What is modified G1?

[WV67]

Hello,

I'm currently a Pentax slr & dslr user thinking of purchasing my first rangefinder. I'm thinking of purchasing a G1 but have a question. I've seen some ads that mention that a G1 has been modified to use the 35mm & 90mm lenses. Can someone enlighten me as to what that means?


Regards,

David

 

[Bob Michaels]

Older G-1's that have the new program to use the 21mm, and 35mm lenses in addition to the original 28,45, & 90mm lenses are referred to as "modified". However most of the later production models were built that way at the factory. You can tell which were built that way by the green sticker very visible inside the chamber for the film canister.

FWIW, I have both a G-1 and a G-2 but prefer the G-1 most of the time.

 

[foto_fool]

WV67 - if you want to use the 21mm and 35mm lenses on a G1 it must have a ROM upgrade. Unlike upgrading digital camera firmware, you have to send an unmodified G1 in to ToCAD for service ($45 and 5 week turnaround).

As Bob says, a G1 with the ROM upgrade will have a green sticker inside the film chamber where the canister sits. G1 bodies without the upgrade have a silver sticker (some have a red one?).

Again, as long as you don't want to shoot the 21mm or 35mm G lenses it does not matter whether your G1 has the upgrade. If you do want to shoot these lenses, make sure the G1 you buy has the green sticker, or you will have to have it serviced.

- John

 

[Bob Michaels]

I suggest getting the green sticker G-1 just so you can also get the 21mm Biogon. It is a spectacular lens.

 

[clintock]

Look at KEH for G1 bodies, they often have good deals on them.

 

[WV67]

Thanks, Bob. I plan on just getting the 45mm to start, but wanted clarification as to what the modification was. I decided on the G1 over the G2 mainly because of the price difference there seemd to be between the two.


David

 

[WV67]

Thanks, John. I've seen the green sticker referred to on some G1's for sale on evilbay. That helps.

David

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Thanks, John. I've seen the green sticker referred to on some G1's for sale on evilbay. That helps.

David

You just have to ask. Mine is a green sticker though no mention or photos of it in the ebay ad. Its likely I saved a few bucks because of that too.

 

[jaap]

Even if you don't plan to get/use either a 35mm or a 21mm, always prefer the "green sticker" G1s.

The "green sticker" means that you are quite certain to get a camera on which the AF accuracy and reliability has been doublechecked, in particular with the 90mm Sonnar.

Some "silver sticker" G1s suffer from erratic AF behavior at short distance, which is quite an issue when you use the 90mm. Even the 45mm can be fooled by these defective cameras if you shoot wide-open and at very short distances.

It was a CPU problem which probably made Kyocera promptly release the G2 to salvage the G system from the banqueroute. The "green sticker" G1s were either cameras made when the G2 had already been launched, or former "silver sticker" G1s sent for a free CPU-fix at the factory in the late 1990s.

That said, there are many "silver sticker" G1s which worked very well from the first day even with the 90mm. That was a kind of Japanese Russian roulette.

this is all bla bla bla

 

[haagen_dazs]

FWIW, I have both a G-1 and a G-2 but prefer the G-1 most of the time.

just curious
why is that so?

 

[jaap]

the point is that in some cases the passive af is not sensitive enough even with the g2. So they added an active af in the G2. This only works for 3 meters or less. So further then 3 meters there's is no difference in af measurement between a g1 and a g2. The green sticker means that the g1 can identify a 35mm or a 21mm lens. The cpu error was a marketing issue

 

[WV67]

Thanks for all the replies. Helpful folks with helpfull info.

Regards,

David