ddimaria
Well-known
Copied below is an email exchange. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Any ideas on where to go next?
ME: Hello, I was looking for information on whether it would be possible to modify the finder of my RD-1. Would you know if it would be possible to switch the RD-1's finder with that of the Bessa R? Also Could this be done with/or without changing the framelines as well? Could this be done with the R2 etc? If possible would you be interested in doing such a job?
Thank You,
D DiMaria
REPLY:
David,
I've been repairing cameras since l975 after a 2 year apprenticeship at Leitz in Wetzlar, Germany. I've repaired 100s of different types of rangefinder cameras. The Epson R-D1 rangefinder is with no doubt- the WORST EVER R/F to adjust. THE WORST. I MEAN THE WORST_WORST. There is NO WAY I would ever want to do anything special to that piece of junk of a R/F-
Hey- did I mention that that R/F in the R-D1 is THE WORST EVEN R/F EVER
MADE?
Well, I guess you get the point. Too bad, because the Epson R-D1 camera
is a great camera- except for that RANGEFINDER,
regards,
ME: Hello, I was looking for information on whether it would be possible to modify the finder of my RD-1. Would you know if it would be possible to switch the RD-1's finder with that of the Bessa R? Also Could this be done with/or without changing the framelines as well? Could this be done with the R2 etc? If possible would you be interested in doing such a job?
Thank You,
D DiMaria
REPLY:
David,
I've been repairing cameras since l975 after a 2 year apprenticeship at Leitz in Wetzlar, Germany. I've repaired 100s of different types of rangefinder cameras. The Epson R-D1 rangefinder is with no doubt- the WORST EVER R/F to adjust. THE WORST. I MEAN THE WORST_WORST. There is NO WAY I would ever want to do anything special to that piece of junk of a R/F-
Hey- did I mention that that R/F in the R-D1 is THE WORST EVEN R/F EVER
MADE?
Well, I guess you get the point. Too bad, because the Epson R-D1 camera
is a great camera- except for that RANGEFINDER,
regards,
Chicagobob
Beginner!
wow
wow
Wow! Thanks, I needed that!:bang:
wow
Wow! Thanks, I needed that!:bang:
M4streetshooter
Tourist Thru Life
Kinda funny....
cause the only thing good about the 2 M8's I returned was the rangefinder....everything else was junk.......
cause the only thing good about the 2 M8's I returned was the rangefinder....everything else was junk.......
pfogle
Well-known
if it works, don't fix it - if it doesn't, send it to DAG 
-edit - unless that's where the email came from???
-edit - unless that's where the email came from???
fgianni
Trainee Amateur
While it is known that the R-D1 is slightly less reliable that an old Trabant, and that the RF can get easily misaligned even by minor knocks, DAG does not seem to have any problem in re-aligning them, and for the more technically minded thare are instructions on how to do it yourself (see http://www.richcutler.co.uk/ ) looking at the instructions it does not seem rocket science to me.
And with a perfectly aligned RF (and the 1.33 magnifier) I get good results even with a Lux 75 wide open at close distance, so the "worst RF ever made" claim seems a bit exaggerated to me.
See :
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33918&page=2&highlight=noctilux+challenge
Scroll down to post #40 for an example taken at 1.5m distance
I don't know if everyone uses the same focusing technique as me, but to get it right with a very fast lens at close distance, I only do the coarse focusing using the focusing ring, and then do the fine focusing rocking my head, for me it works much better.
Just my 2c
Cheers
And with a perfectly aligned RF (and the 1.33 magnifier) I get good results even with a Lux 75 wide open at close distance, so the "worst RF ever made" claim seems a bit exaggerated to me.
See :
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33918&page=2&highlight=noctilux+challenge
Scroll down to post #40 for an example taken at 1.5m distance
I don't know if everyone uses the same focusing technique as me, but to get it right with a very fast lens at close distance, I only do the coarse focusing using the focusing ring, and then do the fine focusing rocking my head, for me it works much better.
Just my 2c
Cheers
Last edited:
nemjo
Avatar Challenge
fgianni said:
Well, I've owned two Trabants. One bought used, one new, and used them for about six years.
If the RD's RF is just slightly less reliable than those were, i guess it still remarkable.
nemjo
BTW the expert hasn't answered the question about changing it...
Last edited:
fgianni
Trainee Amateur
nemjo said:Well, I've owned two Trabants. One bought used, one new, and used them for about six years.
If the RD's RF is just slightly less reliable than those were, i guess it still remarkable.
nemjo
BTW the expert hasn't answered the question about changing it...
Ok maybe I have been a but unfair towards the Trabant, however how many repairs did you have to do during those 6 years?
mwooten
light user
I've always wondered, does the RD1 share rangfinders with any of the bessa R group of cameras?
nemjo
Avatar Challenge
fgianni said:Ok maybe I have been a but unfair towards the Trabant, however how many repairs did you have to do during those 6 years?
Nearly nothing. That was the last car that I dared and managed to repair myself.
The main risk was the mixture. Once the fuelstation didn't put in any oil - nna that was out of my knowledge to maintain.
nemjo
fgianni
Trainee Amateur
nemjo said:
No oil? That probably meant a new engine!
jlw
Rangefinder camera pedant
ddimaria said:
Sounds like someone who drank the Wetzlar Kool-Aid during his apprenticeship!
You need to try some different vendors.
Incidentally, yes, the R-D 1's RF module is basically the same as that used in various Cosina/Voigtlander models... not surprising, since Cosina did the mechanical/optical assembly under contract. So that means there are a lot of cameras out there being successfully used and serviced with this "worst-ever" RF assembly.
Tuolumne
Veteran
I have taken my two R-D1 cameras to Essex camera repair in New Jersey to have the view finder aligned. Despite the fact they were the first R-D1s they had ever seen, they aligned them without complaint. They have since stayed completely aligned, including one that I banged around on a recent two weeks trip to Israel. The R-D1 finder is no better or worse than the finders on the other CV rangefinders, which is to say, not that bad at all.
/T
/T
nemjo
Avatar Challenge
fgianni said:
Maybe I was lucky, but in those days ( the 80-ies) ther were several good repairmen in Hungary, so it was covered much cheaper.
However they disappeared since.
Awhile ago I have a Käfer, and it is very hard to find somebody to do the regular services on the engine.
Very similar to photo-gear services...
nemjo