Wither R-D1?

GeneW

GeneW

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With PMA 2007 on the horizon, are there any tidbits surrounding the R-D1? R-D2 in the works? Epson turns it all over to Cosina? Rumours? Speculation?

It's a pity this interesting camera isn't marketed by a more committed company.

Head Bartender, any buzz reached your ears?

Gene
 
With Cosina coming out with a new Bessa 4A and 4M, you'd think with a 8 megapixel Sony sensor the two would be a perfect match to make a R-D2.
 
GeneW said:
With PMA 2007 on the horizon, are there any tidbits surrounding the R-D1? R-D2 in the works? Epson turns it all over to Cosina? Rumours? Speculation?
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No rumours and speculations at all. From my personal estimation, I'm not shure if Epson will continue this project. They did not make one single $ with it, but got a lot of bad reviews and feedbacks because of the QC issues. I've read that this project was very controversially disputed at the Epson headquarter. Cosina alone? They will not be able to implement the digital part soon. They're a optical/mechanical factory.

As posted several times, I believe the Epson DRF project is dead, and the next digiotal rangefinder will likely be from Zeiss and Cosina - with Zeiss QC, more expensive than the Epson but not as much as the M8.

Didier
 
Unless someone else picks up on the project and can make it work,its going to sit for a long time. I dont believe that its dead, someone knows there is money to be made with a retro style semi mechanical digital camera. There is a core group of technicians out there that feel the R-D1 was an exelent project with some very solid implementations, and clever design ideas.
The fact that there were numerous companies involved leads me to believe that the Epson R-D1 will not have a brother but will in fact be taken up by another consortium of companies. I think you might be on the ball there Didier with your Zeiss/Cosina model.
 
Didier said:
They did not make one single $ with it, but got a lot of bad reviews and feedbacks because of the QC issues.
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The money thing won't deter them much, I reckon.

The QC issues and the complaint s about the lack of aftersales customer support... perhaps they for once should listen to that. Epson has a similarly poor track record when it comes to their printers.
 
I personally have no opinion on the likelihood of a successor to the R-D1, but the article on zone-numerique was written nearly two years ago ... I hardly think that interview is still relevant ... so yeah, was is the operative word. :(

My question to Gene, though, is ... what's up? You tired of the *ist? I think you sold off one of the Canon digicams, and you certainly have enough RFs to satisfy b&w film needs. Inquiring minds want to know!
 
Nemo said:
Epson was working in a R-D2:

http://www.zone-numerique.com/DetailTest.aspx?Testid=40&p=1
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Mmh, sorry to interfere with an info that could have been a good news, but this article is dated from 2005... and it does not refer at all at the R-D2 but was aiming at the R-D1s.

This link has already been pointed at in another forum concerning the rumours about the Epson's policy on that matter, but it's just outdated.

The new generation after R-D1 is R-D1s, and that's all for the time being.

So what... despite all the criticisms and bad points of that camera, it's still one of a kind, affordable (yes, it can be, I bought mine for 1200 € in Japan, on a website), well-built, and fun camera to use, isn't it ?

If it has no future, so be it, who's gonna fight against free market economy's money-oriented companies policies?:bang:

Let's just enjoy the fact that the camera exists - Thanks EPSON! - and live with that.:p

And the more we can convince people that it's a great camera, the more chances there are that the R-D1 users community grows, and appeals to Epson's or other manufacturer ;) ears.
 
Well..

We know Cosina has the ability to swing some interesting deals - if Epson doesn't "pick it up".. maybe someone else will?

Rollei? (bahahahahahahaa... no.. seriously... bahahahahahahahaha)

or maybe some other brand?

Dave
 
Call me crazy, but ... combine Antonio Perez's dream of "waking up on Jan. 1, 2008 as digital company" and what Kodak has learned from the M8 "experience" ... maybe they want to slide into that space? Digital Retina anyone?

Like I said, call me crazy ... :D :D :D
 
If they took the bulk of the RD1's innards, substituted the current 10MP chip from the Nikon D200 (which doesn't have overblown IR sensitivity) for the 6MP D100 chip, wrote updated firmware for it of course, and fit it into the Zeiss Ikon body with its better-made rangefinder, and sold it for $3000 there'd definitely be one in my bag. Maybe this time they could try HP to do it :D
 
dcsang said:
We know Cosina has the ability to swing some interesting deals - if Epson doesn't "pick it up".. maybe someone else will? Rollei? or maybe some other brand? Dave
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I can't repeat enough: ZEISS is the only one who might, who will jump into that.

Who made a Leica-challenging film rangefinder Camera in the past years, together wirh Cosina/Voigtlander? - ZEISS. Who is producing M-glass with retrofocal (thus sensor suitable) design? - ZEISS. And who is patiently waiting for the introduction of next generation full frame sensors? Guess who.

Didier

btw: Forget Rollei. It's just a traded-around brandname like Voigtlander. No real company, identity behind. But Zeiss is a very healthy, profit making company - and selling rangefinder photography gear is just a small (but prestigious) sidedish for them.
 
Nemo said:
Epson was working in a R-D2:

http://www.zone-numerique.com/DetailTest.aspx?Testid=40&p=1
Click to expand...


Moan... [sorry] ...that article is 2 years old, and was discussed here several times. Obviously, Epson's management decided otherwise. All that came out since was the "improved" R-D1s - a joke if you consider that the "improvement" in form of a firmware-upgrade is freely available and can be applied for the older model, too. The article just shows what the head developer Eddie Edatsune was wishing, two years ago. An unbinding statement like "yes we'll go on"... But what counts are the products that reach the real world...

Didier
 
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I wouldn't mind seeing a Zeiss offering, but it will likely cost more than I can afford. That's why I like the idea of a Cosina collaboration with someone on the electronics side. Fuji, Sigma, Pentax ... someone trailing the industry leaders and willing to take up a challenge. Pipe dreams, I know.

Gene
 
Gene: Sadly, I agree with you ... a pipe dream. For the foreseeable future, RF photography is primarily an analog domain. Mama, don't take my Tri-X, Reala & Kodachrome away.
 
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