday, someone will write a hacked version of the firmware that fixes its shortcomings. But as it is, I don't use the firmware very much, ultimately.
 
so, new or used?

i can get a new in box body for about 2100 u.s.
and i have seen used ones for as low as 1200. today one sold with a 40 summicron for 1400!
 
i'm one of those who bought a used one (i think i ended up being the third owner). everything worked perfectly (some people have had problems with the new ones, sitting on a shelf for however long), except for a little dust on the sensor.

i bought it used because ii wasn't positive it would me my cup of tea and knew i could turn around and sell it for no loss. after using it, there is no way in hell i'm selling it -- love it way too much. also, the money saved in purchase may go towards fixing the shutter should it ever fail.

if i knew now what i knew then, perhaps i would have bought one new. but i needed $$$ for lenses so i kept it. and really have never thought of selling it to get a new one (though that option is always there. what can i say? i bonded with this body, this camera, and don't want to let it out of my hands.

if you feel comfortable with the seller (as i did mine), buy it used.

ooh, just saw it was already sold... well, hmmm. since ebay can be dicey, perhaps new is the way to go... a lot of help i am, aye?
 
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I bought new and it took 8 months for the rangefinder to get misaligned. Apart from that, not a single problem (knocking on wood). Having the warranty will save me from a $100 repair. If the used seller certifies the unit is working great, why not.
 
thanks for the replies, still unsure as to how to proceed.
i am pretty sure the rd1 is the way for me to go but am hesitant to spend the money.
maybe i should try to sell the cle kit first although the smaller lenses would be nice on the rd1.

more thinking required...
 
Why not wait until Photokina is over? You'll see if anything new and exciting is in the pipeline, and it also gives you a week to let your buying impulsion fade a little. If you still find yourself desiring an RD1 on the 29th, then start shopping.

I set mini "goals" like this for myself very often. They're very effective at curbing my desire to spend wildly on cameras, computers, watches, etc. YMMV!
 
Used R-D1s come and go here pretty often. In addition to waiting for any announcements at Photokina, I'd wait until an R-D1 gets listed here that looks attractive and then jump on it.

/T
 
BJ Bignell said:
Why not wait until Photokina is over? You'll see if anything new and exciting is in the pipeline, and it also gives you a week to let your buying impulsion fade a little. If you still find yourself desiring an RD1 on the 29th, then start shopping.

I set mini "goals" like this for myself very often. They're very effective at curbing my desire to spend wildly on cameras, computers, watches, etc. YMMV!
Click to expand...

holy !!! it's BJB! Where'd you come from? I haven't seen a post by you in a decade ...or so. BTW congrats on the 1000 th post.

Joe... sell your CL!! I'll faint. You've been through this before.. sell something else perhaps? I can't take the pressure. ;- )

BTW check out the Canon G9 or the Sony W300 P/S
 
jan, i know...i must be crazy cause i'll likely get another cle eventually.
it's the rd1 because i want to use my zm lenses. the 21,35 and 50 are the smaller versions so they should be fine on the rd1 (vf-wise).

maybe waiting till after the big photo show is a good idea though it's doubtful they will announce anything i can afford :)
 
back alley said:
jan, i know...i must be crazy cause i'll likely get another cle eventually.
it's the rd1 because i want to use my zm lenses. the 21,35 and 50 are the smaller versions so they should be fine on the rd1 (vf-wise).

maybe waiting till after the big photo show is a good idea though it's doubtful they will announce anything i can afford :)
Click to expand...

Got it Joe.
 
Joe,
Got to try Jeff Greene's Rd1 while here in NJ and it's one nice camera. Handling & ergo were great in my hands, the VF magnification made focusing super easy...
Good luck with your decision. They seem to average $1400-1500 here in the classifieds...
 
Joe, I'm using the CV lenses you sold me on my R-D1, as well as a bunch of vintage lenses, and it's an absolute pleasure. I cannot recommend the camera it highly enough.
 
have not pulled the trigger yet, too much money and missing that body/lens combo (1400 bucks) is still in the back of my head.
glad the cv lenses are working out for you.

joe
 
it's as if they have all dried up...

2 on ebay, one offer here at rff...

my goal is a perfect rd1s for 1200 bucks...1400 max.

call me silly ;)
 
From what I've read you may prefer the R-D1 to the R-D1s. The R-D1s had some "down grades" that made rf alignment less robust.

/T
 
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