Epson RD-1 US Availability

Just heard through one of my buyers that the RD-1 will be available through Samy's,

Calumet, and B&H in the US. Not sure if this is long term or not.

Do we already have one or two RD-1 users here? (Or is it too soon?) They are on sale in limited numbers here in the UK.

 

Can we expect some RD1 pictures here soon?

Trevor, I'll post some within the next day or two. I'm not sure web

images will tell you a huge amount about the RD-1's inate

imaging ability but they will at least show that not all these

cameras have focussing problems.

By the way, there have already been a few pictures posted on

photo.net by others using an RD-1. Howard in Hong Kong

posted a few recently and I'm sure I've seen some others. There

are plenty of examples from Japanese users of this cameras

e.g. <a href="http://j-lights.air-nifty.com/blog/epson_rd1/

index.html" target="_blank">here</a>.

That link I posted just now is also interesting in that it has

examples shot with the new 200 quid 40/1.4 from Cosina. If you

are a fan of the Noctilux (as I generally am) and like the wierd

bokeh from that lens, the 40/1.4 looks like an absolute bargain

for obtaining the same painterly background effects.

Seems like the pictures taken with the Summarit are the most beautiful.

best,

JM

I like the 35mm f1.2 shots.

B&H listed the R-D1 as "In Stock" for awhile on Thursday evening, during which time I placed an order. But the camera is now "New-coming soon"...and my order status is "On Order." So I presume B&H goofed and jumped the gun a bit.

 

-Dave-

Hi David,

 

My understanding from B&H is that they had just two copies and both sold. I was hoping you had gotten one of them.

 

Sean

Drat! :-) I'm in no rush but I was looking forward to giving the camera a spin tonight or tomorrow. Ah well...

 

-Dave-

Got mine 10 days ago via eBay. I had already a week of use of Tom Abrahamsson's loaner abefore and at the LHSA annual meeting. I am one of those who will write a review in the Viewfinder magazine. I likws it enough to buy one. With the help of DAG on the phone, I did a readjustment of the RF, as mine was optimized for distance and focuused a bit too close in the close range, obvious with the Nocti. Nonetheless I had been getting some nice images with that combination. I will try and post one.

 

Ed S.

Hi Ed,

Nice to hear that you have an RD 1 and are going to review it for the Viewfinder. I am on my second RD 1, a replacement for the first one which had rangefinder issues, and the second one's rangefinder is not perfect at infinity but works reasonably well in the close / medium range (with some lens restrictions - see below). I wonder if you could explain to us what DAG told you to do in order to adjust your rangefinder? I know about taking off the cover of the flash shoe, etc, like a Bessa R2, but I am not clear about the screws to adjust within the body. Second observation - I have not heard from anyone who has success focusing the 90 Summicron APO on the RD1 - and I wonder what your experience is? It seems the APO focusing foot doesn't properly engage the rangefinder cam in the RD 1 body - especially in the middle ( 3 to 5 meter range). Other lenses with focusing helicals instead of feet seem to work better as they properly engage the cam (which is slightly to the right of center as you look at the camera lens mount). Good luck with the review. I look forward to your answers.

 

Howard (in Hong Kong)

 

PS: Please see my take on the camera here, if you haven't already:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=009ezS

Hello Howard, and everyone else on this most interesting thread. Here is what DAG told me, after I had taken off the hot shoe and fiddled awhile:

 

As seen from behind the camera, there are 3 screws visible, two small silver ones, and on the right, a taller white-colored screw. That one on the far right is the vertical adjustment for the secondary image. It is finely threaded and quite precise. The one on the far left adjusts the horizontal image, much more crudely. On my camera, one can either have the close range in perfect alignment (let's say with @ f/1 and 1 meter), or the infinity setting. The factory setting was for infinity, leaving the close range slightly off. I adjusted it for 1 meter, and in the middle distance, again at large f/ stops, there is the expected discrepancy. At infinity on the lens the RF now shows a slight double image. At settings like f/4 and smaller and with the factory setting, one wouldn't notice any problem in actual shooting.

 

The middle screw adjusts the mirror inside the RF, and as such determines things like the clarity of the secondary image, and it's placement within the VF. If this screw adjusted without prior knowledge, it appears to move the patch both horizontally and vertically along the arc of a large circle! Best to leave it alone or use it to "trim" one's ultimate settings of the other screws. I owe this knowledge to Don.

 

FWIW, I bought my R-D1 from a member of this forum who had two of them

 

I post 3 pictures taken with the newly-adjusted RF and with the 90/1AA wide open. Focus is on the edge of the jar. The first is at 1.5 and seems spot-on. The second at 3 meters is acceptable. The last at 5meters is out, and focus is on the picture frame.

 

Regards,

 

Ed

Next shot at 3 meters

final shot at 5 meters

I forgot to add, lest you think this type of behavior is only true with the 90AA, I did the same thing with the Noctilux wide open at the same distances, with very similar results.

 

This happens because I optimized the focus at 1 meter in my RF adjustments. It is unfortunate that the R-D1's RF is not more accurate (its the RF mechanics, not the short base that's at fault). But I am not likely to take images wide open in available darkness at more than 3 meters, after all, unless it was at infinity (I took some great shots of the Northern Lights with the R-D1 and the Nocti at f/1). In that case a lens set at infinity is a lens set at infinity, regardless of what the RF says.

 

Ed

Just to note: you'll get essentially the same results as Ed with any Bessa R camera and a 90mm f/2 lens. I've shot with my Zeiss 85mm Sonnar and R2C and in testing noticed the same behavior. The RF is calibrated for infinity and loses accuracy with wider apertures at close range. It's a design limitation and a primary reason why the Cosina Voigtländer 90mm lens is a relatively slow f/3.5. Stop down the Sonnar to f/4 and focusing accuracy is within the DOF.

 

I don't intend to use the R-D1 with anything longer than a 50mm, which should make a nice portrait focal length with the camera's APS-size sensor. But I'll certainly give the 85 Sonnar a spin for kicks.

 

-Dave-

these sensors are the same ones used in the d100's, so i doubt anyone will see any difference from one shot with an rd1 and one shot with the nikons, other than focal lengths....

Dear Ed,

 

Thanks very much for your detailed explanation which I have printed out for

future reference and also for the photos which illustrate the experience which

I have had with my 90AA on the two RD 1 bodies which I have had - that is

sharp at one meter and gradually losing focus accuracy as you focus at a

greater distance. Now that you mention it - a friend's Noctilux behaved in

much the same way but was also front focusing at 1 meter. Curiously I have

had an email from one Lugger that he was very successful in focusing the 75

Summilux and that was on Tom A's loaner. In sum, I suspect there is enough

variation between Leica lenses and RD 1 bodies that the internet lists will be

filled with stories in the months ahead. Thanks again for your quick reply.

 

Cheers

 

Howard (in Hong Kong)