Which option M8, M8.2, M9, R-D1, R-D1s, R-D1x?

Which option M8, M8.2, M9, R-D1, R-D1s, R-D1x?

  • M8

    Votes: 49 16.6%

  • M8.2

    Votes: 27 9.2%

  • M9

    Votes: 100 33.9%

  • R-D1

    Votes: 41 13.9%

  • R-D1s

    Votes: 19 6.4%

  • R-D1x

    Votes: 7 2.4%

  • Still waiting for something more

    Votes: 52 17.6%
  • Total voters
    295
There ought to be a choice for "any of the above."
dRF isn't a replacement for film, but a nice complement.
Because I like to use film, I'd really like to have a FF dRF just to keep the effective FL the same, but that will have to wait for a few years. Either the M8 or the R-D1 are capable appealing platforms.
 
The M8 and the must/optional IR filters have put me off for a (GREAT!!!) R-D1 which offers so beautiful colors and natural B&W. Although the M8 is a capable RF, no doubt.
Changing lenses with my other M's would have been a pain in the neck as I'm also using indifferently colour slides and B&W and filters. Not worth it.
Also, the noisy M8 shutter were at the time a cons'. With the M8.2, I thought over again, but...then...the M9 came up ! I'll wait for that, maybe. The M7 is for now quite enough, for B&W there is not better than a traditional M and its cloth shutter.
 
I've only owned the RD-1 and absolutely love the ergonomics and interface - just about perfect for a digital alternative for RF's using legacy lenses as far as handling goes, but I was sometimes frustrated by the 1.5x crop factor and the image quality in low light. I was also plagued more and more by hot pixels as the years went by, and began to spend an inordinate amount of time using the healing brush in PS to get a decent print.

Couldn't afford an M8, much less an M9, so I've switched back to film and an OM system after selling the RD1 and all my M and LTM lenses. For me, it was a financial, practical, and aesthetic decision. I felt like I could get more bang for my buck that way and wanted to back away from digital after five years of almost nothing but. Sometimes wish I'd kept the M lenses and got an M3, or kept the R3A, or some other alternative, but think the change did me some good and I'm happy for now with the OM's - they may be SLR's, but very RF- like.

Let me just say that I have no problem with digital, just a personal choice on my part to return to film for at least a few years. I'll be able to retire in about twelve years and who knows what will be available then? I may go back to digital some day, but for now, I'm good. Wish you all the best too!

EDIT: I voted for still waiting for something more!
 
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I'm still pretty happy with the R-D 1 (and probably would be even happier with the R-D 1x as it would be handy to be able to use SDHC cards, a no-brainer capability that Leica ludicrously omitted from the M9.) None of the current options are compelling enough to make me switch/upgrade. I'm mostly a normal-to-long shooter, so the APS-C format actually is a plus for me.

What might make me switch/upgrade would be an R-D 1-style camera with:

-- Same 1:1 viewfinder, but with frameline and accurate focus capability for a lens in the 75-85-90 range.

-- SDHC with bigger buffer and faster write speed.

-- APS-C sensor with higher pixel count (12 mp would be plenty) and higher top ISO. The R-D 1 produces beautiful ISO 1600 files, but sometimes I need to go beyond that.

-- Higher-capacity battery for more shots per charge.

None of this is technologically far-fetched: in fact, an R-D 1x with a Zeiss Ikon range/viewfinder, a Nikon D300s sensor package, and a bigger battery would do it. Too bad cameras aren't made Lego-style, so I could just snap those pieces together...
 
jlw said:
I'm still pretty happy with the R-D 1 (and probably would be even happier with the R-D 1x as it would be handy to be able to use SDHC cards, a no-brainer capability that Leica ludicrously omitted from the M9.) None of the current options are compelling enough to make me switch/upgrade. I'm mostly a normal-to-long shooter, so the APS-C format actually is a plus for me.

What might make me switch/upgrade would be an R-D 1-style camera with:

-- Same 1:1 viewfinder, but with frameline and accurate focus capability for a lens in the 75-85-90 range.

-- SDHC with bigger buffer and faster write speed.

-- APS-C sensor with higher pixel count (12 mp would be plenty) and higher top ISO. The R-D 1 produces beautiful ISO 1600 files, but sometimes I need to go beyond that.

-- Higher-capacity battery for more shots per charge.

None of this is technologically far-fetched: in fact, an R-D 1x with a Zeiss Ikon range/viewfinder, a Nikon D300s sensor package, and a bigger battery would do it. Too bad cameras aren't made Lego-style, so I could just snap those pieces together...
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i'd like one (or 2) of those also!
 
back alley said:
vic, don't be afraid to give a used rd1 a try...best thing i ever did, photo wise.
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Every now and then I think I should sell my R-D1 to upgrade to one of the "better" cameras out there. Just to make sure, I sanity check myself by taking it out to take some pictures. Every time, I come back swearing never to let it go. 🙂
 
I don´t want to wait. I want to take pictures, want to see the world today!

After some dozen cameras and at last a lot of digital cams (Canon, Nikon, Leica, Pana, etc) the R-D1, bought one year ago only by curiosity, was a revelation. Back to the roots, thinking and acting in terms of focal lenght, aperture, speed and iso, nothing more. I don´t need all this computer stuff around the cambody, makes me sick.

But the finder is awesome, tilted framelines. There is always a feeling not to hold it right. Only a right finder patch makes it working beautiful. And the sound isn´t, what I´m expecting. Not quiet enough and to hard. You know the difference between a door from a volvo and a little fiat 🙂 But the pics are terrific, love the colors and also the b/w. NO, absolutley no doubt about it.

So I was looking from time to time again to Leica and last days got a new M8.2 by half the costs of a M9. So, that was the break not to wait for a M9 (and I still have an excuse if the pics are not prime 🙂 But to be honest, the chip is the same. Comparing to the one of a M9 it is smaller, so it has less resolution and when did you do your last large print? Its big enough for croping and big enough for all what I´m orderd and what I´m selling. At the high end I get some extra focal lenght and the low end is wide enough with a 21mm (=28mm) or even 15mm (=20mm). Wearing specs the finder is is great, more precise and a better focusing. And the shutter is a melody. So what.

Now I´m not sure what to do, keep the R-D1 or not to get additional glasses. That´s the reason I asked for multiple choices ... have to think about it, life is such a pleasure.
 
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Depends if you like APS-H format (no more 50 aka 75mm lenses), red filters and sharpies. 🙄 If so, you would loose a lot of money on your M8.2 imho. I would have your R-D1 repaired, or replaced, and use it for a few months longer. This way the M9 will become normally available and M8 & M8.2 prices should then drop more naturally.
 
LCT said:
Depends if you like APS-H format (no more 50 aka 75mm lenses), red filters and sharpies. 🙄 If so, you would loose a lot of money on your M8.2 imho. I would have your R-D1 repaired, or replaced, and use it for a few months longer. This way the M9 will become normally available and M8 & M8.2 prices should then drop more naturally.
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Sorry, you don´t understand, my R-D1 is in best condition, like a R-D1 could be.😀

And the other thing is, if you are thinking about money, you will never loose this money on a M8.2 as a M9. If the M9 will drops down from 5.5k € to 2.5k €, the M8.2 (new 3k €!) will loose less in the same time, otherwise the M8.2 would be worthless. Depends on you to pay 3k € more for FF, maybe even more after Jan. 1st 2010.
 
LCT said:
My English is not perfect but i had the feeling that you were not happy with your finder. Anyway you asked for advice didn't you? I gave you mine, it's now up to you.
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Yes ... hm, no ... my English is so bad ... I was only asking for "multiple choices" for this poll. Life is to short for only one R-D1 😉
 
My English is even worst i'm afraid but why did you write "the finder is awesome, tilted framelines. There is always a feeling not to hold it right"? I've got 2 Epson bodies and none of them has tilted framelines. I feel very comfortable with them in fact.
 
phototektour said:
Be happy !...
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Difficult to comprehend you i must say. You said that you are happy, and now that you are unhappy... So you are not happy right? Hence my advice above. Do what you want with it. People writing here share their knowledge and experience for free.
 
???
You said "...I've got 2 Epson bodies and none of them has tilted framelines. I feel very comfortable with them in fact..."
So I said "Be happy"

I wrote "...But the pics are terrific, love the colors and also the b/w. NO, absolutley no doubt about it..."
So I´m happy too.

But there are still some cons at all R-D1 and it seems, you are one of the owners without any cons. Be very happy, that´s all.

"...People writing here share their knowledge and experience for free..." I agree.
 
But it was you who asked for advice, not me! You make me loose my time phototektour. I won't try to help you next time you can trust me. 😡
 
RD-1s is my little girl, and will be until I can deviate money enough to buy an M.9 without being caught by my wife.

It would sound like this:

-Where is the money I gave you last saturday for buying bread? Because you came back without the bread.

-Honey, two boys came to me and stole the money while a third one was distracting me. Sorry.

And, 9 years after, voilà, an M.9!!! 🙄
 
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