What next? Need help with RD-1

[ddimaria]

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,

 

[Chicagobob]

wow

wow

Wow! Thanks, I needed that!:bang:

 

[M4streetshooter]

Kinda funny....

cause the only thing good about the 2 M8's I returned was the rangefinder....everything else was junk.......

 

[pfogle]

if it works, don't fix it - if it doesn't, send it to DAG 😉

-edit - unless that's where the email came from??? 😱 😱

 

[fgianni]

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

 

[nemjo]

While it is known that the R-D1 is slightly less reliable that an old Trabant,

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...

 

[fgianni]

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]

I've always wondered, does the RD1 share rangfinders with any of the bessa R group of cameras?

 

[nemjo]

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]

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

No oil? That probably meant a new engine!

 

[jlw]

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...

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]

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

 

[nemjo]

No oil? That probably meant a new engine!

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

 

[pfogle]

No oil? That probably meant a new engine!

sorry, I'm being a bit thick here, but I can't see where you put the oil in the rangefinder...:bang:

 

[fgianni]

sorry, I'm being a bit thick here, but I can't see where you put the oil in the rangefinder...:bang:

That's not a big problem, also I'm sure Nemjo can't find the RF adjustment screws on his Trabant either. 😀