What are people's reaction to the R-D1?

Most (in fact: all until now) think it's an old film camera. I usually carry mine in a halfcase with the back closed (so with hidden LCD).

Stefan.

echuta66 said:
When people see me shooting with this unique looking camera they are amazed that it's only 6.1 megapixels. They say what do you mean there's no flash, or autofocus, or zoom? I tell them it's a very rare sought after camera that's not for everyone. We are members of an elite society.

And when I tell them the price...and that most are gotten used...they can't understand that.

The first time I saw the camera on flickr, I had to have one.
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People think it's a film camera, a flea market camera vendor was talking to me and thought it was "what, about 15 years old?". people get puzzled about the need to cock the shutter manually and it being only 6mp. they also get amazed about the fact it has manual focus, and how the rangefinder works.

fun fact: while killing time at the frankfurt airport last october, i was looking at some leica m lenses in a shop, and coming from 11+ hours flying from Brazil, I probably looked like trash. I asked to try some and the salesman asked snobishly "these are for a leica m9. do you have a leica m9?", to which i replied "no, but it's ok, i don't need one" and took out the r-d1, took some shots and reviwed. he looked pretty puzzled :)
 
I was in a camera-shop to buy some SD-cards for the R-D1. Since I had problems with no-name-cards, I asked, if I could check the card in my camera.

The very friendly man there gave a card to test and when I put it in and took some pictures, he asked me, what strange thing that was. I explained to him and showed him the camera. Seeing the controls, realizing, that it's completely manually operated, having only 6 mp, he looked at me, as if I were a drunk alien from outer space telling weird stories...

But he loved it!

Most times, I show the camera to non-photographers, they simply don't believe. You know, the kind of "I want to believe"-believing, they simply don't get it and they look at me, as if I'm a little bit... strange. Well, they may be right.

PS: I have to add a big if to all this. If they react at all. Because since I have the R-D1, which is not that long, I use it nearly every day on the street and it almost never get recognized or noticed.
 
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i've had people ask if its a leica. hows that for baggage? Most of the time i get compliments, but most of the time they write it off like a film camera. until i show them the lcd. perception/deception. my red leatherette freaks people out too..
 
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I always use mine with the back closed. I always carry it under a jacket (with R-strap Black Rapid system), so nobody can see it; I'm most of the time shooting people without be seen, very quickly, for street-photography I'm like a ghost.
If the "model" turns his head because he hears the "clic", I'm already went away.
When I meet other photographers I never speak about cameras with them, because it's boring for me.
I think there's only my girlfriend and two or three friends who know this camera.
 
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I tell people it's an Epson. They look at me surprised because they didn't know Epson made cameras. I then tell them it's one of the rarest cameras around and much sought after...and elusive too. No lie in that! I wish I had a time machine to be taken back to the 1964 World's Fair and use it there.
 
It is often the Leica people who notice this camera and may even ask questions about it. I have been stopped and asked about my R-D1 about half a dozen times. Every time it was someone who owned a film M (one gentleman was carrying two in his suitcase and he said he had three more at home). The M8 receives very different attention. I sometimes get the I-know-what-that-is look and an occasional "nice camera" from a pro photographer with a big DSLR, but the R-D1 seems to get the questions and genuine interest. Beats me. They can't be seeing the cool dials from a distance.
 
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the common question i get is...what kind of camera is that?
followed by...it's not digital, is it?
and lastly and less frequently...is that an old leica?
 
People do ask what it is but few show any interest after I tell/show them unless they are photogs. I sold my RD1 but it was damaged in post and on it's way back. Hopefully it can be repaired for the insurance. If so I'll be glad it's returning :D
 
I've been using my constantly since 2004 when I bought it. It has never failed me. I rarely get questions about it. I've been working on a multi-year photo project for which it is the main camera. It spoils you! I never even think about the 6 Megapixels. It produces high quality images and continues to do so!

Jeff
 
bellyface said:
i've had people ask if its a leica. hows that for baggage? Most of the time i get compliments, but most of the time they write it off like a film camera. until i show them the lcd. perception/deception. my red leatherette freaks people out too..
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If it freaks people out, perhaps you should reconsider wearing fetish suits in public... :D
 
i just used mine today at an italian restaurant and was asked why it didn't have a flash. i gave them a quick speech on why flash is the worst for candid photos. that's another ball of wax topic on snapshots... I've always thought of cameras as being an extension of our ability to communicate with each other. to maybe bridge a gap. invoke an emotion. i think my little epson has helped with that.
 
Back in 2005 when I was carrying my (Leica) M6, I was often asked "how many megapixels?"

Oh, those not-in-the-know people...whatchagonna do, eh?
 
Gabriel M.A. said:
Back in 2005 when I was carrying my (Leica) M6, I was often asked "how many megapixels?"

Oh, those not-in-the-know people...whatchagonna do, eh?
Click to expand...

Some days ago, a colleage asked me the same about the R-D1. I gave him the correct Rolls Royce answer (when asking how many horse power): "Enough"

Although he don't knows how many MP the cam has, he knows two things now:
  1. It's a ridiculous expensive camera.
  2. His cheap Canon-P&S has at least two times as much MP...
:D
 
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